weight loss and socioeconomics

Yesterday we had a young female patient come in with a small child with her, and she was here for a consultation about our program. When Melissa provided the information about our program, the woman was very interested, but when the cost of the program was outlined, she said she couldn't even come close to affording it.

Clearly, a personalized weight loss program such as ours should not be only for people who have enough disposable income to afford it, but yet, what is the answer to this dilemma?

First, insurance companies should be REQUIRED to offer coverage for at least part of a medically supervised weight loss program. These companies have been doing nothing more than dramatically increasing premiums, denying coverage to those people with preexisting medical problems, cutting fees to physicians and forcing doctors to change their prescribing habits. Isn't it time that the government stepped in and mandated that these companies become more aggressive in their contribution to reduce the nation's largest health concern. Believe me, there will be tens of thousands of times more deaths this year in the U.S. caused by obesity-related diseases than the swine flu.

Secondly, perhaps some of the monies that have been going to flying AIG executives around the country, bailing out companies that have been incompetently managed, etc. can be diverted to health clinics in poorer areas that can offer weight loss and other preventative care to people who cannot afford it.

We have been investigating bringing our program out to Native American reservations, as the obesity rate is incredibly high in that population. Our program can be taught to other medical people, and does not need a nice suburban office space to provide the services. We are exploring how we can perhaps package our program and have it delivered through other providers at a much lower cost to people who cannot afford the services we provide in Burke.

Anyway, sorry for this relatively angry rant this morning, but I feel very bad when someone who really wants to do our program does not have the resources to pay for it. Obviously, it is not fair for us to give some people "discounts" or free programs, other people pay full price, etc. I would greatly appreciate your comments on this discussion...feel free to post on our chat at: www.spdiet.com or write me at: drposner@spdiet.com