An article by Bob Lamendola out May 17 in the South Florida Sun Sentinel says that some OBGYNs in South Florida are refusing to treat women who are overweight but are otherwise healthy.
The paper surveyed 105 OBGYN practices, of which 15 said they have set weight limits for new patients, some not taking patients over 200 pounds and others using different obesity measures to turn away potential patients they consider too heavy to treat.
Why? Some say it's because their office equipment can't handle the extra weight. Others say it's because they don't want to deal with the potential complications that come with treating a pregnant woman who is obese or overweight.
Whatever the reason the doctors gave the paper, this situation is not surprising given the medical climate in Florida, says UAB assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology Kim Hoover, M.D. The state, she says, has a "three strikes and you're out" policy for doctors that if they have any three malpractice cases that are settled and/or paid to a plaintiff, physicians can be denied medical malpractice insurance coverage and also face the possibility of losing their license to practice. That's not an incentive for OBGYNs to take on the obese and pregnant, who are inherently high-risk patients.
"Many time doctors don't have a say as to whether or not a case is settled and most of the time settlement occurs without their input by insurance attorneys to avoid the cost of a trial," she says. "Unfortunately, the state has allowed this situation to develop with unrealistic expectations of what risks are incurred when a high-risk patient needs care. Somewhere along the way, people began to expect doctors to deliver perfect outcomes and fix medical problems that sometimes are not possible, despite their best efforts."
At UAB, overweight and obese women aren't turned away. See ABC's Nightline report on what UAB is doing to take care of all of its obese patients, not just the pregnant ones.
Recently, I went to the OBGYN and had an outstanding experience. If anyone has problems receiving medical care because of weight-related issues, then try the West Orange Physicans group.
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The paper surveyed 105 OBGYN practices, of which 15 said they have set weight limits for new patients, some not taking patients over 200 pounds and others using different obesity measures to turn away potential patients they
consider too heavy to treat.
Why? Some say it's because their office equipment can't handle the extra weight. Others say it's because they don't want to deal with the potential complications that come with treating a pregnant woman who is obese or overweight.
Whatever the reason the doctors gave the paper, this situation is not surprising given the medical climate in Florida, says UAB assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology Kim Hoover, M.D. The state, she says, has a "three strikes and you're out" policy for doctors that if they have any three malpractice cases that are settled and/or paid to a plaintiff, physicians can be denied medical malpractice insurance coverage and also face the possibility of losing their license to practice. That's not an incentive for OBGYNs to take on the obese and pregnant, who are inherently high-risk patients.
"Many time doctors don't have a say as to whether or not a case is settled and most of the time settlement occurs without their input by insurance attorneys to avoid the cost of a trial," she says. "Unfortunately, the state has allowed this situation to develop with unrealistic expectations of what risks are incurred when a high-risk patient needs care. Somewhere along the way, people began to expect doctors to deliver perfect outcomes and fix medical problems that sometimes are not possible, despite their best efforts."
At UAB, overweight and obese women aren't turned away. See ABC's Nightline report on what UAB is doing to take care of all of its obese patients, not just the pregnant ones.