GOV REQ "Obesity Ratings" by 2014 ?!!

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  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    They will be used by you and by your doctors. When you change doctors, your records will follow you without you having to force your old doctor to cough them up (assuming you even try).

    I think they'll use them for research too but I'm not sure how that will work and what permissions will or won't be required.
  • anthemfamily
    anthemfamily Posts: 24 Member
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    The electronic record mandates were passed years ago with HIPAA, the stimulus package just tweaked it a bit. This is a healthcare regulation. Part of HIPAA is safeguarding these records from privacy breaches. I am not quoting this from any article, I am the HIPAA officer for the medical practice I work at. This really isn't anything new.

    Traci
  • GooBeGone
    GooBeGone Posts: 439 Member
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    i'm waitin 4 the day that i can take my 160lb fit self in2 the dr's office (wearin baggy clothes like i normally do) & have him tell me i'm overweight accordin 2 my bmi & liftin up my shirt so he can see my near 4pack lol! then tell him in a sarcastic voice "yes i'm clearly overweight :huh: " hehehe :bigsmile:
  • dgroulx
    dgroulx Posts: 159 Member
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    BMI is a commonly used health tool. But, you cannot get your true BMI by plugging numbers into a website. If you want your true BMI, you need to measure fat on different body parts using calipers. You also have to measure body parts like length of arm between wrist and elbow, wrist circumference, neck, ankles, - you name it. It's a big process, but it is an extremely accurate measurement of obesity.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    BMI is a commonly used health tool. But, you cannot get your true BMI by plugging numbers into a website.
    BMI is a formula calculated by inputting your height and weight. It doesn't change based on body fat.
  • GooBeGone
    GooBeGone Posts: 439 Member
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    If you want your true BMI, you need to measure fat on different body parts using calipers. You also have to measure body parts like length of arm between wrist and elbow, wrist circumference, neck, ankles, - you name it.

    u get ur bmi with just ur height & weight. what u're referring 2 is bodyfat % which i personally prefer. bmi is outdated.... heck, was it ever IN date lol

    but yes bodyfat % is a much better accurate measurement.
  • dgroulx
    dgroulx Posts: 159 Member
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    If you want your true BMI, you need to measure fat on different body parts using calipers. You also have to measure body parts like length of arm between wrist and elbow, wrist circumference, neck, ankles, - you name it.

    u get ur bmi with just ur height & weight. what u're referring 2 is bodyfat % which i personally prefer. bmi is outdated.... heck, was it ever IN date lol

    but yes bodyfat % is a much better accurate measurement.

    Yes, you are right. That's what I was thinking of.
  • anotheryearolder
    anotheryearolder Posts: 385 Member
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    Service denial due to BMI is already happening. Yesterday I heard of a vet that was denied a knee replacement due to having a BMI one point over what was deemed acceptable. He was told to reapply next March, if he has a BMI that they approved of.

    So, yeah. It's not only coming; in some cases it's already here.
  • GooBeGone
    GooBeGone Posts: 439 Member
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    Service denial due to BMI is already happening. Yesterday I heard of a vet that was denied a knee replacement due to having a BMI one point over what was deemed acceptable. He was told to reapply next March, if he has a BMI that they approved of.

    So, yeah. It's not only coming; in some cases it's already here.

    that doesn't make any sense at all, but in those cases they r lookin 4 an excuse. for some ppl they will NEVER b able 2 get in2 the "acceptable" range of BMI b/c of the way their body is shaped.

    i personally can carry more weight than the average woman & look small. right now i'm abt 230, if some1 guesses my weight they normally say 170-180. so these ppl r on avg abt 50lbs off. it's b/c of my body shape (hourglass) that i'm able 2 carry more weight & look avg. :tongue:

    hourglass figures tend 2 carry muscle everywhere, versus pear shaped would carry it in the lower body & upside down triangle (or spoon shape) carries it in the upper body. the ruler shapes r like the hourglass shapes but without the definitive waist-line & unfortunately that means 10lbs looks like 20lbs. :frown:

    so if that was me i'd hafta be an unhealthy underweight 2 qualify b/c i'll always b termed as overweight due 2 my BMI. i'm 5'5 1/2" & 33yrs old. my ideal weight is 160. i'd hafta b abt 150 in order 2 be at the highest level of healthy. i literally need 2 weigh 111.2 - 150.2 lbs. to have a healthy BMI. even if i weight 140lbs that would b ridiculous 4 me. i'd look anorexic. This is y i HATE BMI. :grumble: it's outdated & un-realistic. the medical profession should always go by bodyfat.

    if i was 112lbs then i'm healthy??!! :noway: for me i'd b on my deathbed, anorexic & bulimac...

    my BONES weigh that much! what abt the rest of me?!
  • maddox22
    maddox22 Posts: 91
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    Can this possibly be true?!

    BMI ratings, to be exact. Here's just one of several I found:

    "All Americans, by 2014 will be required to have an individual obesity rating electronically recorded. It has been determined that under the new health stimulus law passed by President Barack Obama recently, that all Americans, by 2014, will be required to have electronic health records which will include their height, weight and body mass index (BMI)...."

    http://www.huliq.com/10017/government-wants-your-individual-obesity-rating-2014

    Okay, so basically the health care law requires electronic medical records. Electronic medical records have been shown to reduce costs, misdiagnosis, harmful medication interactions, and inappropriate treatment. They're a GOOD THING.

    Your medical records probably already include your height and weight, and a lot of them probably also include BMI or at least some approximation thereof. Nowhere does this say anything about requiring any action or scoring or rating or anything based on BMI. It just says that they want to switch from paper records, which are expensive to maintain, inaccurate, and difficult to transfer, to electronic records. Wouldn't it be nice to not have to pay $5/page copying fee every time you switch doctors and want to transfer your records?

    There is a lot of misinformation out there about the health care bill. I'd be extremely skeptical about anything that sounds too crazy or intrusive.

    This bill will actually prohibit and eliminate a lot of the denial of care based on BMI, as far as I understand it--since you cannot be denied care or coverage based on preexisting conditions.
  • MacMadame
    MacMadame Posts: 1,893 Member
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    Service denial due to BMI is already happening. Yesterday I heard of a vet that was denied a knee replacement due to having a BMI one point over what was deemed acceptable. He was told to reapply next March, if he has a BMI that they approved of.

    So, yeah. It's not only coming; in some cases it's already here.

    that doesn't make any sense at all, but in those cases they r lookin 4 an excuse. for some ppl they will NEVER b able 2 get in2 the "acceptable" range of BMI b/c of the way their body is shaped.
    There are weight limits for knee replacement surgery because the heavier you are, the less likely the replacement is to be successful. And the BMI limit is not to be a "normal" BMI but just not to be too heavy for success.

    In general, the medical profession tries to put off knee replacement surgery for as long as possible, anyway. It seems like a treatment of last resort.

    Which is not to say that insurance companies don't try to deny services, but this particular requirement is based on established and accepted protocols. Plus, if you have extenuating circumstances, you can appeal their ruling. They count on people not to do that, though.
    i personally can carry more weight than the average woman & look small. right now i'm abt 230, if some1 guesses my weight they normally say 170-180. so these ppl r on avg abt 50lbs off. it's b/c of my body shape (hourglass) that i'm able 2 carry more weight & look avg. :tongue:
    Either that or they are being polite and shaving off some pounds from what they really think so you won't be offended. :wink:

    Seriously, I'm an hour glass shape too and I had no trouble getting to a normal BMI and looking healthy when I got there. The people who BMI doesn't apply to are people who are compact and muscular. It has nothing to do with body shape.
  • GooBeGone
    GooBeGone Posts: 439 Member
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    i personally can carry more weight than the average woman & look small. right now i'm abt 230, if some1 guesses my weight they normally say 170-180. so these ppl r on avg abt 50lbs off. it's b/c of my body shape (hourglass) that i'm able 2 carry more weight & look avg. :tongue:
    Either that or they are being polite and shaving off some pounds from what they really think so you won't be offended. :wink:

    Seriously, I'm an hour glass shape too and I had no trouble getting to a normal BMI and looking healthy when I got there. The people who BMI doesn't apply to are people who are compact and muscular. It has nothing to do with body shape.
    [/quote]

    well i had a male friend who's is SOOO not nice, (he's blunt like me) but he guessed around that as well. i've had nurses guess my weight as well as a female emt (which she stated glad she asked b/c she wouldn't have given me the correct amount of meds since she guessed less)

    i mentally add abt 15lbs to what ppl guess anyways. LMAO!! :tongue:
  • happily
    happily Posts: 72 Member
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    Can this possibly be true?!

    I have not found any reputable source that verifies the article you presented.
  • abyt42
    abyt42 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    The electronic record mandates were passed years ago with HIPAA, the stimulus package just tweaked it a bit. This is a healthcare regulation. Part of HIPAA is safeguarding these records from privacy breaches. I am not quoting this from any article, I am the HIPAA officer for the medical practice I work at. This really isn't anything new.

    Traci

    Thank you for this!
  • layny89
    layny89 Posts: 6 Member
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    I've always had my height, weight, and BMI recorded at every doctor's visit. I don't see why it should suddenly be "required" when it's already used all the time in all my medical records.
  • Bellissima_Smile
    Bellissima_Smile Posts: 23
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    Ok, I've read and understand the new requirement from the government that is mandated by 2014.

    Got it.

    My question is... THEN WHAT?

    What is the gov't going to do with this information? Open new gyms? Go forward with the junk food tax they're currently debating?
    I don't understand these surveys and data collection sometimes. What is the MAIN PURPOSE this data is being used for?

    Does anyone know or can someone please clarify? I really would like to know. Many thanks...
  • thirtyby40
    thirtyby40 Posts: 702 Member
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    I am pretty sure that this is already standard, I know here in Canada our doctors all put in our height and weight and the BMI automatically comes up. Remember sensationalism sells, so if someone reporting can put an "oh my god can you believe this" spin on it they will. BMI is not the most accurate standard of measuring obesity but it is vital information that doctors need to have to properly treat someone. I bet if you ask your family doctor they already have your (and every other patients) BMI recorded.
  • mooz
    mooz Posts: 101
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    Ok, I've read and understand the new requirement from the government that is mandated by 2014.

    Got it.

    My question is... THEN WHAT?

    What is the gov't going to do with this information? Open new gyms? Go forward with the junk food tax they're currently debating?
    I don't understand these surveys and data collection sometimes. What is the MAIN PURPOSE this data is being used for?

    Does anyone know or can someone please clarify? I really would like to know. Many thanks...

    The govt isnt collecting BMI information. It'll be part of the information in your medical records that are being automated and they're trying to go to a paperless system. From what I understand all medical records are being computerized. They may use the information as a trending tool to for future policies on health care but I doubt that people will be excluded for services based solely on BMI. We have this system here already and nobody is denied access to medical services because of BMI unless theres an immediate danger to the patient - ie. surgeries may be postponed if the patient is too large to undergo the surgery safely but that is standard medical practice that happens in most, if not all countries.
  • thirtyby40
    thirtyby40 Posts: 702 Member
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    Ok, I've read and understand the new requirement from the government that is mandated by 2014.

    Got it.

    My question is... THEN WHAT?

    What is the gov't going to do with this information? Open new gyms? Go forward with the junk food tax they're currently debating?
    I don't understand these surveys and data collection sometimes. What is the MAIN PURPOSE this data is being used for?

    Does anyone know or can someone please clarify? I really would like to know. Many thanks...

    Lets remember the next generation is expected to die younger than their parents and diabetes is becoming more prevalent every day. Maybe if doctors keep up with patients the hope is to change the fate of our future. I am sure if it comes to it doctors will delve deeper into body composition, they are not going ask someone with lower body fat and bigger bones to lose weight. I think this data is most likely being collected to stop letting people slip through the cracks and die of weight related complications. There are a lot of reasons this information is vital but given Obama's take on making a healthier America I think this is only in the best interest of your countries citizens. If diabetes keeps spreading at this alarming rate in America it will crush the economy. I will look up some links to support that statement, I have read the stats...it is pretty freakin frightening!

    Why blow this out of proportion? If you are on MFP you must want change for yourself. Not everyone comes to that conclusion without a little help from a health care professional. My mother is a health care professional and she is obese, she thinks because her blood pressure is under control and her cholesterol is good she is fine, my doctor recently gave her the facts about what her BMI means for her specifically. She is a smart lady, but it wasn't until my doctor said screw your numbers you will die if you don't change things that she started to listen.

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