US Does Not Guarantee Healthcare To Diabetics Until Kidney Failure

If you are a diabetic in the United States, you will pay more for your insulin than anywhere else in the world and you are much less likely to have insurance pay for your required care. Presently, if a diabetic lacks private insurance, the U.S. government does not guarantee any medical care for that person until he or she is in end-stage renal failure, which means on kidney dialysis.  This provision is thanks to a 1963 act of Congress authorizing Medicare inclusion for those in end-stage kidney failure. If an individual is on Medicaid, which is for low-income folks, healthcare is provided. But working-class people without insurance are left out in the cold, unable to afford private insurance and struggling to buy their insulin.

The Trump Administration is suing the federal agency charged with administering the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act known as Obamacare, which is one of the few methods that people can obtain affordable health insurance. In the United States only 52% of employers provide any kind of medical insurance or workplace benefits. Consequently 48% of the working population lacks access to affordable healthcare. In addition, if the Trump Administration gets its way it will rollback protections for people with pre-existing conditions and they will be unable, in many cases, to obtain any medical insurance. Keeping with current trends the Trump Administration and Senate leader, McConnell are intent to take the nation back to the fifties, not 1950, but 1850.

The US does not guarantee any access to primary healthcare for people with chronic diseases, like Type 1 Diabetes and in fact, many cannot afford to pay for their insulin, and some have died. This needs to stop.

1.  Firstly, as a nation we need to start providing primary care to prevent kidney failure for diabetics and others. Providing care earlier will reduce problems and costs later. 
2. Secondly, we need to reduce the manipulations of the pharmaceutical industry to continually up-sell scant changes in patent formulations which restrict access to affordable generic drugs.
3. Thirdly, the Food and Drug Administration should represent the people of the United States and quit viewing pharmaceutical companies as its customers. A regulatory agency must maintain a separate authority from those it is policing. 
4. Fourthly, let’s restore the application of quality science in health policy decision-making. 
5. Finally, establishing a national healthcare policy, like Medicare-for-all would alleviate a number of these challenges, by providing a baseline of care, establishing one government authority to negotiate for pricing for health products and services, and lowering administrative costs.

 To that end, I am once-again riding the Russell Ride from Bremerton, Washington to Napa, California to promote the research Benaroya Research Institute is doing to cure Type 1 Diabetes, an auto-immune disease which took my brother at age 42. I will be speaking with people along the coast and listening to their stories about their diabetic challenges. This year, my son, Nathan will be riding with me. Join us for the Russell Ride by following me on Twitter or on the fundraising site below.

https://benaroyaresearchinstitute.everydayhero.com/us/russell-ride-2019

https://twitter.com/healthpolicymav

And this is the healthpolicymaven signing off encouraging you not to sign blanket medical releases, but specify that for which you consent and what you decline. And do consider making a contribution to the site, I hope to obtain 100 contributions this year.