Quick facts about Dr. Manuel ‘Manny’ Quiñones
biggest challenges we have is the cost; I’m not sure that it’s unique to Texas. It’s the cost of pharmaceuticals and the cost of health care. It’s becoming prohibitively expensive. I had a patient, he went on Medicare, then he bought his wife COBRA coverage to cover her until she could turn into Medicare. It’s expensive. I think he told me he pays $1,200 or $1,300 a month for her. It’s crazy. And then, they messed up on her insurance so she had to go out and buy her insulin — five vials of insulin — it was a little over $1000.
I wrote her a prescription; she went to Nuevo Laredo (Mexico) and went to a pharmacy and bought it for $160. The same insulin. The cost of pharmaceuticals is crazy. Insurance costs are crazy. It’s kind of our fault. We let everything happen under our noses and didn’t speak up enough. The cost of things is totally disproportionate to what reality is.
Q: Do you see any changes in Washington or here in Texas that you think it will help address that?
A: I think we have to change how we practice medicine. I think the change has to be individually, and it has to be nationalized, and it has to be broad.
For years, doctors have been paid on a fee-for-service basis. In other words, if you see a patient, you get paid. It doesn’t matter what the outcome is; if you see the patient, you get paid. I just don’t think that’s fair. I Morning routine: Usually I wake up somewhere between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m., go downstairs and take care of our little dogs. We’ve got two Jack Russells By time I get to the office, I’ve already gotten through all my emails of the evening before and my text messages. I’m on call. All the doctors in our group are on call every day of the week. Book being read right now: I just picked up a copy of an interesting book that a friend recommended on treating problems of the back.
First job: Mow lawns and do the trimming and yard work for neighbors.
Passion or hobby outside of work: I love the outdoors. If you were to pick an entirely different career, what would it be: A firefighter or a police officer.