Author: Gene

(Snippets from the frontline) Fast food My 97 year old mother loves fast food.  Is it good for her?  Easy answer:  She’s 97 years old. Every other weekend, I pick … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Deductibles Before going on Medicare, my health insurance deductible was escalating exponentially.  It was $5,000 per year, whereas two decades before it was $250. Enrolling in … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) MD + MBA Let me criticize some of my MD colleagues who now have MBA attached to their title. As you shift to the business team, … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Rising from the ashes Smoke was in the air and ashes rained down on us.  Curfew confined the neighborhood at night, yet as young teens seeking … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Aging in place We must ensure seniors remain in their homes for as long as they and their loved ones feel comfortable and safe. The cost … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Lost Evelyn was my patient for 30 years.  She lost her husband, and even a son.  As mobility and vision decreased, she lost her drivers license … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Medically wise, fiscally responsible She passed away last week.  I didn’t know her, but for 6 years I would say hello as I visited patients at … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Age discrimination Some want to retire at 65, while others are forced, relegating many viable older adults to the trash heap.  This may be age discrimination. … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The moral gray zone After eating a steak dinner paid by a pharmaceutical company, is it acceptable for a doctor to prescribe their new marketed drug?  … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Staving off suffering I have patents who are in pain. Some had catastrophic events like motor vehicle accidents, or major illness resulting in immobility.  Many are … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) An effective doctor office visit for patients Business interests have taken over healthcare, so most physicians are on a tight schedule.  For patients, time is not … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) An effective doctor office visit for physicians Healthcare has changed in the past decade, making the doctor office visit integral in sustaining patient medical care. Here … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Aging and losing one’s drivers license The restaurant was crowded, so we sat next to a couple while waiting. He noticed I was watching him tinker … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Medicare-for-all Medicare Part D is a government prescription plan enacted to help seniors pay for medication, but was written by pharmaceutical lobbyists.  It is intentionally confusing … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Game plan:  Business takeover of healthcare Time:  30 years ago. Strategy:  Streamline care into business algorithms controlling medical decision-making; eliminate physician time to listen and ask … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The 4-day rule If you are a Medicare patient and reach the 4th day of hospitalization, a plan is launched to jettison you out of the … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Doctors are detectives A patient was referred to the emergency room for a clot in his swollen left leg.  The ER doctor and I agreed the … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Jumping through hoops Healthcare costs continue to escalate, and hand-in-hand is the rising price of drugs. Pharmaceutical companies justify expense at Congressional hearings, while behind the … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Choosing a hospice agency You can’t kick the tires, look under the hood, nor take a hospice agency for a test drive. Online, you can crowd-source, … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) How is hospice care paid? Hospice under Medicare costs about $20 billion per year. The criteria to admit a patient is blurred, leading to financial abuse.  … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Aging and the palliative care white knight  Aging:  Moving slower, sleeping more, vision and hearing woes, weakened strength, imbalance, memory problems.   Consequences:   Less vacuuming, … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) The morality of targeting ICU Medicare patients Some hospitals target every Medicare patient admitted to the ICU pushing palliative and hospice care.  The diagnosis doesn’t matter … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) They prey on medical ignorance She arrived in the emergency room with nausea and vomiting. Labs were drawn, and a CT scan of the abdomen was … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Lured into palliative and hospice care The difference between palliative and hospice care is confusing.  (See graph below.) Palliative care patients selectively choose treatment to avoid … Continue Reading →

(Snippets from the frontline) Actively dying A few years ago, four of my patients died within 6 months.  All were in their 90s, widowed, lived in their home, and chose … Continue Reading →