Have you been to the doctor lately? Make sure your numbers are up to date

Do you know what your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels are? During the pandemic, the number of people missing routine medical care is rising.

Knowing your numbers will help you improve and maintain your health this year.

The National Forum for Heart Disease & Stroke Prevention and 18 other organizations are launching a campaign to urge people to see their healthcare team in 2022 to “know your numbers.”

“This campaign addresses an urgent crisis that has been largely overlooked in the shadow of the pandemic,” said Warren A. Jones, M.D., chair of the National Forum. “In cities, towns, and rural America, people are suffering declining health and dying preventable deaths because they haven’t gotten to their healthcare providers.”

Before covid-19, nearly one in three Americans didn’t seek needed medical care and the number rose during the pandemic to 41 percent.

The missed care has led to millions of excess deaths and worsening of treatable conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and kidney disease, said Jones.

Among the 18 organizations collaborating with the National Forum on the campaign are: the American College of Cardiology, American Pharmacists Association, Association of Public Health Nurses, Mayo Clinic, and National Association of County and City Health Officials. 

The campaign will run in February and March 2022.

The National Forum represents more than 100 national and international organizations and provides a forum for collaborative action on cardiovascular health.

Comments

[azure]

You must be joking, do you know how difficult it is to get an appointment in some parts of the US? I haven't had a PCP for well over a year. I've seen a DO once, w/the follow up from a MD who had a short term contract (or that's what I was told) so is gone by now unless the non-profit monopolistic health care corporation persuaded her to extend her contract.
I put my name down to become patient of 2 other MDs or DOs in the clinic but I suspect either the employee (of the clinic) never actually bothered to put my name on waiting lists or there's been no openings. I was never able to get the contract MD to even SPEAK with me on the telephone regarding some odd blood test results--the only message I got from her was that things looked find. Great health care, right? Have heard nothing regarding availability of telehealth, does Medicare even pay for it?
Where I live, a relatively low population area, the monopolistic "non-profit" "health care" corporation (not to be confused with not for profit) is trying to force people to sign up for its Medicare Advantage plan--which it can do because it now employs most of the health care providers in the county (and in 2 other counties). So if you have regular Medicare, good luck. Maybe you'll get to travel 40 miles (each way) to find a provider.
Health care in the US hasn't been good or adequate for many (great for the wealthy of course), despite some efforts by some states, those that expanded Medicaid, etc. But if no clinics, etc. will accept your insurance, it doesn't help much to have the coverage. The pandemic has turned the cracks into crevasses that keep widening, they'll turn into canyons before we're done, just like growing income inequality and a Congress whose majority agrees to further bloat the DoD budget but blocks important portions of Biden's Build Back Better, etc because you know, if you're rich, who needs access to good quality low cost health care? Or paid maternity leave?
Too bad people don't turn the energy of their anger into pushing every single member of Congress to support national health care or voting them out of office. Same for Chief Exec and governors and state legislatures. But no.

[Rita]

Yes, the medical care system in our country isn't what citizens want or need. When it was set up, the European system of single payer was rejected and instead this system of people getting health care insurance through their employer was established. Those not working were left out -- completely. Only in 1965 were seniors added through Medicare. Only in 2010 were low-income people added through the Affordable Care Act.

You're absolutely right: "The pandemic has turned the cracks [in the health care system] into crevasses that keep widening, they'll turn into canyons before we're done ... "

But, voting out members of Congress who are blocking better policies is what we need to do. And state legislators, governors, and the president, too.