The Truth About Why Your Health Concerns Get Dismissed
If you’ve ever walked out of a doctor’s office frustrated, feeling dismissed or unheard, you’re not alone. Many women in midlife—especially those dealing with fatigue, weight changes, poor sleep, or brain fog—hear the same phrase:
“Everything looks normal.”
But here’s what you might not realize: your doctor isn’t ignoring you—they’re handcuffed.
Most physicians are bound to a system known as the standard of care. It’s a rigid set of diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols that they are legally and ethically required to follow. To take any action—order tests, write prescriptions, refer you to a specialist—they must first assign a diagnosis code. No diagnosis? No treatment. No insurance coverage. No reimbursement.
In other words, if what you’re experiencing doesn’t meet the criteria for a diagnosable disease, your doctor has no room to act. That’s not their choice—it’s how the system is built.
The insurance model reinforces this. It’s not designed to support prevention, lifestyle interventions, or root-cause investigations. It rewards short visits, quick fixes, and symptom management—because those are the things that can be coded and billed. This is why you’re often prescribed medication or told to “wait and see.” The goal isn’t to help you feel your best; the goal is to stay within the bounds of the covered care.
Meanwhile, you’re left dealing with symptoms that are very real but not “severe enough” to trigger action.
This doesn’t make your doctor bad or uncaring. In fact, many of them are deeply frustrated by this system. They want to help. But unless they step outside of the traditional model—into concierge care, functional medicine, or cash-based practices—they’re forced to play by the insurance rulebook.
And that’s why stepping into a proactive model of care is so important. One that doesn’t wait for disease to strike. One that looks at your whole body, your lifestyle, your habits—and works to bring you back into balance before you cross that diagnostic threshold.
If your health isn’t where you want it to be, don't wait for a diagnosis—start acting now!