Greek Health System Opts for Amputation as Money-Saver

This Saturday, one of Greece’s most respected newspapers, To Vima, reported that the nation’s largest government health insurance provider would no longer pay for special footwear for diabetic patients. Amputation is cheaper, says the Benefits Division of the state insurance provider.

The new policy was announced in a letter to the Pan-Hellenic Federation of People with Diabetes. The Federation disputes the science behind the decision of the Benefits Division. In a statement, the group argues that the decision is contrary to evidence as presented in the international scientific literature. Greece’s National Healthcare System was created in the early 1980s, during the tenure of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou. Papandreou, an academic, won election under the slogan, Αλλαγ?, which is the Greek word for Change.

Bruce Werber DPM, FACFASInMotion Foot & Ankle SpecialistsAssociate Professor Midwestern UniversityInMotion Foot and Ankle Specialists10900 N. Scottsdale Road Suite 604Scottsdale, AZ 85254office phone 480 948-2111inmotionfootandankle@gmail.comwww.inmotionfootandankle.com