That Is Sick!

January 11, 2006 -- In our sick healthcare system:

  • Amputating a diabetic's foot is profitable.

  • Delivering the preventive care that could have saved the foot loses money.

  • Today's New York Times: In the Treatment of Diabetes, Success Often Does Not Pay:
    In "...the byzantine world of American health care, ...the real profit is made not by controlling chronic diseases like diabetes but by treating their many complications. Insurers, for example, will often refuse to pay $150 for a diabetic to see a podiatrist, who can help prevent foot ailments associated with the disease. Nearly all of them, though, cover amputations, which typically cost more than $30,000."