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In message Wed, 21 Dec 1994 12:40:35 -0600,
  "J. Murray" <[log in to unmask]>  writes:

> I am wondering what people's experience has been with HMO's etc and
> whether that type of health care insurance has had any impact on their
> getting medical care or diagnosis.  It has been my impression that some
> managed care plans make life quite difficult for people with rare or
> underrecognised conditions such as celiac disease.

After years of illness I finally figured out that I could not tolerate
gluten-containing grains in 1986.  By 1987-88 I was following a gluten-free
diet and noting a miraculous improvement in my general health.  At that time
I was at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, with an HMO called M-Care.
They refused to do any tests to determine whether or not I was really a
celiac because they said that I was already following the accepted treatment
(=diet).

I have had several different types of insurance since then and have never
found a physician who was willing to run any tests on me, so I STILL don't
know whether or not I have a gluten intolerance, celiac disease, or
whatever.  In part this is probably due to my unwillingness to go back on a
gluten-containing diet (since gluten makes me very ill in "normal" serving
sizes).  Although I would like to know whether or not I really do have
celiac disease, I do know that a GF diet works for me, so in some ways I
agree that it would be a waste of health care resources to pay for tests
which are not necessary to determine a course of treatment.
Laura Johnson-Kelly