A number of health/disease issues have a correlation to Body Mass Index (BMI) https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.htm
The common perception is that those who have a higher than normal BMI… are there because the eat too much or exercise too little.
Some of the diseases associated with elevated BMI are:
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)
Diabetes
Cardiovascular disease
Elevated cholesterol
All of these diseases have physical measurable values when it can be determined that a person is at risk and is usually determined as being PRE-DISEASE status.
What if our health care/insurance system started to limit treatment for anyone whose BMI is outside of the normal range ?
A pt would be mandated to lose a average of 1-2 lbs/wk until the pt gets their BMI gets into the normal range.
Example: a pt BMI indicates that they are 50 lbs OVER WEIGHT and the pt is provided medication – and paid for by insurance – for the various disease issues they have for ONE YEAR… if they do not reach the 50 lbs loss and get their BMI into the normal range… medication would no longer be paid for by insurance and required hospitalization to treat any health issues related to above recommended BMI would not be paid for by insurance.
If the pt reaches the recommended BMI and still have certain health issues .. then they would be required to participate into mandatory “health club” exercise programs to try and get the health issues to within normal ranges
If the pt is compliant with the mandatory exercise programs and still have some elevated lab values.. then the pt will be required to eat a “proper diet” to get elevated lab values within range.
Only after the pt does/participates all the necessary/mandatory and labs values are outside of normal ranges will the health insurance pay for some medications of the insurance company’s choosing.
If after obtaining all mandatory weight, exercise, diet and stops being compliant and lab values or BMI are out of acceptable range. The pt will be provided a “grace period” to get back to being compliant and if the pt fails to be compliant … coverage for the particular health issues will cease.. and the pt will be required to continue to pay for health insurance premiums so that they have health insurance coverage that are not caused by poor life style factors.
How slippery will this slope get ?
Filed under: General Problems
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