Allies Voice: ABC News says 'Talk Back' to President Bush
ABC News "Talk Back" is asking for your questions on healthcare and the state of diabetes. These questions could be addressed by President Bush in the State of the Union address on January 28th.
As an outspoken diabetes consumer advocate and a representative for the ABC News "Talk Back" panel -- Allie will convey the questions that you want answered!
What would you ask President Bush about healthcare and the state of diabetes? Universal healthcare, generic drugs, the diabetes epidemic are just a few among countless issues. Speak your mind so the President can hear your thoughts! Allie will submit the video to ABC News "Talk Back" by January 24th. Comment today to share your thoughts for the future of US healthcare.
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1. There are not enough adequate trained Heath Personnel to meet the needs of those with T1DM.Both in Physicians and Ancillary Staff.
2. That there be a distinction made between T1DM and IRD also known as Type 2 Diabetes. The best way for a separation is in a change in the nomenclature.
3. Stress be made on the point that T1DM is Auto-Immune in Nature and thus nit preventable as this point in Time. IRD also known as (until a new nomenclature is found) Type 2 Diabetes is preventable by a change in Lifestyle.
4. Complications are a part of having T1DM in spite of good Blood Glucose control.
5. C-peptide be made available as a way to prevent and treat Complications in T1DM.
6. A new Education Program be made available to Physicians and Healthcare Workers that ONLY covers T1DM.
7. A new breed of Physicians and Healthcare Workers that are ONLY trained and made available for those with T1DM rather than mixing two different Diseases together.
8. All of the above HAS to be done if any progress is going to develop for those of us with T1DM, which has not been the case in the last 69 years.
9. Death and Complications are not the way to go with T1DM and more/more EMPTY WORDS.
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You really don't like Type 2 diabetics do you? I have steroid induced Type 2 and so does my Daughter-in-law. Her steroids were part of her battle with breast cancer. I probably would have been diagnosed down the road
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Russell--
I'll let Billy Warhol speak for himself, but I'll bet that, like me, he certainly harbors no ill-will toward Type 2 diabetics. Their problems are as real as Type 1's--but DIFFERENT. Diabusiness (the insulin cartel, healthcare providers, researchers and media do a disservice to ALL when they lump the two distinct diseases together under the label DIABETES.)
I hope you understand that we can all learn from each other--even though the diseases ARE different.
IMHO, Type 2 has garnered more attention and research dollars because (1) its "epidemic" numbers threaten the economics of healthcare and (2) treatment--including lifestyle changes--offer potential "cures." (See Allie's blog on the definition of cure.) Not so with Type 1. The promise to a newly- diagnosed Type 1 is that a cure is only 5 years away. We've heard that story, now, for 50 years . . . and we HAVE no alternative except insulin (or whatever new analog the cartel and their enablers decide to foist upon us.)
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#1 Let Scientists + Researchers do their Important work on Embryonic Stem Cells! Quit playing God with People's Lives!!
#2 Cover Expensive Diabetic Supplies under a Health Plan - Thousands of People can't Afford Insulin nor Testing Supplies! & Pharmaceutical Giants should NOT be Getting Rich off the Backs of Diabetics! Insulin has not dropped a Penny in over 30 Years! Thass Bullshit!!
Maybe it's a Good thing yer Fielding the Questions to the Prez & not me Allie!!
Peace*
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It's no secret that competition benefits everyone. The U.S. benefited from antitrust action taken in the airline and telecommunications industries. We are also far better off with more competition in the U.S. auto industry thanks largely to the emergence of Asian and European competition. But the U.S. has virtually NO competition when it comes to insulin, with just 3 companies controlling 100% of the market.
The U.S. spends an estimated $3.3 billion annually on insulin (a figure which is forecast to grow about 7-10% annually), and state Medicaid programs spent $500 million on insulin in 2005. A study undertaken by Pharmacy Benefits Manager Express Scripts found that the U.S. could save an estimated $797 million in the first year, totaling in excess of $16 billion over 10 years if generic insulin was available in the U.S. Another study done for the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA) reached a strikingly similar conclusion on the potential for savings that this legislation might create, although that study did not disclose savings by drug class.
In 2001, the FDA announced it was developing guidelines for approving generic insulin, but those guidelines were never released, partly, critics say, because of pressure from the Biotechnology Industry Organization, which represents the brand-name makers of biologic drugs. Seven states have filed lawsuits against the FDA for not releasing those guidelines, although the suit is still working its way through the courts.
The U.S. is now close to 6 years behind the European Union when it comes to having a process for approving generic biotechnology medicines, which includes insulin. Legislation to address generic biomeds has been introduced in Congress for each of the last 3 years, yet lobbyists for the drug industry have repeatedly delayed this from even being voted on.
In addition to the comments from other posters, serious consideration also needs to be given to the FDA, particularly the method used to fund that Agency (which largely consists of user fees) and the adverse impact it has had on the Agency's ability to regulate both the Food and Drug industries. A report recently found that the FDA is desperately short of money and poorly organized, which is putting people's lives at risk. The report was written by three members of the FDA Science Board, an advisory panel that reports directly to the agency's commissioner, Dr. Andrew C. von Eschenbach. The 3 authors in turn had 30 scientific advisers.
Please do not delay legislation that will open the door to competition in the insulin market!
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Russell Scott :
I do not dislike/like anyone with Insulin Resistant Disease(aka Type 2 Diabetes) as you state.
It is a TOTALLY different Disease with a different/etiology, history, treatment plan and progress plan.
Thus it should not be confused with
T1DM which is underfunded(reseach/education/medical school curriculum, Pharmaceutical/Bio-Tech R&D), understaffed and poorly understood by many people both in Medicine and the Public Community as a whole. In reality, there is very little Healthcare support available for those with T1DM compared with IRD.
Regarding Generic Insulin:
So long as the "raw ingredients" and R&D Personnel are professional and "safe," I do not have too much of a problem with that. However, many of the Premises in China and India(2 of the most countries that supply chemicals and other ingredients for use in Generic manufacture) have poor histories involving contaminated products and un-safe working conditions.
What I propose instead, is a way to make Life Saving Medicines (Insulin and other Pharmaceutical made available to people on a sliding scale according to Income Level, with a starting point of $00.00 to a maximum that does not go above a range to be agreed upon. Where people do not have to be left with a choice of Medicine(Insulin and more) or Food because of a low Income Level. Despite all the Hype of Programs made available, there are still many people here in the USA that are not able to afford BOTH Medical Care and Food.
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I'm not going to bother with asking that sorry excuse for a President anything. He can't think for himself and doesn't give a sh*t about us anyway. I'll just save my questions for Mrs. Clinton or Mr. Obama. I'd rather not waste my breath till then.
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.
In EFFECT type 1B / 2 / 1.5 / 1A / 2A diabetes appear substantially similar [urination of excess glucose].
> 1207 www.tinyurl.com/2bpym6 [P.Pozzilli@unicampus.it]
The avoidable CAUSE of type 1B / 2 / 1.5 / 1A / 2A diabetes appears substantially identical.
> 1207 www.tinyurl.com/399utj ["The Gracey HYPOthesis"]
What do You think the CAUSE of type 2A / 1A diabetes is?
> 0108 www.tinyurl.com/23uz59 [George.Eisenbarth@uchsc.edu]
…Warm thanks & Adrenalin Love
Nick Gracey, BSc(Hons) Medical Biochemistry, Birmingham University, UK, WATerian
(C) 21:15hrs @ MON.14.JAN.2008 c/o LoveDiabetes.com
AdrenaLINE ... www.tinyurl.com/29kvda ... "I-Fast-23hours-45minutes-EveryDay-OrMore"
.
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Nicholas Dynes Gracey,
I find the latest entry you've cited (from the Jan 2008 edition of Curr Opin Immunol.) with human insulin being the autoantigen in NOD/human diabetes absolutely fascinating. This confirms a 2005 study done in murine animal models.
One cannot help but wonder if the synthetic "human" insulin we are being forced to use might be causing more problems than the animal insulin used for the first 65 years following its discovery.
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Allie, please ask if there is a more effective way to gain anaimal insulin from England and if the FDA and be more helpful in getting this insulin to patients sooner with out so much red tape. As if there is a way to get this much needed insulin delivered here so that Diabetics have a choice to choose and why we don't have that right to choose? Maybe you can ask him if we have the right to pursue a better quality of life with animal insulin and why we are having such issues with getting what is a right for us to have. Why he has allowed big Pharma to take away the very medication that keeps us alive. I realize that all these questions are too much for a man such as Bush but anyone might be worth a try. Good luck girl and remember focus on the real issue and not the smoke screens they will throw at you. Thank you for your efforts in getting this to them. Good work. But we need help in this area for sure.
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Everybody prolly heard the News that Scientists created a Heart or essentially Grew one in the Lab. That is Great News!
The point is Scientists are making tremendous Discoveries every day + I believe there is real Hope for us*
1 thing they mentioned was the use of neonatal cells ie Embryonic + the reason is so your Body does not Attack the implanted Organ or that U need Anti-Rejection Drugs*
Ask Bush if his Mother or Father or Wife or Kids or Brother god forbid needed 1 of these but it utilized Embryonic Stem Cells whether that would be OK with Him*
I think Ashley said it best - Don't even waste yer Breath on that Idiot*
Seriously that Clown has been in Office 7 Years + beyond all belief it looks like Americans are going to allow that abomination to finish out his term - But he has done Everything in his Power to place Roadblocks + Deny Funding for Important Scientific Embryonic Stem Cell Research based on his Religious Beliefs*
oh god lord help us all*
Bottom Line is U can See all the Tremendous Advances Scientists are making*
10 or 20 Years ago none of this would have been possible*
Obviously whass coming down the pipes in the next short while ie 10 or 20 or 50 Years
or even sooner is gonna be Amazing + Help a Ton of People*
+ then we have Idiot Bush + his Brainwashed Flock playing God*
It makes my Blood Boil*
Cheers Folks!!
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Your view of the current incumbent is widely shared in Europe; we find it hard to believe that a great nation like the USA could elect, and be represented by, such an obviously incompetent individual. (Although we didn't do so well with Tony Blair either, who turned out to be a compulsive liar). The damage Bush and the people behind him have wreaked in the Middle East, in trans-Atlantic relations and in the US economy is awe-inspiring. He has a good claim to being the worst US President ever!
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