[vter]

Vermont again the healthiest state | burlingtonfreepress.com | The Burlington Free Press

[mustmove]

VT comes out well mostly because of a high rate of health insurance. One measure they didn't count is drug use, VT and MA are in the top few states for drug use and both states came out on top in the health rankings. I don't know anything about the people that did the study, or their motivations, but the list of healthiest states correlates damn close with the list of state tax burdens. I doubt high taxes make you healthy, but you never know.

[flu189]

It's nice that these ranking seem to be coming out on a monthly basis and it is good that in several measures Vermont has a lower incidence of certain chronic diseases. However, another factor is that many people here, at least from experience, just don't seek preventative medical and dental care. They wait until symptoms become serious enough to limit their daily ability to work or do whatever. Just two weeks ago a coworker was complaining of a symptom which I urged him to definately get checked out, and we have health coverage! There are so many studies related to health ratings and each uses different criteria to reach an assumption or conclusion. I find it interesting that Vermont leads the nation in terms of folks depending on Medicaid. It's also interesting to note that 10% of Vermont's population use food stamps, but actually 33% are eligible to and have not.

[GypsySoul22]

I think a lot of people do not seek preventative care possibly because they get overwhelmed by the process.

They may not have the time or money to get tests done. Even with insurance, the recommended tests for cholesterol, other blood tests or x-rays, MRIs or whatever co payments add up. I had insurance for something in NY and they wound up charging me a few hundred for something I have no clue WHY. I tried to fight it but there was no point as we lost our insurance by then.

Maybe people don't like being tied up with these hassles. Doctors tend to lecture about getting this or that test or want to put you on a variety of medicines. I can see Vermonters saying 'get lost.'

[flu189]

Dealing with insurance can very well influence folks not to seek care, except when absolutely necessary. My carrier, who I pay a very hefty premium to, has drastically cut back on just general practice physicians within the nerwork. All I want to do is just schedule a good comprehensive physical and the docs in the network are just not accepting new patients. To make matters worse my carrier is now in a pissing contest with Fletcher Allen, the major medical facility in my region which so many doctors affiliate with. If they cannot come to an aggrement on usual and customary fees then my limited options will become even more limited.

[mustmove]

Anybody else heard that radio ad by the state of a dentist saying how great it is to be a dentist in VT? Then goes on to talk about other health opportunities in VT. Funny because VT has a hard time recruiting and keeping dentists and doctors but in these good times were running ads with all that extra tax money to encourage health professionals to train/live here. Idiots. Not many people smart enough to work in medicine are taking the bait.

[MRVphotog]

Vter...why bother posting a positive Vermont thread when it's always the same people who reply about why Vermont sucks. These people are toxic and have made this forum a joke IMHO. It's a free county, but can't you people get some Valium or something.

[flu189]

Originally Posted by MRVphotog

Vter...why bother posting a positive Vermont thread when it's always the same people who reply about why Vermont sucks. These people are toxic and have made this forum a joke IMHO. It's a free county, but can't you people get some Valium or something.

Don't worry MRV, I probably won't get to post too many "toxic" posts from Afghanistan because I suspect I'll be a bit busy. Will check with the docs though to see what they can prescribe. Anyway, I am glad that at least you acknowledge it still is free country and all perceptions, experiences, and opinions can still be freely diseminated, even if they are viewed by some to be a joke.

[GypsySoul22]

Originally Posted by mustmove

Anybody else heard that radio ad by the state of a dentist saying how great it is to be a dentist in VT? Then goes on to talk about other health opportunities in VT. Funny because VT has a hard time recruiting and keeping dentists and doctors but in these good times were running ads with all that extra tax money to encourage health professionals to train/live here. Idiots. Not many people smart enough to work in medicine are taking the bait.

Well, I am sure a dentist or doctor who runs a decent practice can do very nicely here. After all, what is not to like? Rolling green hills, mountains, pleasant sunshine, great winter weather.

[Sherylcatmom]

Originally Posted by GypsySoul22

Well, I am sure a dentist or doctor who runs a decent practice can do very nicely here. After all, what is not to like? Rolling green hills, mountains, pleasant sunshine, great winter weather.

I would have thought the same thing! After speaking with VT friends of ours who are doctors and dentists, I see it a bit differently. Due to the stresses of practicing mainstream medicine (including folks who want a pill to cure all their lifestyle-induced symptoms, multiple patients booked for the same time, and 7-minute consultations), a good friend of ours closed her successful practice as a family physician. She now does private consulting with no insurance billing.

Another friend has restructured his family medicine practice to see only a limited number of patients. His initial consult with each lasts about 90 minutes, and he is attracting more patients committed to taking care of themselves. Two of our dentist friends who have busy practices are hiring additional associates and spending less and less time in the grind.

It's probably like this for docs in many places. My cousin who is a cardiologist was part of a very busy practice in Florida, but the stress was ruining his heart. So he moved his family to a sleepy Midwest town even though he and his wife are native South Floridians and that's where our relatives all are.