As a follow-up to the survey I took in the diabetes community, I promised a state-by-state breakdown of some of the results. If it helps when/if you meet with your state representative, feel free to use it, just be clear on how the data was acquired (that it is not completely scientific etc. etc.).
Again as a reminder:
LET’S BE VERY CLEAR FROM THE BEGINNING. This was an exercise by a dad (me) because there is just no data out there with the same detail of what this survey relays. It’s surely my hope that someone much smarter than I takes this on with resources that will paint an undisputable argument of the severity of DKA and a missed diagnosis. 570 people responded to the survey and every stated but 2 (Delaware and Vermont) sent at least 1 response.
The # OF RESPONSES is the TOTAL number of responses from that state.
$$$ PAID was the amount of the hospital bill as supplied by the person filling out the survey, not how much they paid out-of-pocket. Many stated that it was much higher but they were giving a safe estimate.
$$$ # STATE PAID is in reference to Medicaid or a state agency within that particular state that paid the bill—–this amount IS NOT included in $$$ PAID category.
$$$ # MILITARY is in reference to the person was/is a member of a branch of the U.S. Military and the bills were paid by them. this amount IS NOT included in $$$ PAID.
(NOTE: the attempt is to show that government has a financial ventured interest in helping to solve this problem as well as morally)
$$$ # NA/DNK is in reference to those who stated that they did not know or remember the amount of the hospital bill.
# MISSED WORK DAYS were the total number of work days missed by the person diagnosed or by the parents. It is the total number and did not differentiate vacation, sick, personal, or any paid days. And even though we did not ask; 18 people commented that they left their job completely either by quitting or being fired.
| STATE | # OF RESPONSES | $$$ PAID | $$$ # STATE PAID | $$$ # Military | $$$ # NA/DNK | # Missed Work Days |
| AK | 1 | 1 | 14 | |||
| AL | 14 | $230,000 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 151 |
| AR | 1 | $4,000 | 8 | |||
| AZ | 15 | $329,000 | 2 | 2 | 209 | |
| CA | 59 | $1,526,500 | 11 | 12 | 453 | |
| CO | 18 | $538,000 | 3 | 1 | 119 | |
| CT | 5 | $99,000 | 2 | 28 | ||
| FL | 18 | $2,097,000 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 252 |
| GA | 17 | $173,000 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 234 |
| HI | 2 | $15,000 | 1 | 10 | ||
| IA | 2 | 1 | 1 | 8 | ||
| ID | 7 | $35,000 | 4 | 1 | 61 | |
| IL | 23 | $1,398,000 | 3 | 5 | 220 | |
| IN | 6 | $65,000 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 16 |
| KS | 3 | $21,000 | 1 | 24 | ||
| KY | 7 | $53,000 | 4 | 2 | 20 | |
| LA | 9 | $30,000 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 88 |
| MA | 12 | $176,000 | 2 | 2 | 217 | |
| MD | 12 | $68,000 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 153 |
| ME | 4 | $70,000 | 1 | 2 | 19 | |
| MI | 22 | $166,000 | 8 | 3 | 267 | |
| MN | 12 | $44,000 | 1 | 7 | 98 | |
| MO | 4 | $15,000 | 3 | 21 | ||
| MS | 5 | $173,000 | 1 | 1 | 53 | |
| MT | 2 | $80,000 | 1 | 134 | ||
| NC | 13 | $170,000 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 175 |
| ND | 3 | $30,000 | 1 | 10 | ||
| NE | 1 | 1 | 45 | |||
| NH | 5 | $53,000 | 1 | 2 | 33 | |
| NJ | 20 | $383,000 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 489 |
| NM | 2 | $68,000 | 9 | |||
| NV | 3 | $53,000 | 1 | 254 | ||
| NY | 17 | $122,000 | 4 | 7 | 1059 | |
| OH | 6 | $227,000 | 2 | 4 | 115 | |
| OK | 6 | $126,000 | 1 | 1 | 55 | |
| OR | 20 | $478,000 | 2 | 1 | 236 | |
| PA | 26 | $318,000 | 9 | 4 | 307 | |
| RI | 1 | 1 | 20 | |||
| SC | 9 | $172,000 | 5 | 426 | ||
| SD | 3 | $44,000 | 1 | 98 | ||
| TN | 7 | $110,000 | 1 | 2 | 43 | |
| TX | 51 | $1,314,000 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 395 |
| UT | 10 | $388,000 | 3 | 75 | ||
| VA | 12 | $110,000 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 71 |
| WA | 44 | $732,700 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 365 |
| WI | 13 | $89,500 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 102 |
| WV | 1 | $20,000 | 4 | |||
| WY | 3 | $58,000 | 26 | |||
| Totals | 556 | $3,038,200 | 103 | 22 | 111 | 7289 |
So that is the state-by-state breakdown.
I have created a web page that will include all of this plus much more (coming real soon). If you have a website, or a FB page that is a resource for people who want to do something about this entire “missed diagnosis and DKA” situation……..send me the name as a hyperlink to your site and I will include it. Send to Tom@DiabetesDad.org and write DKA Resource in the subject line. I need those by Friday at 1:00 PM EST.
I am a diabetes dad.
Please visit my Diabetes Dad FB Page and hit ‘like’.
3 replies on “DKA SURVEY—State-by-State Breakdown as Promised”
Regarding DKA info in general: a couple of weeks ago I was told by an ER doctor when I brought my son in that “people on pumps don’t usually get DKA”, so it probably wasn’t DKA that was causing his vomiting and stomach pain. Fortunately it wasn’t DKA, but I knew that wasn’t true. Then about a week later I was told by the nurse doing my blood work for the TrialNet study that T1’s, “really don’t need to check for ketones as long as they’re checking blood sugar regularly”. This was because I was telling her that we just got a ketone testing meter like the one she was using to check my blood sugar. There is so much misinformation out there in the medical community. Thanks for what you’re doing.
This is great work! I am shocked by the numbers. This is especially good because it shows the amount of money, which seems to be the only motivator for those “in charge”. Are you making this (and your complete study) in a printable form that we can take to doctor’s office, legislator’s, etc.? Thank you for all your hard work!
Hi Tom!
Is there a way for you to make the zoom feature that expands the state also read the number of diagnosis in each state when hovered? This would help to connect them to your spreadsheet. If you are ok with me taking this to the news and to the Summit I will push for an official study as I am also pushing for accurate reporting of deaths. This survey is an awesome first step… keep up the good work… xox Betsy