What’s Wrong with Health Care in America

Dr. Fogoros, a cardiologist, has written a great article describing why the medical system behaves the way it does and more importantly how to best protect yourself from the system.

Here are some of the highlights from his article:

“The fundamental issue with American health care is the rationing problem. This is not a problem of whether to ration - we don't have any choice about that, since we simply can't buy all the health care that might be useful for every individual - but how to do it. And since rationing health care is politically unfeasible (despite the fact that we don't have any choice about it), there is only one answer to the "how" problem: we've got to ration covertly.

Covert rationing means rationing (that is, withholding care) without mentioning it to anybody. And the only way to accomplish that is to have the doctors do it, quietly and whenever possible, subconsciously, at the bedside. Covert rationing requires that doctors, when making decisions about what tests to order and what care to give, must take into account something other than what's best for the individual patient sitting before them. That "something other" might be any of a multitude of factors, such as the regulations promulgated by the feds, personal financial incentives promulgated by health plans, interpreting scientific data with a certain slanted viewpoint, or peer pressure to behave in a certain way for the good of the profession or the specialty or the practice (i.e., protecting turf.) The point being that covert rationing - which, like it or not our society has fully embraced - requires, as a fundamental tenet, the systematic destruction of the doctor-patient relationship.

[This destruction of the doctor-patient relationship] explains all the seemingly bizarre behavior we see taking place every day in the American health care system. While you may be lucky enough to find a doctor who is adept at "gaming" the system, or who will take personal risks to get you what you need, you certainly can't count on that. Especially when you are dealing with a potentially life threatening disorder. You can no longer assume that whatever needs to be done will be done. You can't be passive. You've got to take responsibility for and control over your own health care.”

For the full article see:

Why the Health Care System Behaves the Way It Does

Managing Your Doctor

Managing Your Health Plan

Managing Your Own Health

More Research Labs for Antibodies

I also had blood sent to a research lab in Oklahoma. I had some confusing lab results, which sent doctors on a search for determining my specific antibody. I had a positive C-ANCA antibody test, which is supposed to by 90% specific for Wegener’s, but from my symptoms I obviously did not have Wegener’s. Since I had symptoms of myositis and a cousin who has Dermatomyositis, my blood was sent to a research lab that specialized in myositis antibodies at Oklahoma. Oklahoma also has a research lab that deals with Lupus and other autoimmune disease related antibodies. These labs are capable of multiple types of tests to confirm antibody specificity. However, even with all their technology they unfortunately were still unable to identify my antibody.

Oklahoma research blood test information and requisition forms:

OMRF Clinical Immunology Laboratory

OMRF Myositis Profile

APS Antibodies Found in Spinal Fluid

It is a relatively new concept to test patient’s spinal fluid for antibodies. I displayed multiple symptoms of APS, however I did not have a single positive blood test result. Because I had been having daily headaches for over six months and I was on immune suppressant drugs, the doctors decided to order a spinal tap to rule out an infection. Since spinal fluid would be available, they decided to send some of the spinal fluid off to the APS lab in Indiana as well as some of my blood. My spinal fluid ended up being positive for anti cardiolipin. However, my blood had been tested for that antibody for over 13 years by multiple labs and my blood was never positive. This was supportive proof for the theory that the blood brain barrier can make antibodies separate from the blood stream.

Research article from PubMed