Have you been diagnosed with high cholesterol? Is lowering your cholesterol a goal? The first step is to find out: what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like substance made in the liver and found in certain foods, such as food from animals, like dairy products (whole milk), eggs and meat.

The body needs some cholesterol in order to function properly. Its cell walls, or membranes, need cholesterol in order to produce hormones, vitamin D and the bile acids that help to digest fat. But, the 9.5 a small amount of cholesterol to meet its needs. When too much is present health problems such as coronary heart disease may develop.

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Technorati Tags: Hyperlipidemia, Katy Female Doctor

October Newsletter 2009

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About Dr. Karen Thampoe:

Dr. Thampoe is an Internal Medicine specialist. She has a primary care family practice in Katy, Texas – a suburb in West Houston.

Technorati Tags: Flu, h1n1, katy doctor

What’s the difference between cold and flu?

The common cold and flu are both contagious viral infections of the respiratory tract. Although the symptoms can be similar, flu is much worse. A cold may drag you down a bit, but the flu can make you shudder at the very thought of getting out of bed.

Congestion, sore throat, and sneezing are common with colds. Both cold and flu bring coughing, headache, and chest discomfort. With the flu, though, you are likely to run a high fever for several days and have headache, myalgia, fatigue, and weakness.

Usually, complications from colds are relatively minor, but a severe case of flu can lead to a life threatening illness such as pneumonia. More than 100 types of cold viruses are known, and new strains of flu evolve every few years. Since both diseases are viral, antibiotics cannot conquer cold or flu. Remember: Antibiotics only treat bacterial infections.

About Dr. Karen Thampoe:

Dr. Thampoe is an Internal Medicine specialist. She has a primary care family practice in Katy, Texas – a suburb in West Houston.

Technorati Tags: Flu, h1n1, katy doctor, swine flu

How much would it be worth to you to have your own Personal Physician that you could see anytime, call anytime, email or text anytime, and have access to anytime you had a question about your health?

How long does it currently take you to get in to see your physician?

Are you tired of needless follow-up visits and costly co-pay fees?

Can you call your physician anytime for simple questions and advice?

Concierge Physician Associates brings back the days where physicians were accessible and affordable to their patients. This is a Marcus Welby-like approach that has been lost in a highly regulated and impersonal Health care system.

We offer A REAL SOLUTION to those wanting more from their Doctor/Patient relationship.
The overwhelming benefits of concierge medicine can be summed up in a single word: TIME.

There is time for the doctor to listen to the patient; time to delve into complex medical problems; time to do meaningful preventive Care. Concierge doctors also serve the important role of patient advocate during a medical crisis, helping people negotiate through our broken medical crisis when they become ill. When necessary, they can find the best specialist to meet your needs.

We do not screen prospective patients on the basis of health or insurance status— anyone can become a Concierge Physician Associates patient. Additionally, we do not pre-screen or decline to accept patients because of their age; race; religion; national origin; health condition, including the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability; sexual orientation; education; economic status; employment status; or citizenship.

Concierge Physician Associates patients register then pay for services on a month-to-month basis. There is no long-term contract.

In a Health Care System struggle to provide affordable, comprehensive health care, Concierge Physicians Associates is that Fresh, New option that people are wanting and deserve…Now, it’s here!

*If you have additional questions about Concierge Physician Associates’ patient services, monthly care fees or how to register, please call our Concierge Physician Associates Member Services at (281) 500 – 8176 or email Concierge Physician Associates at katy@myvipdoc.com

To listen to story click below

NPR News: Age, Gender Skew Group Health Care Rates

Courtesy of Sarah Varney - Sarah Varney's employer-provided HMO covers her, her husband and their son. The premium — including what her employer pays — is $1,600 a month. Varney decided to find out why her insurance is so expensive.

Perplexed by the unusually high rates she was paying for her employer-provided health insurance, NPR member station reporter Sarah Varney set out to better understand the system. She discovered that small companies’ rates are dictated by the demographics of their work force — and when the work force is small, it can spell complications, higher prices or both.

We’ve heard a lot about how tough it can be for people to buy health coverage directly from insurers. They can be charged more if they’re older, sicker or female. You might think that if your employer provides your health insurance, you’re immune from all that.

Well, it may surprise you to learn that how much you pay can have a lot to do with what your co-workers look like.

Looking at my paycheck, there’s a long list of taxes and deductions: Social Security, Medicare and a little money toward my retirement. The biggest deduction of all? My health insurance premium — it’s a whopping $600 a month for a standard Blue Cross HMO plan for my husband, my toddler and me. My employer kicks in another $1,000 for a grand total of $1,600 a month…. more on full story.

Technorati Tags: Cost of Insurance, Health care cost, High Insurance Rates, News

The last time you called your doctor’s office, how long did you have to wait for a reply? How long do you usually have to wait to get an appointment or wait for a prescription to be called in? When you get to the office, how long do you spend in the waiting room and how much time does the doctor spend with you?

Did you get all your questions answered? How many seconds do you have in the beginning of your appointment to explain your symptoms before you are interrupted? Do the nurses and doctors seem to be more interested in their computers or their charts than they are to you?

If your experiences are like most people, your answers to these questions are not very flattering to the medical profession and to the health care system in general. Most doctors don’t really want their practices to be like this, but they don’t have much choice. They have to have a high volume of patients in order to make ends meet financially. The high volume makes the clinic a very busy place and most patients don’t feel like they get much attention.

In 1996 in Seattle, a doctor named Howard Moran thought there should be a better way to do this. He pioneered the concept of having a lower volume practice with highly attentive medical care provided as a service for patients in return for a retainer fee, much like many attorneys or accountants use. This fee may be in addition to, or in lieu of, the regular office fees that are billed to insurance companies. This concept allows the practice to remain financially solvent while providing better, more attentive medical service to its low volume of patients (usually keeping the patient count down to about one tenth of the number in a typical traditional primary care practice).

Unfortunately, health insurance companies currently don’t pay for this type of service, so that means the patients have to pay this out of pocket, but if the service is good, it may be worth it. Patients who join these practices are encouraged to keep their usual insurance which they will need for visits to other specialists, laboratory testing, radiological testing and/or hospital services if needed.

Many concierge practices offer same or next day appointments, no long waits for appointments or prescription refills, direct access to your personal physician day or night, house calls if necessary, continuing care if hospitalized, complete physical examinations, audiometry screening, cardiovascular and cancer risk screening, more attention to preventive care, unrushed appointments, all questions answered, family meetings if needed, coordination of care with specialists, provision of personal health records on CDs or flash drives, etc., etc.

Depending on the type and number of services that are provided, the flat retainer fee can vary widely from one area to the next ranging from $100 to $20,000/ year, most probably averaging around $1500-3000/year. There were only a few hundred of these physicians a few years ago, but there are over 5000 of them now all over the country. Many of them, but not all, are listed at the main website for the Society for Innovative Medical Practice Design – www.simpd.org. Patients may be able to find a concierge physician in their area on this site.

There has been some controversy surrounding some of these practices because some authorities feel the growth of concierge medicine will lead to a 2-tiered medical system in this country – one for the wealthy and one for the not-so-wealthy. Also, with the current shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs), with increasing numbers of concierge practices, the number of PCPs available for traditional offices will be even smaller, and access to care for patients served by those practices will suffer. On the other hand, more medical students may become interested in primary care if opportunities in concierge medicine are available to them when they finish their residencies.

Some of these practices have come under fire from insurance companies who say that concierge physicians are basically providing an insurance plan for their patients without having an insurance license to do so. The practices must therefore be legally and financially structured in such a way that avoids this criticism.

Overall, the concept of concierge medicine provides a good alternative to the currently unsatisfying traditional model of medical practice. The fee may seem high to some, but in most instances, it probably isn’t much higher than the cost of the local cable or telephone bill, or about the same as what a family would spend eating out at a restaurant once a week.

Gregory J. Warth, MD, FACP
Virginia Beach Premier Medical – (A concierge practice)
http://www.virginia-beach-premier-medical.com
http://www.art-of-patient-care.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Greg_Warth,_M.D.
http://EzineArticles.com/?Concierge-Medicine—Is-it-For-You?&id=2562676

Concierge Physicians Associates redefines the concept of Concierge Medicine. In addition to having direct access to your personal physician via cell phone and email, in urgent care situations your doctor will come to your home to treat you or meet you at the Emergency Room to expedite your care. You will receive priority appointments—even same-day, if necessary—and enjoy a private lounge with high-speed internet. In addition to an annual wellness evaluation your membership entitles you to access to on-staff specialists, an individualized nutrition plan, and enhanced access to your physician and concierge care coordinator. As a member, you will be assigned a Patient Care Concierge who will manage all aspects of your health experience, from transportation and accommodations if you are coming from out of town to medical evacuation if you experience a health emergency while traveling. Your Patient Care Concierge will also book appointments with outside specialists, if necessary, and coordinate communication among the various members of your health team.

The last time you called your doctor’s office, how long did you have to wait for a reply? How long do you usually have to wait to get an appointment or wait for a prescription to be called in? When you get to the office, how long do you spend in the waiting room and how much time does the doctor spend with you? More

Concierge Medicine is now available in Houston, Katy and Sugar Land with Concierge Physician Associates.