Zimmermann Podiatry Diabetic Foot Care #Zimmermannpodiatry

Diabetes and Foot Care

#diabeticsneedpodiatrists
#Zimmermannpodiatry

Inspect your feet every day, and seek care early if you do get any type of foot injury is the best advice that I can give!

Podiatrist are the most qualified doctors to care for your feet, based on their education, training, and experience. You should add a podiatrist to your healthcare team, they can provide you with very important information so you are able to better manage the effects of diabetes on your feet.

Let's take a step on the right direction and visit Zimmermann Podiatry today!

Zimmermann Podiatry
923 W. Dixie Ave. Suite B
Leesburg, FL 34748
www.drzpodiatry.com
Phone: 352 435 7849

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What's that pain in the ball of your foot? Ask Zimmermann Podiatry!

Ouch!

The ball of your foot feels like a knife is sticking through it every time you stand up...so what's the deal?

Pain to the ball of the foot is very common but can come from several different reasons. Most often it is a neuroma, a swollen and pinched nerve. The neuroma can also be seen along with joint swelling and arthritis, which can cause similar symptoms
and exacerbate the neuroma. Sometimes people have decreased fat padding to the ball of their foot and may also have metatarsals (foot bones) that angle down to the ground at a more pronounced angle than usual, causing pain.

No matter what issue is going on, a visit to the podiatrist is in order. Xrays and an examination of your foot, how your foot looks while walking, and your shoes is all that is needed. The treatment for any of these culprits is similar, almost always involving wearing the proper type of shoes and inserts. Sorry, ladies who love high heels, but there is no getting around the fact that if the ball of your feet hurt while wearing your heels that your heels have a lot to do with the problem. Cortisone injections (don't hurt nearly as bad as you think they will), inserts, padding, topical medications, physical therapy, proper shoes, and not going barefoot are all good treatment plans. Avoiding aggravating circumstances are key to avoid further problems down the road.

So, if the ball of your foot is killing you, give Zimmermann Podiatry a call!

Zimmermann Podiatry
923 W. Dixie Avenue, Suite B
Leesburg, FL 34748
Phone: 352 435 7849
www.drzpodiatry.com

Is that a wart on my foot?

Patients frequently come to see Zimmermann Podiatry complaining of a wart or multiple warts on their foot. Often times they have treated the wart at home with over the counter acid preparations or even the over the counter freeing spray. As guessed, if they are still coming to see me, their at home treatments did not work out so well. Sometimes the blame can fall on the medication, sometimes it can fall on the patient (for not using the medication properly), and sometimes the problem is that the skin issue is actually not a wart.

A plantar wart is a skin virus. The plantar wart is the variety of wart that shows up on the bottom of the foot. Sometimes they can be a solitary lesion no more than the size of a pinhead and sometimes that can take over the entire bottom of the foot! Treatment of these warts are usually done best by a podiatrist or dermatologist, and the treatments can vary from application of strong acids, debridement (trimming away at the thick skin), prescription topical medications, injections, surgical excision and treatment with specialized lasers. Warts are very stubborn and frequently take several weeks before they clear up.

However, more often than not, it is quite obvious that the skin lesion is not a wart and is instead a very painful callus that has gone quite mad and formed itself into a piece of skin that is as hard as rock and as sharp as a piece of broken glass! Human skin and nails are comprised of with a protein called keratin, the same stuff that makes up a rhinoceros's horn, so it can get very hard. The skin on the bottom of the foot is very thick and has the capability of getting thicker very rapidly. Sometimes these painful calluses can grow into the foot at a depth of more than 3/4 of an inch. Getting them removed is usually painless and gives an immediate relief from pain when getting back on the foot.

Sometimes the skin lesion on the bottom of the foot can be something other than a wart or painful callus. Skin cancers can show up on the feet, just like anywhere else. In times of doubt as to what is growing on your foot, the best option is to biopsy. The biopsy does require a shot which can be painful, but it is a better to be safe than sorry!

If you have any painful, weird, or otherwise wacky things going on with your feet, come on down to Zimmermann Podiatry and let us check it out, or visit our website at www.drzpodiatry.com to see what we might be able to offer you to help you get back on your feet again.

Making your feet feel better so you feel better,

Zimmermann Podiatry
923 W. Dixie Ave Suite B
Leesburg, FL 34748
352 435 7849
www.drzpodiatry.com

News from The Villages Health

Today I wanted to let you know what's happening if you do not change to a Medicare Advantage Plan at the Villages. 

Living in the Villages has great advantages. You have doctors near you that can provide services very close to home. But you have to change your insurance options to be able to see these doctors. As health care keeps getting more and more like a business, we are losing the freedom to choose which doctors we would like to see. 

• Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans—In most HMOs, you can only go to doctors, other health care providers, or hospitals in the plan’s network, except in an urgent or emergency situation. You may also need to get a referral from your primary care doctor for tests or to see other doctors or specialists that are part of that plan. 

So if you want to keep the freedom of choosing any doctors without a referral and keep your Medicare plan with a secondary and you need a podiatrist, call our office at 352-435-7849. For more information you can visit us at drzpodiatry.com

 

Villages Health kicking out patients who don’t sign up for their insurance

BY MARV BALOUSEK JULY 16, 2016176 COMMENTS

The Villages Health will no longer accept new or existing patients who have Original Medicare with supplemental insurance starting Jan. 1.

That means patients with Medicare supplemental plans, also known as Medigap policies, will have to find new doctors or switch to The Villages Medicare Advantage plans through United Healthcare.

“Because our superior care best aligns with Medicare Advantage, we have decided to no longer accept Original Medicare with a traditional Medicare Supplemental policy for all new and existing patients,” stated a July 12 letter to patients from the health system’s chief executive officer Tom Menichino and chief medical officer Dr. Jeffrey Lowenkron. “If you decide this is not the right choice for you, we will provide your care through Dec. 31, 2016, while you search for a new physician.”

The health system apparently will continue to accept commercial insurance plans and Tricare for Life, which covers many retired military veterans.

Patients can change their coverage during the annual fall enrollment period, Oct. 15 to Dec. 7.

Patients with Medicare supplemental policies pay monthly premiums, but their care is at low or no cost. They also are not required to stay within a provider network. Medicare pays 80 percent of approved rates and supplemental polices cover the rest.

United Healthcare offers two Medicare Advantage plans for The Villages Health. Medicare Advantage patients receive care from a network of providers and pay no or low monthly premiums.

To the health system, however, treating patients with The Villages United Healthcare Medicare Advantage plans generates more revenue than treating those with Original Medicare and supplemental policies. That’s because the health system is paid by the number of Medicare Advantage patients they serve whether they see a doctor or not. Original Medicare pays the health system on a fee-for-service basis, often below the cost of providing those services.

For its primary care, The Villages Health is ranked in the top 1 percent of health systems nationally and the top physician group in north central Florida based on HEDIS, a quality rating system. Doctors have smaller caseloads than those at other clinics and spend more time with patients.

“We are committed more than ever to keep our innovative model and maintain the level of excellence we’ve established,” the letter stated.

But The Villages Health apparently has a limited number of specialists and specialty hospitals and clinics in the network, which has caused complaints of delays.

The health system also has been losing money and the Developer reportedly has kicked in a substantial amount to help balance the books.