Spring 2017

PMH STORY

Premium Medical Home is a way of running our offices and serving the public that we think is better. PMH principles are professionalism, directness, continuity of care, and enough time to give care. The fifth is affordability.

The PMH member had retired. He was careful with his money, as we all try to be, so he was surprised when he went to pick up a refill of his medications. He found that a medicine that had previously been affordable was now expensive, $300 for three months instead of $50. He called pharmacies that used his insurance and found a similar price. Knowing that his PMH doctor is committed to affordability, he called the doctor’s office to ask for advice.

The staff and the doctor are aware of the financial problems and cost problems that patients face. Getting a call like this from a member is not unusual. He lived in another city, so the office called the lower cost retailers in that city and asked for a cash price. What would it cost to just buy the medication if you had no insurance at all? We found that Costco offered the product for a cash price of $30 for three months. We called the member, we sent the prescription to Costco, and the member’s medical care became more affordable.

Affordability is a complex topic. At PMH we focus on affordability, like accepting insurance. We also try to be aware of what cost choices there are out there, and to pay attention to the relative benefits and risks of the drugs we prescribe. We don’t know when our members will face affordability issues, but we will help them when this arises.

Allan R. Kelly, MD, FACP

NEW ANTICOAGULANTS: XARELTO, ELIQUIS, PRADAXA vs. WARFARIN

We continue to see information on new drugs for anticoagulation. Atrial fibrillation can cause blood clots and strokes.New anticoagulants have been licensed to reduce this stroke risk. Researchers in the Journal of the AmericanCollege of Cardiology, 2016 reviewed the impact of new oral anticoagulants on all-cause mortality compared with warfarin. Looking at over 70,000 individuals who were taking one of the anticoagulants, the all-cause mortality rate during the course of the study was 8% in the new anticoagulants, and 9% in the warfarin group.

OBESITY SURGERY AND DIABETES

We continue to watch the development of treatment for the extremely obese persons with body mass indexes over 40. The Mayo Clinic has recommended gastric bypass surgery for decades for patients whose obesity problems have become unsupportable.

STEM CELLS

There is much interest in stem cell injections for degenerative joint disease. Attempts have been made to use stem cells to treat other age-related diseases. In the New England Journalof Medicine, a study looked at two patients cared for at a university in Japan. Vast efforts were made by a large team of specialists ethically using stem cells to reverse macular degeneration – the efforts failed. Other stem cell research in the eye has failed dramatically.

TESTOSTERONE AND MALE AGING

In a recent experiment, 170 men were randomized to testosterone or placebo to see the effects of testosterone replacement on coronary artery calcification or plaque. Testosterone effects on cholesterol plaque were measured by CT.

SKIPPING BREAKFAST

There has been talk about the benefit of eating breakfast when weight loss is desired: You have to eat breakfast if you want to lose weight, some said. This has been called into question with recent research.

KNEE ARTHRITIS

For decades, doctors have used intraarticular joint injections to try to relieve pain in people with chronic arthritis. However, the development of new imaging techniques and our ongoing commitment to experimental methods have led to new insights in the use of steroids for knee arthritis.

PMH QUOTATIONS

“I now see that the medical system is layered to shield the doctor from direct contact with the patient (except for the appointment time).”

Carl Norden, M.D.,2016

“I’ve learned to be intolerant of stereotypes, to recognize that every person has a unique story. When we are privileged as physicians to hear another person’s story, we shouldn’t take it for granted.”

Adam Hill, M.D., 2017

“This total commitment to the welfare of the patient has been undervalued in the formulation of ethical guidelines, whereas the assumption that such personalized care would be provided by the healthcare system has been over credited.”

Chris Feudtner, M.D., 2001