One of the greatest fears for people with diabetes is losing health insurance coverage. That’s because purchasing medications and insulin, test strips, and paying for doctor visits can be extremely expensive and sometimes cost prohibitive. Without adequate coverage, severe complications from the disease are more likely, according to a recent study released by Health Affairs that outlines the relationship between health insurance and diabetes according to an article recently published by Diabetes in Control.
People without insurance were twice as likely as those with insurance (46% vs. 23%) to be unaware they have the disease, according to the study. And while having insurance didn’t translate into the tightest blood sugar control (an A1C reading of less than 7%), those without insurance had much worse blood sugar readings. Researchers say that this study proves that the uninsured are not able to get access to the medical care they need to prevent serious health problems, such as heart and kidney failure, strokes and amputations.
In addition, the researchers noted that even people with insurance are suffering from undertreatment of their diseases due to high co-payments and deductibles. Researchers also referred to the results of a widely quoted study that attributes 45,000 deaths in the U.S. each year to a lack of health insurance.
For the most recent study researchers examined survey data from nearly 16,000 non-elderly adults collected between 1999 and 2006 in which respondents answered questions about their economic situation and health coverage. Researchers then checked out the participants and ordered lab tests.
A separate study found that nearly 40% of African-Americans with diabetes don’t visit the podiatrist often enough because of money, according to an article published recently by The Medical News. It is important for people with diabetes to make sure their feet are in good health because of diabetics’ increased risk of amputation.
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