Letter from the Editor #514

I spent a good amount of time in front of the computer this week reading about the new Healthcare bill passed by Congress last weekend. Just when I thought I had it all figured out there were a couple of things that had to be resolved by the House and Senate. That was finished on Wednesday or so I thought, and I again began to work on an article about the bill and what it meant to our diabetes patients. Now there seems to be more that has to be worked out before we get the final version. What we do know that is positive for our patients is that the insurance companies will not be able to dump patients or not sign patients that have pre-existing conditions and that we will be able to keep our children on the health plan for an extra four years until they are 26 years of age. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks the remaining kinks will be worked out and we can bring you more accurate information about how this will affect you, your practice and your patients.

Sheri Colberg, Ph.D., FACSM, has been writing articles for us for over two years and over 25,000 of you have read them. During this time she has answered many questions personally from you and your patients. I asked her to pick out the most frequently asked questions and put them together for you. This is a great feature to read as you can be prepared for the questions patients are most likely to ask. Check out this week’s feature, Physical Activity Q&A with Dr. Sheri Colberg.

 

Announcements:

Taking Control of Your Diabetes (TCOYD): Honolulu, Hawaii, April 24 and Kauai, Hawaii, April 25
The TCOYD team will be in Honolulu at the Hawaii Convention Center for a conference and health fair on Saturday, April 24, and then on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, on Sunday, April 25, at the Kauai Marriott Resort Lihue.  TCOYD is a not for profit organization dedicated to informing and empowering people with diabetes to become actively involved in their own health care. For more 2010 upcoming conference details, please go to TCOYD.org.

dLife.com: March 21, 7PM ET on CNBC
Topics: Actress, comedienne, and “The View” co-host Sherri Shepherd talks candidly about her diabetes life. Plus, Jim Turner examines the wild world of competitive eating. Make the most of your dLife and don’t miss an episode: Sundays on CNBC at 7 PM ET, 6 PM CT, and 4 PM PT. Catch up on dLife.com.

Please answer this week’s Poll question:

In your opinion, is the new Healthcare Bill a “Milestone” or a “Mistake”?

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We can make a difference!

 

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Check out this week’s “Test Your Diabetes Knowledge” question!

Dave Joffe, Editor-in-chief