Congratulations, USA!

May you collectively save money on acute healthcare costs by diagnosing chronic illnesses sooner, respecting your patients’ concerns, and allowing healthcare access for all members of society so they don’t burden you with much more expensive conditions later.

This is a very important bill for people with CD, especially those 85% who remain undiagnosed. Now that testing and biopsies will become for financially available, perhaps we will see a wave of new diagnoses over the next two years. I hope so.

Again, congratulations to my peeps south of the border.

What does it take to get diagnosed for celiac disease in the United States? Thousands and thousands of dollars, years of being told that you’re a hypochondriac, and persistence. Sweet, sweet persistence.

Don’t get me wrong, I think some of the acute healthcare available in the United States is pretty impressive. But every time I think of being diagnosed with CD, I thank my lucky stars that I was in Canada, where I didn’t pay anything for my blood tests, my biopsy, my dietitian, or my meetings with the osteoporosis specialists. 

It’s still very important to remember that having CD is an expensive pastime - I pay hundreds of dollars in food and nutrition supplements every month that I otherwise would not have to buy. But thank goodness I didn’t have to pay $4,000 for blood work. What a nightmare.

This girl, Orcasisle, has made a great video on CNN’s iReport (apple plug, anyone?) about “the shortcomings of the U.S. health care system during [her] 6 year journey getting diagnosed with Celiac Disease highlighting the need for health care reform.”

I thought it was a great (even better near the end) bit of independent journalism. Congratulations on your diagnosis, Orcasisle, and on getting through the healthcare system despite all the drawbacks you encountered.