Victimizing the Elderly
French intellectual Simone de Beauvoir wrote: "There is only one solution if old age is not to be an absurd parody of our former life, and that is to go on pursuing ends that give our existence a meaning -- devotion to individuals, to groups or to causes, social, political, intellectual or creative work."
To pursue those ends, the elderly seek to maintain good health.
The kind of health care we give our elderly, and the demands of that care, are a growing concern as the baby boomers begin to gray.
Dr. Richard Lefroy of Sir Gardiners Hospital in West Australia makes this comment about the field of psychiatry and its penchant for prescribing drugs:
"When all doctors are aware of the reactions of old people to drugs, specialists would [sic] be out of business."Reference
1. Psychiatry Victimizing the Elderly. Citizens Commission on Human Rights, 1995.
Recent laws in New Jersey and California represent a disturbing trend that will negatively impact a practice’s ability to collect monies from patients, as well as expose them to significant penalties if the practice does not follow the mandatory guidelines to a T. Please be aware that a similar law may be coming to your state. The time to act is before the law is passed.
With estimates showing over 30 million Americans affected by peripheral neuropathy – and a significant portion underdiagnosed – it’s increasingly likely that chiropractors are already treating these patients. What’s missing is structured recognition, comprehensive management and targeted tools to slow progression, improve function and support systemic health.
Each year, ICD-10-CM is updated on Oct. 1. For 2026, there are 74,179 total codes, with 487 additions, 28 deletions and 38 revisions. Code changes are based on date of service, not the claim submission date. Services performed on/after Oct. 1 must use the new codes. While no changes affect the common spinal or extraspinal codes most frequently used by DCs, several updates may still affect your claims – particularly for comorbidities, referred pain, or trauma cases.
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