What's up, doc?

I can’t rely on Dr. Oz. He has medical credentials and experience in medical practice but not in policy. It’s his judgement I question, and he likely questions mine. As a celebrity ex-heart surgeon more interested in politics than health, he was appointed by the Trump administration in 2025 to lead Medicare & Medicaid services. What scares me even more is that RFK Jr. is his boss. In spite of such contentious leadership, we all should still try to stay healthy.

AI, social media, internet sites and online news feeds are saturated with advice about making healthy choices. In these days of slash-and-burn partisan politics, people are being led to consider online chatter a practical medical option, especially as our government shreds Medicaid, and Medicare is being maliciously hobbled by reductions and threats about mandatory privatization.

I even dubbed some online portals as “internet care.” Digital self-examination yields much advice, but merchandising is a revolving door. First, I’m convinced a daily vitamin is enough, but then I’m fed an article about the heart-health benefits of fish oil or the powerful antioxidant that’s packed in turmeric or the necessity of supporting the urinary tract with cranberry soft-gels. Naturally, digestive health can’t be achieved by eating normally, so a probiotic might maintain a proper bacterial flora, but it’s literally a strain deciding if 25 billion CFU is enough; 40 billion costs more but who puts a price on health?

When I’m not reviewing recent medical breakthroughs or researching possible reasons for a sudden malady, I catch myself humming that classic Paul Simon song “Maybe I Think Too Much.” Or maybe I drink too much ... water?

Hydration recommendations scare me. Women should be drinking 11 cups per day; men should be chugging 15.5 cups. I’m not reluctant to try, but I keep losing count. At least the advice that initially appears excessive actually is, since 20% of our daily liquid arrives in the food we eat, reducing daily quotas to more prudent levels: 9 or 13 cups, respectively.

I didn’t realize drinking too much water can also be hazardous. According to my AI assistant, too much water can lead to “water intoxication,” which causes an imbalance of electrolytes, particularly sodium. It can result in symptoms like confusion, nausea and in severe cases, seizures or even death.

Maybe I should just talk to a doctor?

According to one study of physicians throughout 15 major U.S. cities, “Patients are waiting an average of 31 days for an appointment.” While the internet leaves the hands-on examination to me, it is quick to diagnose what might be wrong.

When feeling ill, the ground floor to healing is the least expensive: surfing the internet for answers or using telehealth services. Medicaid and Medicare expanded its coverage during COVID, supporting greater access to healthcare options, albeit a temporary measure set to last through Dec. 31, 2027, unless legislation extends it. My prognosis? The benefit is on life support.

Seeing an actual primary physician is on the second floor and a bit steeper in cost. These doctors reserved for non-life-threatening medical conditions offer long-term health management, preventative care and routine check-ups. A living, breathing human might actually listen to you, take your pulse, ask questions, draw conclusions, write a prescription or direct a referral. If you find one, hang on. The internet reports “the foundation is crumbling: visits to primary care clinicians are declining, and the workforce pipeline is shrinking, with clinicians opting to specialize in more lucrative healthcare fields.” My prognosis: If you live too long, your primary will move or retire before you do. 

Urgent care is a type of MASH unit without the comedy. Reserved for non-life-threatening treatment that can’t wait for appointment scheduling, it’s like you aren’t dying to get there, but you go.

Up in the clouds is the emergency room. Not exactly a penthouse, but it’s reserved for serious life-threatening conditions and potentially dangerous consequences – even death – if not treated immediately. CDC data records 155 million emergency room visits in 2025. Forty percent of these patients were seen in fewer than 15 minutes, but only 17.8 million resulted in hospital admission. If asked “Who is your primary doctor?” an honest response might be “the ER.”

Regarding actual hospitalization, opinions vary. Jackie Chan claimed, “Pain is my daily routine. As long as I don’t go to the hospital, it’s nothing for me.” George Orwell sounded a bit darker: “The hospital is the antechamber to the tomb.” If it’s true that “Your health is your wealth,” it’s also increasingly true that “You can’t be healthy without being wealthy.” Kofi Annan, the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, expressed what might be humanity’s universal dream, that “Good health is a basic human right.”