Lyme disease test bill passes state House

[tenbeer]

http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/320597

[rocketsocks]

http://www.roanoke.com/politics/wb/320597This be a huge first step, now if the Insurance companies were on board about long term treatment. Thanks for posting.

[Unitic]

This is a HUGE step forward for patients AND doctors and Public Health regarding this rapidly spreading epidemic. Please never allow a physician to rule out Lyme using either of these inadequate tests (ELISA or Western Blot). The false negative rates are far too high to be used as primary diagnostic tools (as the CDC states). Here is the entry I posted to my Trail Journal this morning:

It passed! The VA General Assembly passed a bill requiring doctors to disclose to their patients that the labs tests for Lyme are very often inaccurate. Here is the headline from the Washington Post and a link to the article is below:

Va. lawmakers okay bill requiring doctors to tell patients Lyme tests could be faulty
There are numerous reasons why the two most common blood tests that look for Lyme specific antibodies will very often return a false negative result, and patients AND doctors should be informed of the high false negative rates. Virginia has taken a very practical step toward better public health. The CDC estimates that 1 MILLION more people were infected in just 3 years (2009-2011), approximately 90% of whom are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. They estimate 4.3 MILLION have been infected since 1990.
LYME IS THE FASTEST GROWING EPIDEMIC IN THE US. Please see the CDC Lyme survellance map in my photo section for the current listing of confirmed cases. But please remember the reporting system has major flaws, and the CDC recommends multiplying these numbers by a factor of 10 to 12 (hence the 4 million+ case reference above).So this news begs this next question: If the Lyme tests are recognized as faulty in Virginia, why aren't they recognized as faulty in every state? If my doctor was mandated to provide me a disclosure statement that described the high false negative rate of the blood test he gave me, we would have both been better informed and perhaps he would have taken a closer look rather than repeating a myth I now know is being perpetuated in doctors offices and public health departments all over the US - "Lyme is almost unheard of here". Yeah, right.

[rocketsocks]

This is a HUGE step forward for patients AND doctors and Public Health regarding this rapidly spreading epidemic. Please never allow a physician to rule out Lyme using either of these inadequate tests (ELISA or Western Blot). The false negative rates are far too high to be used as primary diagnostic tools (as the CDC states). Here is the entry I posted to my Trail Journal this morning:

It passed! The VA General Assembly passed a bill requiring doctors to disclose to their patients that the labs tests for Lyme are very often inaccurate. Here is the headline from the Washington Post and a link to the article is below:

Va. lawmakers okay bill requiring doctors to tell patients Lyme tests could be faulty
There are numerous reasons why the two most common blood tests that look for Lyme specific antibodies will very often return a false negative result, and patients AND doctors should be informed of the high false negative rates. Virginia has taken a very practical step toward better public health. The CDC estimates that 1 MILLION more people were infected in just 3 years (2009-2011), approximately 90% of whom are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. They estimate 4.3 MILLION have been infected since 1990.
LYME IS THE FASTEST GROWING EPIDEMIC IN THE US. Please see the CDC Lyme survellance map in my photo section for the current listing of confirmed cases. But please remember the reporting system has major flaws, and the CDC recommends multiplying these numbers by a factor of 10 to 12 (hence the 4 million+ case reference above).So this news begs this next question: If the Lyme tests are recognized as faulty in Virginia, why aren't they recognized as faulty in every state? If my doctor was mandated to provide me a disclosure statement that described the high false negative rate of the blood test he gave me, we would have both been better informed and perhaps he would have taken a closer look rather than repeating a myth I now know is being perpetuated in doctors offices and public health departments all over the US - "Lyme is almost unheard of here". Yeah, right.I Wholeheartedly agree, pressure on our leaders will make a big difference.

[Carry-On]

Very good. Maybe other states will take notice.

[swjohnsey]

A boon for folks suffering from psychosomatic illnesses.

[rocketsocks]

A boon for folks suffering from psychosomatic illnesses.I suppose it could be psychosomatic if those Spirochetes get in there brains, cause complaining of headaches will get a $4,500 MRI, C scan/juice, and maybe some antidepressants...they like pushing those.

[snowblind]

....
Va. lawmakers okay bill requiring doctors to tell patients Lyme tests could be faulty
....


Isn't that already part of their job? There's a reason tests are run twice, if not more. Quite sad we need bill to reinforce that...

[swjohnsey]

I suppose it could be psychosomatic if those invisible Spirochetes get in there brains, cause complaining of headaches will get a $4,500 MRI, C scan/juice, and maybe some antidepressants...they like pushing those.

[Kerosene]

So this news begs this next question: If the Lyme tests are recognized as faulty in Virginia, why aren't they recognized as faulty in every state? As a long-time solution vendor to the U.S. healthcare industry, the state-, regional-, and medical school-driven healthcare practice variations continue to astound me in their inconsistency. As snowblind notes in Post #8, why indeed to we need a political body to get involved in a specific diagnostic situation is beyond me, and may very likely not be the most effective approach in any case.

[rocketsocks]

I suppose it could be psychosomatic if those invisible Spirochetes get in there brains, cause complaining of headaches will get a $4,500 MRI, C scan/juice, and maybe some antidepressants...they like pushing those.And you never know where there gonna live for two years, could be the big toe, or the kidneys, liver, lungs, heart, ect. ect. Gotta be your own advocate.

[rocketsocks]

So this news begs this next question: If the Lyme tests are recognized as faulty in Virginia, why aren't they recognized as faulty in every state? As a long-time solution vendor to the U.S. healthcare industry, the state-, regional-, and medical school-driven healthcare practice variations continue to astound me in their inconsistency. As snowblind notes in Post #8, why indeed to we need a political body to get involved in a specific diagnostic situation is beyond me, and may very likely not be the most effective approach in any case.Hey, who knows where this will end up, but keeping it at the forefront..can't hurt. Big monies involed on this, lobbyist, insurance Co. and martini lunches I would not rule out...

[Sly]

Under the proposed law, a doctor who orders a laboratory test for Lyme disease must provide the patient with a written notice that says, in part: "Current laboratory testing for Lyme disease can be problematic and standard laboratory tests often result in false negative and false positive results."
The notice further states that a negative test result "does not necessarily mean you do not have Lyme disease" and advises the patient to contact his or her doctor if symptoms continue. The bill also gives physicians immunity from civil liability for providing the written information.


Isn't it already common knowledge that tests aren't proof positive.

[rocketsocks]

Isn't it already common knowledge that tests aren't proof positive.Well I've known it for some time, but I think what your saying is "So What"...and I get that, just hoping it raises awareness that it is a huge problem, but that's just my take, that more people have it that don't know it...or rather there pretty sure they have it and it's yet to be diagnosed...just my opinion though.

[Sly]

Well I've known it for some time, but I think what your saying is "So What"...and I get that, just hoping it raises awareness that it is a huge problem, but that's just my take, that more people have it that don't know it...or rather there pretty sure they have it and it's yet to be diagnosed...just my opinion though.

Are doctors so ignorant of the facts that the state legislature needs to step in?

[rocketsocks]

Are doctors so ignorant of the facts that the state legislature needs to step in?well, I guess that if doctors are on a board, and working for a insurgence company, and writing and adopting rules that govern an industry that requires federal laws, than yes, that's what I'm saying.

[swjohnsey]

Its a conspiracy, a giant conspiracy.

[rocketsocks]

Its a conspiracy, a giant conspiracy.
winner winner chicken dinner