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Friday, April 23, 2010 – Daily News – 5A FEATURES Reader takes Dr. Gott to task on insurance issues DEAR DR. GOTT: My hus- band and I are both self-employed. I won’t even go into what has happened to our businesses these past few years. We are 56 and 57 years old. Our health insur- ance costs us $14,000 a year, with a $5,000 deductible. Please don’t advise us to find a cheaper policy, as I continually shop around! We have no preventive- care coverage. When you and all other medical advisers recommend rou- tine tests, you are simply talking to patients with the best medical policies pro- vided by their employers. These are the patients who are making doctors and medical centers wealthy and causing us private pay- ers to pay unaffordable premiums. My husband and I do not get a routine colonoscopy. It’s a $4,000 expense at our local facili- ty. The last time we had routine blood work, it was around $500 each. I will have my mammogram this year that will cost me at least $500, but I will skip my yearly exam. I know this letter sounds as if I’m whining, and I guess I am, but I feel that the medical community recommends unnecessary tests for the privileged and makes those who can’t afford it guilty. DEAR READER: You bring up valid points, for which I commend you. Insurance is extremely expensive and, in many instances, out of the ques- tion for millions of people. The entire country is going through difficult economic times, and when it comes to either putting food on the table or purchasing insurance, food has to win out. We’ve long since passed the days when a wife stayed home to care for the children while her husband went off to work. It now takes two pay- checks to survive — if, indeed, both spouses are fortunate enough to have a job. The unemployment rate is about 10 percent. Mortgages are going into foreclosure. Jobs are dis- appearing. I don’t know any people who willingly walk away from a home they have worked for years to acquire. Insurance, Dr. Peter Gott face. I would hope doctors and healthcare profession- als aren’t bilking the sys- tem by ordering unneces- sary tests. But there are times when a patient’s symptoms are somewhat vague or inconclusive and X-rays or lab testing is vital. As a point of interest, I know of a recent case in which a gentleman com- plained of recent-onset headaches — something he had never had before. His physician was alarmed enough to order an imme- diate CT of the head. With- out the X-ray, his advice might have been “take two aspirin and call me in the morning.” Instead, the information obtained like- ly saved the man’s life. In this instance, I congratu- late his physician for run- ning up the bill, as it were. It’s a doctor’s job to save lives, and that’s just what happened in that case. And I must say there’s nothing — absolutely nothing — that provides a better feel- ing than that! I hope the healthcare- reform bill that passed recently makes insurance more affordable for our cit- izens. Covering colono- scopies and the annual examination you are forced to avoid at this stage may be a past, unpleasant memory you can shelve. In the interim, ask your doc- tor to be extremely selec- tive when ordering any testing. Weigh the benefits and risks. I am sure that he or she will abide by your decision. Good luck. Dr. Peter H. Gott is a retired physician and the author of several books, including “Live Longer, Live Better,” “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Diet” and “Dr. Gott’s No Flour, No Sugar Cookbook,” which are available at most bookstores or online. His website is www.AskDrGottMD.com. 8th Annual FIBER ON THE FOOT May 1-2 • 9 to 5 Fiber Livestock Festival Family fun Handcrafter’s Paradise Plus 6 other events at the TDFG www.fiberonthefoot.com Dr. Andrew PomazalD.O. Physician & Surgeon General Medicine Saturday Appointments Available • High Blood Pressure • Diabetes • Joint & Muscle Pain • Lung Problems We offer Osteopathic Manipulation 530 528-2066 2050 Main St, Red Bluff Accepting New Patients Mike’s Pools and More! is now Sunplay Pools 530 527-3262 www.sunplaypoolsinc.com and Service Celebrates their 11th season with a FRIDAY, MAY 7TH 10 DAMON AVE, RED BLUFF NEW NAME! Join us for our Red Bluff Garden Center 766 Antelope Blvd. Red Bluff • 527-0886 China Buffet CHINESE RESTAURANT 10% OFF TOTAL BILL with coupon Expires 4-30-10 COUPON Open 7 Days A Week LUNCH Buffet Adult: $6.99 Mon-Sat. 10:30am-3:30pm DINNER Buffet Adult: $9.99 Mon-Thurs 3:30am-9:30pm Fri-Sat 3:30-10:30pm Carry-Out Buffet Lunch $3.50 / Lb. • Dinner $4.50 / Lb. All Seafood $6.50 / Lb. SUNDAY $ Buffet 10.99 All Day DRINKS with coupon FREE Expires 4-30-10 COUPON 343 S. Main St. Red Bluff 530-529-5888 (No Checks) unless provided by an employer, is often a luxury. On the flip side, employers are forced to spend more and more money each year covering their employees. It’s one heck of a no- win dilemma we are all forced to Should I tell daughter about beau’s troubles? Dear Annie: My daugh- ter, ‘‘Chloe,’’ is 21 and expecting her first child. She works full time and lives with her father (we are divorced). Chloe is still seeing the father of the child — a con- victed felon who was released from prison last year and within a month was charged with shoplift- ing. He has no car or job and lives with a friend. I recently found out he has three new court appearances pend- ing in the next month (one for pos- session of marijuana, one for pos- session of a counterfeit instrument and the third for trespassing). He may end up back in prison before the baby is born. I don’t think my daughter knows about the new charges. Should I tell her or let sleeping dogs lie? — Des- perate Mom in Arizona Dear Mom: Chloe deserves to Annie’s Mailbox by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar slow down his drinking sig- nificantly, although I don’t expect him to stop entirely. He now gets drunk only occasionally and only with his friends. Rick recognizes that he still has a problem and wants to change. He was raised in a family where peo- ple drank heavily. I hate it when Rick gets drunk, because I get angry and we fight. He recently told me he hates how he treats me when he’s smashed. I suggested he learn to pace himself, but he says that’s harder than it sounds. We plan to marry, and he is well aware that I refuse to raise my chil- dren in a house where a parent drinks excessively. He wants to cut back, and I want to support and encourage him as much as possible. How do we do this? — Baltimore Barb Dear Barb: If Rick comes from know, but try not to criticize while you tell her. Simply give her the information, saying you thought she’d want to be aware of her boyfriend’s problems. She is likely to become defensive and claim she knew all along, in which case, say nothing more about him. But do offer your support to her. Dear Annie: ‘‘Rick,’’ my best friend and significant other, likes his beer. Before we started dating, it was normal for him to be drunk every weekend and once in a while during the week, as well. He never drinks during the workday. I told Rick that if we were going to have a relationship, he needed to a family of heavy drinkers and has difficulty pacing himself and staying sober, he may be an alcoholic. If that’s the case, he may have to give up beer entirely. The fact that he is willing to work on this, however, is a very good sign. Suggest he contact A.A. (aa.org). They are in the phone book. Even if Rick doesn’t believe he is an alcoholic, he could benefit from their assistance. And you should contact Al-Anon (al- anon.alateen.org) to find out how best to respond to his drinking. Dear Annie: I read the letter from ‘‘Cornered in California,’’ about the couple whose entire pay- check goes to cover the high cost of the husband’s prescription medica- tions. Your advice was excellent. My guess, however, is the couple has already applied for social ser- vices. There may also be assistance from the drug manufacturer. As an attorney, I have assisted clients in filling out the application required by the drug maker to learn whether the patient qualifies for free or reduced rates for much-needed med- ication. Some drug manufacturers post the application for assistance on their websites. In two instances, my clients — both impoverished — were able to receive free medication directly from the manufacturer. This couple should learn whether the drug maker has set up a charity for such a purpose. — Attorney in Louisville, Ky. Dear Attorney: Thank you for your expert suggestions. Anyone interested should first try contacting the drug manufacturer. They are often quite helpful. Here are a few other places: Needy Meds (needymeds.com); Partnership for Prescription Assistance (pparx.org); RxAssist and Rx Outreach Patient Assistance Programs (rxassist.org); Rx Hope (rxhope.com); and Togeth- er Rx Access (togetherrxaccess.com). Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Please e-mail your questions to anniesmailboxcomcast.net, or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Ste. 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. Event aims to connect people with services Tehama County Continuum of Care will hold the inaugural Pro- ject Homeless Connect 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at the Tyler Jelly Building on the Tehama District Fairground. More than 20 community organizations will provide direct services to homeless persons and those at-risk of homelessness during the one-day event. The purpose is to provide immediate access to critical ser- vices and remove typical barriers that prevent people from moving out of homelessness. The project has been success- fully implemented in more than 200 cities across the nation and internationally. Key principles of the project are: Not business as usual, hospi- tality from the whole community, immediate access, no waiting in line, innovative and efficient approach to service delivery, one day focused on making a differ- and services include: Department of Motor Vehicles to issue identi- fication cards and driver’s licens- es; Tehama County Clerk Recorder with access to birth cer- tificates, marriage certificates and other vital statistics; free haircuts; Poor and The Homeless — PATH — with access to hous- ing resources and providing a free spaghetti lunch; Northern California Legal Services to pro- vide assistance with minor legal issues; Department of Social Ser- vices for Food Stamps, Medi-Cal and County Medical Services Program; Tehama County Health Department to provide health screenings such as blood pres- sure, glucose and immunizations; veterans services, education, youth services, domestic vio- lence, notary services and health access. 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