January 26, 2010
Institute For Medical Wellness Healthy Living Report
Horizon Healthcares prescription description
Actually I could call this Horizon Healthcares prescription deception.
If you ever had questions as to why I refuse to contract with insurance companies, please read this letter from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey. In Horizon's ever growing need for power and control of your health, they have put new requirements on prescription drugs. Requirements is probably a nice word. The correct words could be barrier, intruder, or pain-in-our-assets.
In Horizon's infinite wisdom, they will no longer approve any brand name drug, unless you have failed one or more of their preferred generics. Yes you heard it correctly! They will no longer approve for payment any Brand Name Medications unless and until you have failed generic medications.
Here is my question to you:
WHY DO YOU EVEN HAVE A PRESCRIPTION PLAN IF IT WILL NOT PAY FOR THE HIGHER PRICED MEDICATIONS?
Sorry for shouting, but the lunacy of this issue is amazing.
Go to Walmart, Costco, Sams Club, Wegmans, or many of the local independent pharmacies. You can obtain generic medications very cheaply without a prescription plan.
Yet Horizon considers their program as "prescription benefits." Just who is it benefitting???
Next question:
WHY CAN'T WE BUY HEALTH INSURANCE THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE A PRESCRIPTION PLAN IF THEY WILL NOT PAY FOR ANYTHING EXPENSIVE?
Sorry again for shouting. It is probably just my ADD acting up. My mother used to say that I had ADD. But I didn't believe her. Hey Look. A Chicken!!!
Sorry bout that ; )
I'll answer that question now for you.
Prescription plans are big money makers for your insurance company as well as for the pharmacy benefit managers that run them. I'll discuss more about these bureaucratic middlemen, their exhorbitant profits, and their backroom deals to keep their earnings high, and your costs even higher at a later date.
We should call our Congressmen and have them look into this for us. But we know where that will probably get us. Big insurance and pharmacy benefit managers contributions to their political campaigns, which in the end would leave us worse off, as is most healthcare related items when the government gets involved.
My suggestion to you. If you get turned down for a prescription by your insurance plan, call them. Spend as much time as you can. Sit in a nice relaxing chair at home or work. Tell them you have all day to discuss the matter. Continually ask to speak to their supervisor, over and over and again, until maybe, just maybe they will approve your medication. If not, get everyone's name and job description along the way. Let them know that you will hold them personally and their business fully responsible for any adverse medical outcome related to their decision to withhold medication that was prescribed by your physician. They are not doctors. Yet they are changing what your doctor has prescribed. These tactics do not always work, but if enough people start a ruckus, momentum will shift and the proper change can be instituted.
As an aside, there are actually more middlemen starting businesses due to this insurance precert mess. Visit www.mdinsuranceauth.com . They sent me a fax last week. Their business was set up to help doctors "eliminate your time consuming and costly process of obtaining authorizations for your patients."
Only in America. A new business focused on the insurance-government third party debacle!!
I am sorry. Healthcare does not need to be this complicated.
Here is my idea of the ideal healthcare system.
Doctor --------> Patient
You know what? The above ideal healthcare system looks alot like The Institute For Medical Wellness.
Look Again. No middlemen!!
Healthcare costs less when patient's have the freedom of choice, without all the middlemen in the way of better health!
Hey! I can dream, Can't I ??
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Interesting Article:
Low-Carb Diet Effective at Lowering Blood Pressure
This study compared a low-carb diet to the over the counter drug Orlistat- combined with a low fat diet. Over twice as many individuals on the low-carb diet 47%, versus the Orlistat-low fat diet 21%, were able to decrease or come off of their blood pressure medications. So the old saying that, "once on a blood pressure medication, always on a blood pressure medication", has once again been proven false. If you need help with a lower carbohydrate diet, please look into our Healthy Weight Program.
Healthcare Reform Update:
My views on healthcare reform are pretty well known by now. With the election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts, many pundits felt that the present reforms were dead. Unfortunately it may not be! There are many rumors circulating of more back room political deals to find a way to shove these reforms down our throats. I encourage you to remain involved in the debate, and do not let your guard down.
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
To follow The Institute For Medical Wellness on Twitter.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!
Institute For Medical Wellness Healthy Living Report
At The Institute For Medical Wellness, we know how to "put out the fires" when it comes to your health. But as Smokey the Bear always said,
"Only you can prevent forest fires"
Hey Doc, "What have you been smoking? What does smokey the bear have to do with my health?"
Let me explain.
When I was in my residency, and cruising the hospital floors, I was often called to "put out the fires". In layman's terms, that meant treating diabetics with high sugars, the elderly with complications of pneumonia, and post-surgical patients with complications or increased pain. My training taught me well and laid the foundation for my further professional skills.
But it is now 19 years since I graduated from medical school, and 16 years since I completed my family practice residency, and I have seen the healthcare system become more and more bogged down, by focusing almost solely on putting out the fires. What I did not see was preventive healthcare. What I did not see was a Smokey the Bear in healthcare helping people to prevent illness.
How bout another quote. This one from Benjamin Franklin.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
In 2008, with the founding of The Institute for Medical Wellness, I decided to bend the curve towards more prevention of disease as I believe that prevention should be the hallmark and the future of family practice. The affordable Wellness Plans we offer are geared towards helping you work on lifestyle changes to prevent further and future illness. Wellness Plans are especially helpful in patient's with Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity, High Cholesterol, or any other healthcare condition that requires more attention.
How about cancer prevention?
The Institute for Medical Wellness has teamed with Myriad Labs to offer genetic testing for patient's with a history of Breast, Ovarian, Endometrial or Colon Cancer.
In fact, Myriad Labs has offered to perform these tests on five (5) patient's at no cost.
Before you get too excited, there are limits and exclusions to this offer.
1) First, you must be an established patient of our practice,
2) Second, you also have to fit certain criteria listed below:
Patients with any of the following personal or family history features may be candidates for hereditary cancer testing:
Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (HBOC)
•Breast Cancer before age 50
•Ovarian Cancer at any age
•Both breast and ovarian cancer
•2 or more breast cancers, one under age 50
•Male breast cancer
•Bilateral breast cancer
•Women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent with breast or ovarian cancer at any age
•A previously identified BRCA mutation
Lynch Syndrome/Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC)
•Endometrial cancer before age 50
•Colorectal cancer before age 50
•2 or more Lynch syndrome cancers, including ovarian, stomach, kidney/urinary tract, brain, or small bowel cancer, in an individual or family
•A previously identified mutation
If you feel you meet the criteria above, please call our office at 856-231-0590 to schedule an evaluation. If you are one of the first five to meet the criteria, we will set you up for testing.
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Interesting Article:
I came across this article the other day. The title was "California First State to Shorten Wait Times for Doctor Appointments". It made me laugh pretty hard. It appears that the State of California believes that by mandating insurance companies to shorten the waiting time for patient's to be able to see their doctor's, that it would magically happen.
Examples of the new standards include:
•48 hours for urgent care appointments that do not require prior authorization.
•96 hours for urgent care appointments requiring prior authorization (including specialists).
•10 business days for non-urgent primary care appointments.
•15 business days for non-urgent appointments with specialists.
•10 business days for non-urgent appointments with a mental healthcare provider.
Why do I find it so funny? I do not participate with any of the insurers or their regulations. Yet if you call my office in the morning of a workday, you will be offered a same-day appointment 99% of the time. That is what happens when a physicians office decides to cater to patient's, not insurers or government regulators!
Healthcare Reform Update:
Please click here to read a letter to the editor I wrote that was published in the Burlington County Times on January 22, 2010.
Quote of the day from Massachusetts newest Senator Scott Brown about Washington D.C.
"This is the best place in the world when it comes to solving problems"
While I may not totally agree that Washington D.C. is the best place when it comes to solving problems, I do believe that The Institute For Medical Wellness will continue to grow into being the best place in the Moorestown and the South Jersey area to help you solve your healthcare problems, but always with a strong focus on wellness and prevention.
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
To follow The Institute For Medical Wellness on Twitter.
At The Institute For Medical Wellness, we know how to "put out the fires" when it comes to your health. But as Smokey the Bear always said,
"Only you can prevent forest fires"
Hey Doc, "What have you been smoking? What does smokey the bear have to do with my health?"
Let me explain.
When I was in my residency, and cruising the hospital floors, I was often called to "put out the fires". In layman's terms, that meant treating diabetics with high sugars, the elderly with complications of pneumonia, and post-surgical patients with complications or increased pain. My training taught me well and laid the foundation for my further professional skills.
But it is now 19 years since I graduated from medical school, and 16 years since I completed my family practice residency, and I have seen the healthcare system become more and more bogged down, by focusing almost solely on putting out the fires. What I did not see was preventive healthcare. What I did not see was a Smokey the Bear in healthcare helping people to prevent illness.
How bout another quote. This one from Benjamin Franklin.
"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
In 2008, with the founding of The Institute for Medical Wellness, I decided to bend the curve towards more prevention of disease as I believe that prevention should be the hallmark and the future of family practice. The affordable Wellness Plans we offer are geared towards helping you work on lifestyle changes to prevent further and future illness. Wellness Plans are especially helpful in patient's with Diabetes, Hypertension, Obesity, High Cholesterol, or any other healthcare condition that requires more attention.
How about cancer prevention?
The Institute for Medical Wellness has teamed with Myriad Labs to offer genetic testing for patient's with a history of Breast, Ovarian, Endometrial or Colon Cancer.
In fact, Myriad Labs has offered to perform these tests on five (5) patient's at no cost.
Before you get too excited, there are limits and exclusions to this offer.
1) First, you must be an established patient of our practice,
2) Second, you also have to fit certain criteria listed below:
Patients with any of the following personal or family history features may be candidates for hereditary cancer testing:
Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome (HBOC)
•Breast Cancer before age 50
•Ovarian Cancer at any age
•Both breast and ovarian cancer
•2 or more breast cancers, one under age 50
•Male breast cancer
•Bilateral breast cancer
•Women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent with breast or ovarian cancer at any age
•A previously identified BRCA mutation
Lynch Syndrome/Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer (HNPCC)
•Endometrial cancer before age 50
•Colorectal cancer before age 50
•2 or more Lynch syndrome cancers, including ovarian, stomach, kidney/urinary tract, brain, or small bowel cancer, in an individual or family
•A previously identified mutation
If you feel you meet the criteria above, please call our office at 856-231-0590 to schedule an evaluation. If you are one of the first five to meet the criteria, we will set you up for testing.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Interesting Article:
I came across this article the other day. The title was "California First State to Shorten Wait Times for Doctor Appointments". It made me laugh pretty hard. It appears that the State of California believes that by mandating insurance companies to shorten the waiting time for patient's to be able to see their doctor's, that it would magically happen.
Examples of the new standards include:
•48 hours for urgent care appointments that do not require prior authorization.
•96 hours for urgent care appointments requiring prior authorization (including specialists).
•10 business days for non-urgent primary care appointments.
•15 business days for non-urgent appointments with specialists.
•10 business days for non-urgent appointments with a mental healthcare provider.
Why do I find it so funny? I do not participate with any of the insurers or their regulations. Yet if you call my office in the morning of a workday, you will be offered a same-day appointment 99% of the time. That is what happens when a physicians office decides to cater to patient's, not insurers or government regulators!
Healthcare Reform Update:
Please click here to read a letter to the editor I wrote that was published in the Burlington County Times on January 22, 2010.
Quote of the day from Massachusetts newest Senator Scott Brown about Washington D.C.
"This is the best place in the world when it comes to solving problems"
While I may not totally agree that Washington D.C. is the best place when it comes to solving problems, I do believe that The Institute For Medical Wellness will continue to grow into being the best place in the Moorestown and the South Jersey area to help you solve your healthcare problems, but always with a strong focus on wellness and prevention.
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
To follow The Institute For Medical Wellness on Twitter.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Bugs and UPS
January 21, 2010
Institute For Medical Wellness Health and Wellness Report
First a Health Update:
I am often asked, "Hey Doc, are there any infections going around?'
My usual answer is, "There is always something going around" , but today I will mention a few and how you can hopefully prevent "going around with them."
There are three infections that I have seen over the past few weeks, including:
•a nasty stomach virus
•a respiratory virus that sometimes contributes to also contracting pneumonia.
•The emergency rooms have been reporting an increase in RSV, respiratory synctial virus, which is another nasty respiratory virus. And for many years, the seasonal flu becomes a problem soon after RSV peaks.
So how can you avoid these "nasty bugs"?
1.Wash or rinse your hands if you are in contact with someone who may be sick or just recently recovered from an illness. Surprisingly, soap is not always necessary. Just rinsing your hands under running water is usually enough. The reason being that our skin has many defenses against infections, including the many natural oils it produces. These oils on our skin act as a barrier to infections getting through into the body. Let me give you an example. If our hands contact an infectious organism, it first lodges on the oils of our skin. As oil and water do not mix, if we can run our hands under water, the organism will be rinsed away, hopefully down the drain.
2.Our skin also is populated by many beneficial bacteria that aid in our defense by keeping the bad bacteria under control. If we continually use soap or anti-bacterial soaps, we kill off these beneficial bacteria, thereby lowering our ability to prevent repopulation with the bad bacteria.
3.Respiratory Viruses are usually contracted by airborne particles that we breathe in through our own respiratory tracts. Avoiding breathing in air that has been recently coughed out by someone with a respiratory infection is important. But you need to be on guard, as you never know when someone will be coughing on or around you. Do what I do in the exam room. Act like a boxer trying to avoid a punch, by being ready to move quickly.
4.The simplest way to avoid these bugs is to increase your bodies own immune systems. Healthy lifestyles are important, but as there are many conflicting opinions as to what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, I will instead suggest a few supplements, such as Vitamin D and probiotics. Both of these supplements are available at the Institute For Medical Wellness, and for the remainder of January, Vitamin D is available for $15, a $5 discount from its regular price.
5.If you have not yet been vaccinated for the seasonal flu, we still have a limited amount of vaccinations available, at first come first served.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare Reform Update:
What can Brown do for you?
No, I am not talking about UPS. I am talking about Scott Brown, the Senator-elect from Massachusetts.
By winning the special election in Massachusetts, his election may have tipped the scale to ending the present healthcare reform bill, and allowing a "reboot" of the entire process of healthcare reform. In my view, that would be good news for you, and good news for the country. But we have to wait and see what happens in Washington, D.C. I still worry that this reform bill will be jammed down our throats by some mechanism. Let's hope my worries do not become reality.
Even if this reform bill is defeated, it should not end the quest for healthcare system reform. As I have written about in past newsletters, we still need to reform the system. But first. it must be based on the fundamental principle of individual responsibility, that would allow healthcare decisions to be made by yourself and your doctor or other healthcare provider. That would mean no insurance regulator and no political bureaucrat getting in your way to better health and wellness. For this to occur, we need to stop equating access to healthcare with health insurance. If we return to the health insurance of our parents and grandparents, with higher deductibles, much lower premiums, and individual responsibility, the costs of healthcare will drop dramatically, opening up the system to millions of uninsured.
At the Institute For Medical Wellness, your healthcare needs are not determined by your insurance. Our practice encompasses individuals and families from all socioeconomic groups, some with, and some without insurance. Yet it does not matter, as everyone gets the same care, with no third party intrusion. At the Institute for Medical Wellness, we only answer to you!
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
To follow The Institute For Medical Wellness on Twitter.
Institute For Medical Wellness Health and Wellness Report
First a Health Update:
I am often asked, "Hey Doc, are there any infections going around?'
My usual answer is, "There is always something going around" , but today I will mention a few and how you can hopefully prevent "going around with them."
There are three infections that I have seen over the past few weeks, including:
•a nasty stomach virus
•a respiratory virus that sometimes contributes to also contracting pneumonia.
•The emergency rooms have been reporting an increase in RSV, respiratory synctial virus, which is another nasty respiratory virus. And for many years, the seasonal flu becomes a problem soon after RSV peaks.
So how can you avoid these "nasty bugs"?
1.Wash or rinse your hands if you are in contact with someone who may be sick or just recently recovered from an illness. Surprisingly, soap is not always necessary. Just rinsing your hands under running water is usually enough. The reason being that our skin has many defenses against infections, including the many natural oils it produces. These oils on our skin act as a barrier to infections getting through into the body. Let me give you an example. If our hands contact an infectious organism, it first lodges on the oils of our skin. As oil and water do not mix, if we can run our hands under water, the organism will be rinsed away, hopefully down the drain.
2.Our skin also is populated by many beneficial bacteria that aid in our defense by keeping the bad bacteria under control. If we continually use soap or anti-bacterial soaps, we kill off these beneficial bacteria, thereby lowering our ability to prevent repopulation with the bad bacteria.
3.Respiratory Viruses are usually contracted by airborne particles that we breathe in through our own respiratory tracts. Avoiding breathing in air that has been recently coughed out by someone with a respiratory infection is important. But you need to be on guard, as you never know when someone will be coughing on or around you. Do what I do in the exam room. Act like a boxer trying to avoid a punch, by being ready to move quickly.
4.The simplest way to avoid these bugs is to increase your bodies own immune systems. Healthy lifestyles are important, but as there are many conflicting opinions as to what constitutes a healthy lifestyle, I will instead suggest a few supplements, such as Vitamin D and probiotics. Both of these supplements are available at the Institute For Medical Wellness, and for the remainder of January, Vitamin D is available for $15, a $5 discount from its regular price.
5.If you have not yet been vaccinated for the seasonal flu, we still have a limited amount of vaccinations available, at first come first served.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare Reform Update:
What can Brown do for you?
No, I am not talking about UPS. I am talking about Scott Brown, the Senator-elect from Massachusetts.
By winning the special election in Massachusetts, his election may have tipped the scale to ending the present healthcare reform bill, and allowing a "reboot" of the entire process of healthcare reform. In my view, that would be good news for you, and good news for the country. But we have to wait and see what happens in Washington, D.C. I still worry that this reform bill will be jammed down our throats by some mechanism. Let's hope my worries do not become reality.
Even if this reform bill is defeated, it should not end the quest for healthcare system reform. As I have written about in past newsletters, we still need to reform the system. But first. it must be based on the fundamental principle of individual responsibility, that would allow healthcare decisions to be made by yourself and your doctor or other healthcare provider. That would mean no insurance regulator and no political bureaucrat getting in your way to better health and wellness. For this to occur, we need to stop equating access to healthcare with health insurance. If we return to the health insurance of our parents and grandparents, with higher deductibles, much lower premiums, and individual responsibility, the costs of healthcare will drop dramatically, opening up the system to millions of uninsured.
At the Institute For Medical Wellness, your healthcare needs are not determined by your insurance. Our practice encompasses individuals and families from all socioeconomic groups, some with, and some without insurance. Yet it does not matter, as everyone gets the same care, with no third party intrusion. At the Institute for Medical Wellness, we only answer to you!
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
To follow The Institute For Medical Wellness on Twitter.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Kidney Stones - Part Two
Institute For Medical Wellness Healthy Living Report January 18, 2010
Today's topic is once again kidney stones.
For those of you who read my last newsletter, you learned I had the unfortunate luck to experience a kidney stone. Tried as I may, I was unable to avoid a short hospital stay. I have always known that hospitals are not wonderful places to be, and they can really put a crimp on your normal activities. All kidding aside, my hospital stay was uneventful, and the nursing staff was superb. But still, my job is too help you avoid hospitals as much as possible.
So how can you avoid kidney stones?
The most common type of stone is one made of calcium oxalate, and this is the type I will focus on today. In general, when we have too much calcium going through the kidneys, or not enough water to keep our urine dilute, calcium can crystallize in the kidney by precipitating out as a solid stone. If we can drink plenty of fluids at this point, we can still pass these small stones without ever knowing we had one. But if we do not drink enough, the stone can increase in size to a point where passage of the stone can be quite painful.
But calcium does not act alone. In calcium oxalate stones, oxalic acid forms around the stone and increases its size. So another good dietary tip, if you are a calcium oxalate stone former, is to keep your dietary oxalates very low. A good list on dietary oxalates can be found here.
Please do not lower your calcium intake. Medical studies disagree on calcium restriction as a means of preventing kidney stones. Also calcium in your diet is needed for many other important functions. If your body does not get enough calcium in its diet, it will take calcium out of your bones. This may lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis later in life.
My number one recommendation to prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones remains:
Drink, drink and drink some more. Drink until your urine is clear with just a hint of yellow.
But what do I do if I have a known kidney stone, of a size that can pass spontaneously, other than drink , drink and drink some more?
I followed the recommendations from a website that uses an interesting method to move a stone from your kidney, down your ureter, into your bladder. It is called the jump and bump method and it can be found here.
While this method may not work for everyone, it may have worked for me. When my stone began causing bad pain, I used this method and within 3 hours, my pain went from my left kidney area to my groin, which usually indicates the stone has moved down to almost the level of the bladder. Once the stone is in the bladder, the horrible pain of renal colic is gone, and passage of the stone out of the bladder is the next step. While this last step may not be very comfortable, it pales in comparison to renal colic.
But remember, the best medicine is still prevention!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare Reform Update:
On Tuesday January 19th, 2010, Massachusetts will be holding a special election to fill the Senate seat once occupied by the late Ted Kennedy. For healthcare reform, the stakes are high. The Democrat in the race, Martha Coakely, has vowed to vote for the present healthcare reforms making their way through private closed door meetings. Her opponent, Scott Brown, a Republican, has vowed to vote against the present reforms. In fact, if he is elected, he would be the 41st No vote in the Senate, which would hopefully put a stop to this massive healthcare scheme.
I am a registered independent, and will vote for the best person for the job. As healthcare is my life's chosen profession, my hope in this race is for Scott Brown. A No vote on the Obama healthcare scheme would hopefully allow us to reboot the entire reform approach and start over again. However I have one caveat. If the present healthcare scheme is defeated, I do not want healthcare reform on the back burner. I want it front and center! However this time, I want the following players around the negotiating table who are likely to care more about individuals than profits:
Today's topic is once again kidney stones.
For those of you who read my last newsletter, you learned I had the unfortunate luck to experience a kidney stone. Tried as I may, I was unable to avoid a short hospital stay. I have always known that hospitals are not wonderful places to be, and they can really put a crimp on your normal activities. All kidding aside, my hospital stay was uneventful, and the nursing staff was superb. But still, my job is too help you avoid hospitals as much as possible.
So how can you avoid kidney stones?
The most common type of stone is one made of calcium oxalate, and this is the type I will focus on today. In general, when we have too much calcium going through the kidneys, or not enough water to keep our urine dilute, calcium can crystallize in the kidney by precipitating out as a solid stone. If we can drink plenty of fluids at this point, we can still pass these small stones without ever knowing we had one. But if we do not drink enough, the stone can increase in size to a point where passage of the stone can be quite painful.
But calcium does not act alone. In calcium oxalate stones, oxalic acid forms around the stone and increases its size. So another good dietary tip, if you are a calcium oxalate stone former, is to keep your dietary oxalates very low. A good list on dietary oxalates can be found here.
Please do not lower your calcium intake. Medical studies disagree on calcium restriction as a means of preventing kidney stones. Also calcium in your diet is needed for many other important functions. If your body does not get enough calcium in its diet, it will take calcium out of your bones. This may lead to an increased risk of osteoporosis later in life.
My number one recommendation to prevent calcium oxalate kidney stones remains:
Drink, drink and drink some more. Drink until your urine is clear with just a hint of yellow.
But what do I do if I have a known kidney stone, of a size that can pass spontaneously, other than drink , drink and drink some more?
I followed the recommendations from a website that uses an interesting method to move a stone from your kidney, down your ureter, into your bladder. It is called the jump and bump method and it can be found here.
While this method may not work for everyone, it may have worked for me. When my stone began causing bad pain, I used this method and within 3 hours, my pain went from my left kidney area to my groin, which usually indicates the stone has moved down to almost the level of the bladder. Once the stone is in the bladder, the horrible pain of renal colic is gone, and passage of the stone out of the bladder is the next step. While this last step may not be very comfortable, it pales in comparison to renal colic.
But remember, the best medicine is still prevention!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare Reform Update:
On Tuesday January 19th, 2010, Massachusetts will be holding a special election to fill the Senate seat once occupied by the late Ted Kennedy. For healthcare reform, the stakes are high. The Democrat in the race, Martha Coakely, has vowed to vote for the present healthcare reforms making their way through private closed door meetings. Her opponent, Scott Brown, a Republican, has vowed to vote against the present reforms. In fact, if he is elected, he would be the 41st No vote in the Senate, which would hopefully put a stop to this massive healthcare scheme.
I am a registered independent, and will vote for the best person for the job. As healthcare is my life's chosen profession, my hope in this race is for Scott Brown. A No vote on the Obama healthcare scheme would hopefully allow us to reboot the entire reform approach and start over again. However I have one caveat. If the present healthcare scheme is defeated, I do not want healthcare reform on the back burner. I want it front and center! However this time, I want the following players around the negotiating table who are likely to care more about individuals than profits:
- Individuals- both insured and uninsured. At present we seem to be more focused on the uninsured than those presently insured.
- Independent physicians- Independent physicians represent only two parties, patient's and themselves. There is little group-think or corporate interests.
- Community based hospitals- large hospital systems tend to be run with their corporate interests at heart, while smaller community based hospitals tend to be closer to their patient's.
- Independent pharmacies- similar concept to hospitals mentioned above.
- Other independently owned healthcare providing organizations
- C-SPAN - at least for transparency
Who do I not want at the table. Well, that answer is simple. Everyone that is there now. The following players care more about their corporations, organizations and profits than patient's.
The following should be barred from further negotiations:- Health Insurers- care more about profits and control than individuals
- AMA (American Medical Association)- they no longer represent the majority of physicians views. They are more interested in continuing the status quo to increase revenues to their corporation.
- AARP - stands to make many millions in revenues if Obamacare passes. They are in Obama's back pocket.
- Big Pharma - they need to be cleaned up and they need to end all dealings with the government and insurers and once again deal directly with individuals. Cutting out the bureaucratic middleman would not only drop the cost of medications dramatically, but most likely increase their bottom lines, allowing more investment in research and development.
- Medical Device Manufacturers- ditto above comments about Big Pharma.
- Any large corporation- Do they actually have individuals best interests at heart??
- Politicians- they got us into this mess, and they will only make things worse. If you want your senator or congressman treating you in the hospital, then by all means support Obamacare. But if you prefer your doctor, then get the politicians out of the way.
- Any and every special interest that I neglected to mention. There should be no special interest when a patient is obtaining medical care. The only and supreme interest should be the care of the individual!
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Institute For Medical Wellness Happenings:
At The Institute For Medical Wellness, we combine dietary advice with medical management to help you achieve a healthier weight. That is why our Healthy Weight Program is off to a good start. One thing that sets us apart from other programs is our use of private internet communication, in the form of a shared document that is individualized to you! That means that no two programs are the same.
And due to popular demand, we will be extending our $100 discount through the end of January. So there is no better time than now to let us help you achieve that healthy weight. More information on the Healthy Weight Program can be found here.
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Wellness Network:
This month I would like to introduce you one of our network affiliates, Paula Andersen, who has an acupuncture practice located in Moorestown. Paula is offering Wellness Programs through the Institute For Medical Wellness in the following categories.
Package 1: Stress Reduction and Immune Building
Package 2: Pain Reduction
Package 3: Hormone Balancing
More information on Paula's Wellness Programs can be found here.
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New offers:
We are now able to offer a supplement of the month. For the remainder of January, we will be offering our Vitamin D3 drops, for $15, a savings of $5 each. This offer starts January 18th, and will continue while present supplies last.
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Quote of the day and one of my favorite signs in the office:
" Indecision, may or may not be my problem ."
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
To follow The Institute For Medical Wellness on Twitter.
Monday, January 11, 2010
How it looks to sit in someone elses chair
January 11, 2010
How it looks to sit in someone elses chair!
Something surprising happened a few weeks ago. I was diagnosed with a kidney stone. For those of you who have ever personally, or seen a family member deal with kidney stones, it is not fun. As a physician I have helped many patients through the ordeal, but until recently have never had the experience myself.
And an experience it was!!
Let me tell you, it is not something you would wish on your worst enemy. I ended up admitted to the hospital over the weekend for treatment, and while there had plenty of spare time to write down my thoughts.
While lying in my hospital bed waiting for the stone to pass, I wrote down some thoughts, and also took some pictures to make the presentation a bit nicer. And No, I was not on any pain meds during these thoughts. Unfortunately, this is how my mind works on a regular basis ; )
There once was a doctor named Steven,
Whose kidney decided to get even,
He developed a stone,
Called the ER on the phone,
and said "This pain is so bad I think I'm dyin"
He arrived at the ER in pain,
treatment he hoped to attain,
the insurance was payin,
as they filled him with saline,
and the meds made him feel like he was flyin.
One day later the stone was gone,
in a plastic jug, instead of his kidney, it belonged,
his pain went away,
good riddance he say,
And back to work in a day he is eyeing.
Yea, I know, I am no Dr. Seuss !!
This was my first hospitalization as an adult. While my hospital stay was uneventful, it still reinforced my views on prevention of illness, the hallmark of The Institute For Medical Wellness.
Do anything you can do to not ever develop a stone, as its pain is said to be worse than childbirth. Luckily for me, Childbirth pain I will never experience. The most important thing you can do to prevent a kidney stone is to drink plenty of fluids. So drink, and drink some more, until your urine is fairly clear with only a hint of yellow.
Click below for a link on dietary prevention of kidney stones.
From WEB-MD, diet recommendations for prevention of kidney stones.
With round the clock hospital care, you develop a special type of closeness with those around you.
Let me introduce you to a few of my new friends whom I shall never forget:
Please enable picture viewing.
First there is Sally the saline bag,
who kept hanging around with Ivy the IV pole.
In fact they never went anywhere apart from each other, or me!!
Wally the water pitcher was my friend who was always by my side,
but not as close as Rennie the TV remote.
I was not able to get pictures of Lana the lab tech, or Louie the light cord.
And no one got closer to me than my Urologist, who shall forever now be known to me as "fingers".
Enough said.
I look forward to being back on the job on Tuesday January 12, 2010.
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
http://www.drhorvitz.com/
How it looks to sit in someone elses chair!
Something surprising happened a few weeks ago. I was diagnosed with a kidney stone. For those of you who have ever personally, or seen a family member deal with kidney stones, it is not fun. As a physician I have helped many patients through the ordeal, but until recently have never had the experience myself.
And an experience it was!!
Let me tell you, it is not something you would wish on your worst enemy. I ended up admitted to the hospital over the weekend for treatment, and while there had plenty of spare time to write down my thoughts.
While lying in my hospital bed waiting for the stone to pass, I wrote down some thoughts, and also took some pictures to make the presentation a bit nicer. And No, I was not on any pain meds during these thoughts. Unfortunately, this is how my mind works on a regular basis ; )
There once was a doctor named Steven,
Whose kidney decided to get even,
He developed a stone,
Called the ER on the phone,
and said "This pain is so bad I think I'm dyin"
He arrived at the ER in pain,
treatment he hoped to attain,
the insurance was payin,
as they filled him with saline,
and the meds made him feel like he was flyin.
One day later the stone was gone,
in a plastic jug, instead of his kidney, it belonged,
his pain went away,
good riddance he say,
And back to work in a day he is eyeing.
Yea, I know, I am no Dr. Seuss !!
This was my first hospitalization as an adult. While my hospital stay was uneventful, it still reinforced my views on prevention of illness, the hallmark of The Institute For Medical Wellness.
Do anything you can do to not ever develop a stone, as its pain is said to be worse than childbirth. Luckily for me, Childbirth pain I will never experience. The most important thing you can do to prevent a kidney stone is to drink plenty of fluids. So drink, and drink some more, until your urine is fairly clear with only a hint of yellow.
Click below for a link on dietary prevention of kidney stones.
From WEB-MD, diet recommendations for prevention of kidney stones.
With round the clock hospital care, you develop a special type of closeness with those around you.
Let me introduce you to a few of my new friends whom I shall never forget:
Please enable picture viewing.
First there is Sally the saline bag,
who kept hanging around with Ivy the IV pole.
In fact they never went anywhere apart from each other, or me!!
Wally the water pitcher was my friend who was always by my side,
but not as close as Rennie the TV remote.
I was not able to get pictures of Lana the lab tech, or Louie the light cord.
And no one got closer to me than my Urologist, who shall forever now be known to me as "fingers".
Enough said.
I look forward to being back on the job on Tuesday January 12, 2010.
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
http://www.drhorvitz.com/
Saturday, January 02, 2010
Institute For Medical Wellness State of the Practice for 2010
January 2, 2010
Institute For Medical Wellness State of the Practice for 2010
I know.
Kind of corny.
But why should only our presidents and governors have all the fun! Besides, what I write below is factual and truthful, unlike most political speeches, regardless of party, and this state of the practice newsletter will be given without the use of a teleprompter ;)
So here goes.....
My fellow Americans, Wellness Plan members, patients, newsletter subscribers, and anyone and everyone else interested in achieving better health and wellness, I am happy to bring to you the The Institute For Medical Wellness State of The Practice 2010.
Two years ago, in 2008, I was elected, um, scratch that, I founded the Institute For Medical Wellness to provide healthcare like it used to be, without insurance, government, or other third party intrusion. While the transition has been a true learning experience, by the response I have received from my patient's and the community, it is one I have never regretted. I am happy to report that by bypassing the traditional third party route of healthcare, and instead dealing directly with you, we have been able to drastically decrease our overall operating budget, which allows us to continue to offer and expand our services at truly low costs. I am also happy to report that we are not 12 trillion dollars in debt and our budget is fully balanced. Take that Washington, D.C. and Trenton!!
I would now like to share with you some of the proud accomplishments since our founding in 2008.
*Same day appointments are the standard, with new patient visits available same or next day
*60 minute Wellness exams focusing on wellness and illness prevention
*Zero copay Traditional Wellness Plans- a much less expensive version of Concierge or Boutique practices, and now available with monthly payment options
*Greater than 90% of Wellness Plan patient's continue to re-enroll year to year.
*20% growth of patient's enrolled in our Traditional Wellness Plan
*Welcoming back of many patient's who returned to our practice after leaving during our 2008 transition, after they sampled traditional third party healthcare delivery
*Expanding Wellness network affiliates- from Naturopathy to Fitness, Massage and Acupuncture, more choices are now available.
*Increasing number of subscribers to our free email newsletter
My professional objective in founding The Institute For Medical Wellness is to offer the absolute best care - without compromise, and to serve as your primary advocate for health and wellness by combining holistic care and traditional old-fashioned values with true modern day medical expertise. My primary goal is to make certain that our attention is solely focused on YOU, not your insurance or some government bureaucrat.
In today's economy, providing this type of healthcare can be challenging. Many businesses are reducing services to cut expenses. But I have always been a contrarian, so at The Institute For Medical Wellness, I take a different approach. I prefer to expand and make more services available, some of which I will mention below.
1) New more easily individualized Wellness Programs.
Last year, in my eagerness to offer many different wellness programs, the choices became a bit confusing, even to me. So starting in 2010, wellness programs will be re-organized in a friendlier way. The Institute For Medical Wellness network affiliates will now be offering individual A-La-Health and wellness programs, which can be purchased separately, or better yet, added to our Traditional Wellness Plan. If added to our Traditional Wellness Plan, you will also receive 20% off all supplements purchased from our office.
2) Our new Healthy Weight Program is now available.
This physician supervised weight management programs main focus is on achieving a healthier weight, curbing hunger, while achieving optimum nutrition. It is ideal for treating diet related disorders including high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, among many others.
Each individualized program will consist of:
-Full initial evaluation by Dr Horvitz- medical and diet history, review of labwork to determine your metabolic needs, initial measurements and goal setting.
--Follow-up to review labs and start on program.
---An individualized starter package of nutritional supplements geared to your medical history.
----Monthly supplies of Dream protein
-----Twice-monthly office visits to check on your progress and make any necessary adjustments.
*Big discount if combined with our Traditional Wellness Plan.
*Discount of $75 if combined with our 8-Hour Optimum Results personal training program.
*Discounts also available for partners joining together.
*Healthy Weight Programs offered are for 3, 6 and 12 months.
For more information please visit our website here.
3) Nutritional and dietary supplements available at the Institute For Medical Wellness
Nutritional supplements have become a bigger part of The Institute For Medical Wellness. This is not due solely to my health and wellness beliefs, but more to the demands of my patient's. The nutritional supplement industry is not regulated as strictly as pharmaceuticals and there are thousands of supplements available at stores and thru the internet. This is both good and bad. The good is in the greater innovation and less expense in bringing a product to market. The bad is there are less mechanisms in place that make sure you are truly getting what you are purchasing. So at The Institute For Medical Wellness, we only carry supplements from very reputable manufacturers who have put their products through very strict procedures to be certain that you get what you buy. If you want more proof, most of the products we sell have been or are presently being used by myself or my family. Click here for a list of the different supplements we have available. Also note that discounts are available with certain A-La-Health programs.
4) Genetic testing for Breast cancer, Ovarian cancer , Colon cancer and Melanoma are now available at The Institute For Medical Wellness.
I have teamed up with Myriad Genetics and Laboratories, a company designed to help patients and healthcare professionals understand how genetic testing can help identify individuals at risk for hereditary cancer. There are ways to reduce your risk or overcome cancer in your lifetime. If cancer runs in your family, hereditary cancer testing may be an important step for you. Click on this link and take the quiz to see if testing is right for you.
5) Medical Records
Keeping an accurate medical record is one important part of your care. Back in 2004, ahead of most physician practices, I transitioned from paper to electronic health records. While it occasionally makes me pull out what little remaining hair I have, electronic health records also have many positives. One is their ease of access. When we had paper records, the time involved to keep them updated was very costly, both in time and materials. Not as much with electronic records. So we can now offer Wellness Plan patients one digital copy of your medical records per year for personal use if securely emailed as a pdf file. If you prefer a hard copy on a CD, a fee of $15 is required. For all other patients, the fee is $15 for a digital copy and $25 for a hard copy on CD. Please note, fees are different if records are required for legal, transfer or insurance requests.
6) Telephone consults now available
While many patient's take it for granted that doctor's will prescribe treatment over the phone, it is not always good sound medical practice, nor the best for patient care. But many patient's in my practice have strongly requested these consults. Thus, I am adding phone consultations to the services I offer, in the hope that when used in the proper circumstances will be of benefit to you. Phone consultations simply consists of phone time spent with you evaluating your health complaints, and prescribing treatment. For example, if you are feeling ill, but stuck at work or home, you can arrange a phone consultation.
The following fees will be charged dependent upon the time spent on consultation or if treatment is ordered or prescribed:
5 minutes or less without treatment prescribed = No charge
10 minutes or less with treatment prescribed = $45
11-15 minutes with treatment prescribed = $75
Any consultation that would require more than 15 minutes requires an on-office evaluation. If you are seen in the office for the same illness within one week of your phone consult, you will receive $25 off your in-office follow-up. Phone consultations will most often be used to evaluate and treat recurrent illnesses such as sinusitis or urinary tract infections. This service is not available to new patient's, nor to any condition Dr Horvitz feels requires an in-office evaluation. To schedule a phone consult, please call our office at 856-231-0590. A valid credit card or a bank debit arrangement is needed for this service.
These fees are not applicable for the following:
* Quick follow-up phone conversations about a recent office evaluation.
* Wellness plan members, as these services are already included as part of your plan.
* As Medicare rules are vague on telephone consults, this service is not available to Traditional Medicare patients.
* Routine requests such as pharmacy refills, appointments or non-physician requests.
7) Help with insurance reimbursement
We realize that medical billing can be very frustrating, which is one of the many reasons my office stopped working with insurers. But just as medical billing is frustrating to my office, it can be equally frustrating to my patient's awaiting insurance reimbursement. So in 2010, we will now be submitting paid office charges to your insurance to help you with reimbursement. For this process to run smoothly, please make sure we have an updated copy of the front and back of your health insurance cards, as well as your signed authorization.
8) Beginning January 1st, 2010, there will be a $25 charge added to your first office visit each calendar year, with a $40 maximum per family. The reasons for this fee is as follows.
-Upgrading our medical records systems due to the stricter government regulations concerning these systems.
--Increased insurance submission costs. This charge will hopefully be more than offset by any insurance reimbursement you receive by having your paid office visit fees submitted electronically to your insurer.
---Complying with the government's new privacy payment plan law due to take effect in 2010.
*Please note that this fee is not applicable if you are enrolled in our Traditional Wellness Plan or for Traditional Medicare patients.
*This fee is applicable irrespective of whether you have insurance coverage.
9) The Institute For Medical Wellness can now be found on Twitter at http://twitter.com/IMWHorvitz
I anticipate utilizing twitter for notification of office updates including interesting health, medical and wellness information, availability of flu vaccine, and inclement weather closings. Don't worry, you will not be tweeted about what I ate for lunch today, although I can say, it was probably low in processed carbohydrates, very filling, and very tasty ; )
I would like to thank everyone for their confidence in my professional abilities and referrals of new patient's to the practice as well as to the Wellness Plans. If you are presently in the Traditional Wellness Plan, and refer a new patient to this plan, you will receive 1 month added on to your plan for the first referral, and two months added on for every other new patient you refer. Just my way of saying Thank You for your confidence!!
It is always nice to get good feedback. Good feedback tells me that I am definitely moving in the right direction! So please check out the recent patient testimonials sent to our office.
My New Years Resolution is that you allow The Institute For Medical Wellness to help you make 2010 a healthy and prosperous year!!
This concludes the Institute For Medical Wellness State of The Practice 2010 newsletter. I will now leave the stage quickly, and you will not hear the media pundits restating over and over again what you have just read. Anyhow, it does not matter to me what others say about The Institute For Medical Wellness. As my primary goal is your individual health, the only one that matters when you are in my office, is YOU!!!
To Good Health and a prosperous 2010!!
Steven Horvitz, D.O,
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
http://www.drhorvitz.com/
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Obamacare and Bernie Madoff
December 29, 2009
Obamacare and Bernie Madoff
Sorry again about another healthcare reform related newsletter, but I get mildly agitated when people not in the healthcare field, especially politicians, try to tell me how to do my job.
We all have heard about Bernie Madoff, and his, how can I say it, not exactly stellar accounting. Bernie Madoff by way of his ponzi scheme, led what may soon be known as the second biggest swindle in the nation. The first will be either the Senates or House of Representatives healthcare reform bills, which if either of them becomes law, will forever be known as the ObaMadoff healthcare plan.
Understand that our politicians do not play by the same rules that ordinary citizens abide by. We put money in the bank, and can only withdrawal what we have. On the other hand, our politicians, both democrat and republican, spend our money, and more than we have.
Oh, but they can raise more money to pay for all their pet programs you say.
You are correct.
But the politicians do not earn money like we do. They raise money in a few ways.
1) They increase the taxes we have to pay.
2) They borrow money from other countries and ask we, the taxpayers to pay the interest.
3) They turn on the printing presses and print more money, diluting the worth of the dollar and making our money less valuable.
In other words, they spend our hard earned money like there is a never-ending supply!
So what does this have to do with healthcare?
I'll tell you.
Our country is deep in debt, due to all the money spent by our politicians over the past four decades. At last count, our country is over 12 trillion dollars in debt, not counting current and future entitlement obligations. So now, our politicians want us to go further in debt and add a new entitlement to reform the healthcare system, and they will raise the money to finance these reforms in the three ways mentioned above.
So how does this differ from what you and I do to access healthcare?
1) To pay for healthcare, we as individuals have to work and earn income. We can not collect tax money from others to pay for our care.
2) We can borrow money from banks and credit cards, but we are held individually responsible for our debt. Our politicians are not responsible for the debt they place our country in. We are, along with our children and grandchildren.
3) I think we would go to jail if we had a printing press printing money we did not earn. So why does our government get away with it?
This healthcare reform is not the change we believed we were getting during the 2008 presidential campaign. Let us take a look at the president's healthcare campaign promises and how they have changed by looking at the present healthcare bills, their costs and how they are paid for.
House Bill:
Who is covered?
It is estimated that about 94% of legal residents under the age of 65 will be covered. Presently about 83% are covered. There will still be about 24 million people under the age of 65 not insured, with an estimated 8 million of those being illegal immigrants.
Cost: 871 Billion dollars over ten years. That is $871,000,000,000 dollars. That's alot of zeroes.
How It's Paid For:
Fees or taxes on the following: Insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device manufacturers, medicare payroll tax increase on income over $200,000 for individuals, or $250,000 for couples, 10% sales tax on tanning salons, excise tax on high cost insurance plans, and fees for employers whose workers receive government subsidies. I am certain there are more fees and taxes still hidden in the bill that have not yet been discovered.
Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid
Fines on people who fail to purchase coverage.
Senate Bill:
Who is covered?
About 96% of legal residents under the age of 65, leaving an estimated 18 million people under the age of 65 not insured, with an estimated 8 million of those being illegal immigrants.
Cost: 1.2 trillion dollars over 10 years. That is $1,200,000,000,000 dollars. That's even more zeroes.
How It's Paid For:
Taxes on the following: New income taxes on single people making more than $500,000/year and couples making more than $1 million dollars a year, an estimated $20 billion from new taxes on medical device makers, limiting contributions to flexible healthcare spending accounts. As with the House bill, I am certain there are more fees and taxes still hidden in the bill that have not yet been discovered.
Cuts of more than $400 Billion to Medicare and Medicaid.
Fines on individuals and employers who do not obtain health insurance coverage.
-----
OK, so that is a synopsis, and definitely not the whole enchilada. But let me start breaking this down to what it means for you and how it differs from the 2008 promises made by the president during the 2008 presidential election campaign.
Promise #1 : No Individual Mandate
In both of the above bills, there is an individual mandate for insurance coverage or a fine is imposed. And as we still do not know the extent of government subsidies to help purchase insurance, it appears that many individuals will be coerced or forced by the government to purchase coverage that they may not want, or face the wrath of government fines. In essence, the government wants to pass a law forcing individuals to purchase something against their will.
Promise #2 : Complete Transparency
Need I actually go into this one?
Candidate Obama promised that health care deliberations with Congress and special interests would be transparent to the extreme. To quote candidate Obama: "That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are," Mr. Obama said during his Jan. 31, 2008 debate with Clinton. "Because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process. And overcoming the special interests and the lobbyists who -- Senator Clinton is right. They will resist anything that we try to do."
OK.
I had my TIVO set up as a season pass to record all healthcare negotiations on C-SPAN. Funny thing. Nothing recorded. I called TIVO and asked what the problem was with their service. I found out it was not TIVO. There were not any negotiations broadcast on C-SPAN.
So what actually occured?
Politics as usual, but on steroids. Both bills have been written along party lines, with mucho mucho special interests involved. These special interests do not represent you. They represent their corporations and their businesses. Now in a free market capitalistic economy, that is fair game. But were'nt we promised transparency and an overcoming of the special interests???
Promise #3 : Lower Premiums by $2,500 for a Family of Four
For this one, I'll believe it when I see it. I am pretty good at math, but not an accountant or mathematician. But to add 20-30 million more people into health insurance, and at the same time lower the cost of insurance premiums, you need to be a magician, not a mathematician.
Now back to who is covered, the cost and how it is paid for.
If we go midway between both the House and Senate bills, we will still be left with about 14 million uninsured, at a cost of over a trillion dollars over ten years, paid for by cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and large taxes on many segments of the healthcare industry and individuals. The healthcare industry segments will end up passing along the increased taxes as higher costs to you. As employers and individuals, who, unlike the federal government can not print money, will pay higher taxes, and they will have less money in their budgets to expand their businesses and hire more workers. So the trickle down effect of higher taxes ends up costing everyone, not just those who pay the taxes, while still leaving about 20 million people uninsured.
Question 1: If you are unemployed, do you prefer being forced to purchase health insurance, or do you prefer to get help finding a job?
Question 2: With cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, and more people enrolled in these programs, how do we improve care for individuals with these two government plans?
Now, I will attempt to do some math.
Assuming midway between the House and Senate plan, we add 34 million people to the health insurance rolls. The taxes and fines start in year one, while the insurance coverage does not start until years 4 through 6. I will estimate 6 years of insurance coverage for 34 million people at a cost of 1 trillion dollars. That comes out to about $5,000 per year for insurance coverage for each individual, or just under $420 per month. The premiums I pay now are much less than that, and I am not mandated by any government to purchase it!
Question 3: Is the healthcare reform debate about doing what is right, or more about politics?
I'll let you answer that one.
Call your Senator and congressmen and tell them to put a halt to this healthcare reform debacle before it is too late. The legislation currently before Congress was crafted more out of political desperation and not the needs and desires of the large majority of the American people.
One thing I have learned from this debate is that elections do mean something and they do have consequences. Sometimes good, sometimes not.
My hope is that these reforms get stopped, and we reboot the debate and start over. First step, follow the president's campaign guidelines for reforming the healthcare system with true transparency, and a lack of special interests at the table. The table should consists of patient's and healthcare providers and the reforms should focus on individuals and not politics. We can then reform the system one step at a time and move in a direction that helps everyone without adding any costs to the system.
I also truly, truly hope this debate ends so I can spend more time on medically relevant newsletter topics instead of the machinations of our politicians in Washington, D.C.
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I previously wrote about a big conflict of interest concerning the American Medical Association and the current healthcare reforms. A recent Chicago tribune column goes into further detail corroborating my views.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Healthy Weight program will be available starting January 4, 2010. Info on the program and pricing can be found here. Wellness Plan members get a steep discount on this program.
This program combines physician supervision, internet guidance and communication, with optimum nutrition to not only help you attain a healthier weight, but at the same time help to prevent or treat other diet related disorders including Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Heart and Vascular Disease, among many others.
I am excited to help you get a jump start on a healthier you for 2010!!
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
Previous newsletters can be found at http://drhorvitz.blogspot.com/
Obamacare and Bernie Madoff
Sorry again about another healthcare reform related newsletter, but I get mildly agitated when people not in the healthcare field, especially politicians, try to tell me how to do my job.
We all have heard about Bernie Madoff, and his, how can I say it, not exactly stellar accounting. Bernie Madoff by way of his ponzi scheme, led what may soon be known as the second biggest swindle in the nation. The first will be either the Senates or House of Representatives healthcare reform bills, which if either of them becomes law, will forever be known as the ObaMadoff healthcare plan.
Understand that our politicians do not play by the same rules that ordinary citizens abide by. We put money in the bank, and can only withdrawal what we have. On the other hand, our politicians, both democrat and republican, spend our money, and more than we have.
Oh, but they can raise more money to pay for all their pet programs you say.
You are correct.
But the politicians do not earn money like we do. They raise money in a few ways.
1) They increase the taxes we have to pay.
2) They borrow money from other countries and ask we, the taxpayers to pay the interest.
3) They turn on the printing presses and print more money, diluting the worth of the dollar and making our money less valuable.
In other words, they spend our hard earned money like there is a never-ending supply!
So what does this have to do with healthcare?
I'll tell you.
Our country is deep in debt, due to all the money spent by our politicians over the past four decades. At last count, our country is over 12 trillion dollars in debt, not counting current and future entitlement obligations. So now, our politicians want us to go further in debt and add a new entitlement to reform the healthcare system, and they will raise the money to finance these reforms in the three ways mentioned above.
So how does this differ from what you and I do to access healthcare?
1) To pay for healthcare, we as individuals have to work and earn income. We can not collect tax money from others to pay for our care.
2) We can borrow money from banks and credit cards, but we are held individually responsible for our debt. Our politicians are not responsible for the debt they place our country in. We are, along with our children and grandchildren.
3) I think we would go to jail if we had a printing press printing money we did not earn. So why does our government get away with it?
This healthcare reform is not the change we believed we were getting during the 2008 presidential campaign. Let us take a look at the president's healthcare campaign promises and how they have changed by looking at the present healthcare bills, their costs and how they are paid for.
House Bill:
Who is covered?
It is estimated that about 94% of legal residents under the age of 65 will be covered. Presently about 83% are covered. There will still be about 24 million people under the age of 65 not insured, with an estimated 8 million of those being illegal immigrants.
Cost: 871 Billion dollars over ten years. That is $871,000,000,000 dollars. That's alot of zeroes.
How It's Paid For:
Fees or taxes on the following: Insurance companies, pharmaceutical manufacturers, medical device manufacturers, medicare payroll tax increase on income over $200,000 for individuals, or $250,000 for couples, 10% sales tax on tanning salons, excise tax on high cost insurance plans, and fees for employers whose workers receive government subsidies. I am certain there are more fees and taxes still hidden in the bill that have not yet been discovered.
Cuts to Medicare and Medicaid
Fines on people who fail to purchase coverage.
Senate Bill:
Who is covered?
About 96% of legal residents under the age of 65, leaving an estimated 18 million people under the age of 65 not insured, with an estimated 8 million of those being illegal immigrants.
Cost: 1.2 trillion dollars over 10 years. That is $1,200,000,000,000 dollars. That's even more zeroes.
How It's Paid For:
Taxes on the following: New income taxes on single people making more than $500,000/year and couples making more than $1 million dollars a year, an estimated $20 billion from new taxes on medical device makers, limiting contributions to flexible healthcare spending accounts. As with the House bill, I am certain there are more fees and taxes still hidden in the bill that have not yet been discovered.
Cuts of more than $400 Billion to Medicare and Medicaid.
Fines on individuals and employers who do not obtain health insurance coverage.
-----
OK, so that is a synopsis, and definitely not the whole enchilada. But let me start breaking this down to what it means for you and how it differs from the 2008 promises made by the president during the 2008 presidential election campaign.
Promise #1 : No Individual Mandate
In both of the above bills, there is an individual mandate for insurance coverage or a fine is imposed. And as we still do not know the extent of government subsidies to help purchase insurance, it appears that many individuals will be coerced or forced by the government to purchase coverage that they may not want, or face the wrath of government fines. In essence, the government wants to pass a law forcing individuals to purchase something against their will.
Promise #2 : Complete Transparency
Need I actually go into this one?
Candidate Obama promised that health care deliberations with Congress and special interests would be transparent to the extreme. To quote candidate Obama: "That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are," Mr. Obama said during his Jan. 31, 2008 debate with Clinton. "Because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process. And overcoming the special interests and the lobbyists who -- Senator Clinton is right. They will resist anything that we try to do."
OK.
I had my TIVO set up as a season pass to record all healthcare negotiations on C-SPAN. Funny thing. Nothing recorded. I called TIVO and asked what the problem was with their service. I found out it was not TIVO. There were not any negotiations broadcast on C-SPAN.
So what actually occured?
Politics as usual, but on steroids. Both bills have been written along party lines, with mucho mucho special interests involved. These special interests do not represent you. They represent their corporations and their businesses. Now in a free market capitalistic economy, that is fair game. But were'nt we promised transparency and an overcoming of the special interests???
Promise #3 : Lower Premiums by $2,500 for a Family of Four
For this one, I'll believe it when I see it. I am pretty good at math, but not an accountant or mathematician. But to add 20-30 million more people into health insurance, and at the same time lower the cost of insurance premiums, you need to be a magician, not a mathematician.
Now back to who is covered, the cost and how it is paid for.
If we go midway between both the House and Senate bills, we will still be left with about 14 million uninsured, at a cost of over a trillion dollars over ten years, paid for by cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and large taxes on many segments of the healthcare industry and individuals. The healthcare industry segments will end up passing along the increased taxes as higher costs to you. As employers and individuals, who, unlike the federal government can not print money, will pay higher taxes, and they will have less money in their budgets to expand their businesses and hire more workers. So the trickle down effect of higher taxes ends up costing everyone, not just those who pay the taxes, while still leaving about 20 million people uninsured.
Question 1: If you are unemployed, do you prefer being forced to purchase health insurance, or do you prefer to get help finding a job?
Question 2: With cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, and more people enrolled in these programs, how do we improve care for individuals with these two government plans?
Now, I will attempt to do some math.
Assuming midway between the House and Senate plan, we add 34 million people to the health insurance rolls. The taxes and fines start in year one, while the insurance coverage does not start until years 4 through 6. I will estimate 6 years of insurance coverage for 34 million people at a cost of 1 trillion dollars. That comes out to about $5,000 per year for insurance coverage for each individual, or just under $420 per month. The premiums I pay now are much less than that, and I am not mandated by any government to purchase it!
Question 3: Is the healthcare reform debate about doing what is right, or more about politics?
I'll let you answer that one.
Call your Senator and congressmen and tell them to put a halt to this healthcare reform debacle before it is too late. The legislation currently before Congress was crafted more out of political desperation and not the needs and desires of the large majority of the American people.
One thing I have learned from this debate is that elections do mean something and they do have consequences. Sometimes good, sometimes not.
My hope is that these reforms get stopped, and we reboot the debate and start over. First step, follow the president's campaign guidelines for reforming the healthcare system with true transparency, and a lack of special interests at the table. The table should consists of patient's and healthcare providers and the reforms should focus on individuals and not politics. We can then reform the system one step at a time and move in a direction that helps everyone without adding any costs to the system.
I also truly, truly hope this debate ends so I can spend more time on medically relevant newsletter topics instead of the machinations of our politicians in Washington, D.C.
------------------------------------------------------------------
I previously wrote about a big conflict of interest concerning the American Medical Association and the current healthcare reforms. A recent Chicago tribune column goes into further detail corroborating my views.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Our Healthy Weight program will be available starting January 4, 2010. Info on the program and pricing can be found here. Wellness Plan members get a steep discount on this program.
This program combines physician supervision, internet guidance and communication, with optimum nutrition to not only help you attain a healthier weight, but at the same time help to prevent or treat other diet related disorders including Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Heart and Vascular Disease, among many others.
I am excited to help you get a jump start on a healthier you for 2010!!
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
Previous newsletters can be found at http://drhorvitz.blogspot.com/
Saturday, December 26, 2009
NJ Physicians views on healthcare
December 26, 2009
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday.
Today I would like once again to talk about healthcare reform and the disinformation about physicians views on this subject. The president and the congressional leaders like to say that the majority of physicians support healthcare reform. This is, unfortunately, very deceptive, if not an outright lie.
Please read below the Medical Society of New Jersey's letter on this subject from December 22. 2009.
----------------------
Dear Colleagues:
The United States Senate has chosen to amass a “Health Care Bill” that, in our opinion, will quickly destroy the ability for physicians to continue the practice of medicine.
The Senate Majority Leader has locked in 60 votes to break a filibuster against the legislation. His reported tacit dealings with Louisiana, Vermont and Nebraska senators for votes are obviously “Washington politics business as usual”. This disrespect for the citizens of our country sickens the Medical Society of New Jersey.
WE CANNOT, AND WILL NOT, SUPPORT THE PROPOSED SENATE BILL BECAUSE IT:
• Lacks Any Tort Reform
• Doesn’t Permanently Fix the SGR Formula
• Will Break the Medicaid System in New Jersey (already the worst in the country)
• Lacks Transparency and Detail on the Effect on Physician Practices
The Medical Society of New Jersey is not supporting the American Medical Association’s position on this issue nor their ineffective approach to this major piece of legislation.
We personally want all physicians of New Jersey to know that the Medical Society of New Jersey is appalled at our representation by the AMA and are not supportive of their leadership.
Very truly yours,
Joseph H. Reichman, MD
President
--------------------------------------
To read more opinion from the MSNJ, please go here.
--------------------------------------
My opinion:
Point 1) National organizations have lost touch with their constituents.
American Medical Association is in favor of the present reform package, while the NJ state society is adamantly against.
Point 2) Our elected politicians have all elected to vote along party lines, instead of with their constituents. The latest Rasmussen Reports weekly tracking update shows that 41% of voters nationwide favor the bill and 55% are opposed. Yet the politicians still seem bent on voting for reform.
Point 3) Ethics - I know. It is strange to use ethics and politicians in the same sentence.
But I cannot even accept a pen from a drug rep, yet congress can bribe senators with hundreds of millions of sweetheart dollars to buy votes for a reform plan that will effectively decimate the future of american medicine in a very short time. And where does the congress get these hundreds of millions of dollars. I'll tell you where. From the taxes that we pay!
If we want the healthcare system reformed, it is time to ask individual physicians, not national organizations, hospital systems, Big Pharma, health insurers, medical suppliers, or even large physician groups. The larger the organization, the further away from individual thought we get. Large organizations tend to cater to themselves, instead of their customers, in this case, you, the patient. This is another of the reasons I founded The Institute For Medical Wellness, and have remained a solo family practice physician. In my practice, I only answer to you!
No politics.
No lies.
No deceptions.
High ethics.
I could go further, but I have said enough for now.
The Institute For Medical Wellness will continue to operate as it has since 2008. As we do not accept third party insurance, we are somewhat insulated from the Washington D.C. shenanigans. We do however still accept Traditional Medicare, as at present, the government bureaucrats stay out of patient care. But this reform bill may change that. Our participation with Medicare may end, leaving more Medicare patients less options for their care, unless they choose to join our Wellness plans or pay fully out-of-pocket. As many seniors are on fixed incomes, this could create an economic hardship. If that occurs, please feel free to thank Congress and the president for their meddling.
OK.
Enough about politics!
I am still a physician and providing healthcare is what I love to do.
So look soon for the rollout of our new wellness plans, along with our new Healthy Weight Program.
We also now have a list of the supplements we offer which can be found here.
To Good Health!!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
I hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday.
Today I would like once again to talk about healthcare reform and the disinformation about physicians views on this subject. The president and the congressional leaders like to say that the majority of physicians support healthcare reform. This is, unfortunately, very deceptive, if not an outright lie.
Please read below the Medical Society of New Jersey's letter on this subject from December 22. 2009.
----------------------
Dear Colleagues:
The United States Senate has chosen to amass a “Health Care Bill” that, in our opinion, will quickly destroy the ability for physicians to continue the practice of medicine.
The Senate Majority Leader has locked in 60 votes to break a filibuster against the legislation. His reported tacit dealings with Louisiana, Vermont and Nebraska senators for votes are obviously “Washington politics business as usual”. This disrespect for the citizens of our country sickens the Medical Society of New Jersey.
WE CANNOT, AND WILL NOT, SUPPORT THE PROPOSED SENATE BILL BECAUSE IT:
• Lacks Any Tort Reform
• Doesn’t Permanently Fix the SGR Formula
• Will Break the Medicaid System in New Jersey (already the worst in the country)
• Lacks Transparency and Detail on the Effect on Physician Practices
The Medical Society of New Jersey is not supporting the American Medical Association’s position on this issue nor their ineffective approach to this major piece of legislation.
We personally want all physicians of New Jersey to know that the Medical Society of New Jersey is appalled at our representation by the AMA and are not supportive of their leadership.
Very truly yours,
Joseph H. Reichman, MD
President
--------------------------------------
To read more opinion from the MSNJ, please go here.
--------------------------------------
My opinion:
Point 1) National organizations have lost touch with their constituents.
American Medical Association is in favor of the present reform package, while the NJ state society is adamantly against.
Point 2) Our elected politicians have all elected to vote along party lines, instead of with their constituents. The latest Rasmussen Reports weekly tracking update shows that 41% of voters nationwide favor the bill and 55% are opposed. Yet the politicians still seem bent on voting for reform.
Point 3) Ethics - I know. It is strange to use ethics and politicians in the same sentence.
But I cannot even accept a pen from a drug rep, yet congress can bribe senators with hundreds of millions of sweetheart dollars to buy votes for a reform plan that will effectively decimate the future of american medicine in a very short time. And where does the congress get these hundreds of millions of dollars. I'll tell you where. From the taxes that we pay!
If we want the healthcare system reformed, it is time to ask individual physicians, not national organizations, hospital systems, Big Pharma, health insurers, medical suppliers, or even large physician groups. The larger the organization, the further away from individual thought we get. Large organizations tend to cater to themselves, instead of their customers, in this case, you, the patient. This is another of the reasons I founded The Institute For Medical Wellness, and have remained a solo family practice physician. In my practice, I only answer to you!
No politics.
No lies.
No deceptions.
High ethics.
I could go further, but I have said enough for now.
The Institute For Medical Wellness will continue to operate as it has since 2008. As we do not accept third party insurance, we are somewhat insulated from the Washington D.C. shenanigans. We do however still accept Traditional Medicare, as at present, the government bureaucrats stay out of patient care. But this reform bill may change that. Our participation with Medicare may end, leaving more Medicare patients less options for their care, unless they choose to join our Wellness plans or pay fully out-of-pocket. As many seniors are on fixed incomes, this could create an economic hardship. If that occurs, please feel free to thank Congress and the president for their meddling.
OK.
Enough about politics!
I am still a physician and providing healthcare is what I love to do.
So look soon for the rollout of our new wellness plans, along with our new Healthy Weight Program.
We also now have a list of the supplements we offer which can be found here.
To Good Health!!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
Friday, December 18, 2009
Take this healthcare plan or else !!
December 18, 2009
Caution: This newsletter may be a bit opinionated. But then again, people do pay me for my opinions, so here goes!!
Take this healthcare plan or else?
It seems that every day I watch the news, healthcare reform gets sicker and sicker. And now it appears that our elected officials think they know more about healthcare than doctors and patient's. The one thing our elected officials in both parties do know is how to spend money they do not have. And unfortunately, all this borrowed to be spent money will eventually be paid back on the backs of our children and grandchildren. This is just not right!!
Healthcare reform is supposed to bring down costs for everyone without raising taxes. The present Senate bill does not.
Healthcare reform is supposed to bring insurance to the majority of the 47 million temporarily uninsured. The present Senate bill does not.
Healthcare reform is supposed to bend the cost curve down. The present Senate bill does not. Especially when we get taxed for 2-3 years before any reforms start.
What does the Healthcare reform bill do?
It cuts Medicare. So for everyone on Medicare who has paid into the system for the past 20-40 years, tough luck!
It penalizes young healthy individuals who choose to take a risk and not purchase health insurance.
It will also raise the premiums on younger individuals to help subsidize others.
It creates multiple new bureaucracies that will put barriers between you and your doctor.
Now for the scariest part.
When the government puts their power and weight, otherwise known as coercion, into the healthcare system, they do so by telling doctors not only what to do, but what not to do. Health insurers try to do this, and they have partially succeeded. They coerce, also known as twist the arms of doctors to perform tests that may not be necessary, or use medications and treatments that may not work, usually on the basis of possible cost savings. Why would the insurers do this? That answer is simple and closes the loop on the problems with our helathcare system. Insurers are trying to stay in the good grace of Uncle Sam and the bureaucrats who think they know better. The only thing worse than a health insurer telling a doctor what to do, is a government bureacrat doing the same.
So who is left out and forgetten in this government-insurance dominated system?
I'll answer that. You, the patient are left out as you become a number, a statistic, a covered life!
I may be rambling a bit here, but I get very offended when anyone other than my patient tries to tell me how to do my job. When I founded The Institute For Medical Wellness, I went out on a limb professionally. It was my personal and professional risk and I chose to go full steam ahead with a health delivery concept that focuses on individuals, not insurances, and not government bureaucracies. When you are in my office, my attention is focused on you. So a healthcare bill that gives broad powers to the government to decide what care is and is not necessary is an extremely scary proposition. I fear that your care will suffer if you are forced into a government controlled system.
I do not expect everyone to feel the way I do. And I respect all points of view, especially those I do not agree with. I learn alot every day, from hearing how others view their health, what they are eating, how they are exercising, what works for their individual ailments and what does not. I have learned from my 15 years in practice that no two individuals are the same. So any healthcare plan that focuses on numbers and populations as opposed to individuals will never, ever have my support!
I want reform. But I want reform that gives patient's more choices in their healthcare, not less. I want reform that allows patient's and doctor's to decide what is needed for their care, without a 2000+ page federal healthcare bill getting in the way. I want a plan where everyone has access to healthcare not governed and controlled by Uncle Sam.
The Institute For Medical Wellness will thrive and expand regardless of healthcare reform because we focus our care on individuals and families, period. We have no ulterior motives, no insurance quotas in the back of our mind guiding our treatment. We will grow as more people are dissatisfied with the direction of government sponsored healthcare. But I would prefer that The Institute For Medical Wellness grows due to our outstanding care and committment to everyone who chooses us for their healthcare.
My promise to you. No matter what comes out of Washington, D.C., The Institute For Medical Wellness will continue to be where you can go for healthcare that is focused solely on you!
I will end with the mission statement that I wrote back in 2007, while putting the wheels in motion for the founding of The Institute For Medical Wellness. This mission statement describes how I want to be treated when I access medical care, and it is how I will always care for you!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
MISSION STATEMENT
To provide outstanding family medical care to our patients with a focus on comprehensive wellness and prevention.
To inform you of healthcare options that your health insurance carrier may not want you to obtain or know about.
To be an advocate for your medical care without regards to the health insurance bureaucracy.
Where patients go to be treated as a person and not as a commodity.
Where patients go to have a Physician who listens carefully and respects what the patient has to say and encourages the patient to say what is on their mind.
To give patients the ability to see their own Doctor and to make appointments without unreasonable waits.
To provide this care with an open mind, and to make your healthcare a team effort between Dr. Horvitz, his office staff, and you, the individual.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Institute For Medical Wellness is now experimenting with Twitter.
If you "tweet" or follow others, you can find us at http://twitter.com/IMWHorvitz
Please email us at DrHorvitz@DrHorvitz.com to let us know what type of "tweets" you would find useful.
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Medicine
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
Caution: This newsletter may be a bit opinionated. But then again, people do pay me for my opinions, so here goes!!
Take this healthcare plan or else?
It seems that every day I watch the news, healthcare reform gets sicker and sicker. And now it appears that our elected officials think they know more about healthcare than doctors and patient's. The one thing our elected officials in both parties do know is how to spend money they do not have. And unfortunately, all this borrowed to be spent money will eventually be paid back on the backs of our children and grandchildren. This is just not right!!
Healthcare reform is supposed to bring down costs for everyone without raising taxes. The present Senate bill does not.
Healthcare reform is supposed to bring insurance to the majority of the 47 million temporarily uninsured. The present Senate bill does not.
Healthcare reform is supposed to bend the cost curve down. The present Senate bill does not. Especially when we get taxed for 2-3 years before any reforms start.
What does the Healthcare reform bill do?
It cuts Medicare. So for everyone on Medicare who has paid into the system for the past 20-40 years, tough luck!
It penalizes young healthy individuals who choose to take a risk and not purchase health insurance.
It will also raise the premiums on younger individuals to help subsidize others.
It creates multiple new bureaucracies that will put barriers between you and your doctor.
Now for the scariest part.
When the government puts their power and weight, otherwise known as coercion, into the healthcare system, they do so by telling doctors not only what to do, but what not to do. Health insurers try to do this, and they have partially succeeded. They coerce, also known as twist the arms of doctors to perform tests that may not be necessary, or use medications and treatments that may not work, usually on the basis of possible cost savings. Why would the insurers do this? That answer is simple and closes the loop on the problems with our helathcare system. Insurers are trying to stay in the good grace of Uncle Sam and the bureaucrats who think they know better. The only thing worse than a health insurer telling a doctor what to do, is a government bureacrat doing the same.
So who is left out and forgetten in this government-insurance dominated system?
I'll answer that. You, the patient are left out as you become a number, a statistic, a covered life!
I may be rambling a bit here, but I get very offended when anyone other than my patient tries to tell me how to do my job. When I founded The Institute For Medical Wellness, I went out on a limb professionally. It was my personal and professional risk and I chose to go full steam ahead with a health delivery concept that focuses on individuals, not insurances, and not government bureaucracies. When you are in my office, my attention is focused on you. So a healthcare bill that gives broad powers to the government to decide what care is and is not necessary is an extremely scary proposition. I fear that your care will suffer if you are forced into a government controlled system.
I do not expect everyone to feel the way I do. And I respect all points of view, especially those I do not agree with. I learn alot every day, from hearing how others view their health, what they are eating, how they are exercising, what works for their individual ailments and what does not. I have learned from my 15 years in practice that no two individuals are the same. So any healthcare plan that focuses on numbers and populations as opposed to individuals will never, ever have my support!
I want reform. But I want reform that gives patient's more choices in their healthcare, not less. I want reform that allows patient's and doctor's to decide what is needed for their care, without a 2000+ page federal healthcare bill getting in the way. I want a plan where everyone has access to healthcare not governed and controlled by Uncle Sam.
The Institute For Medical Wellness will thrive and expand regardless of healthcare reform because we focus our care on individuals and families, period. We have no ulterior motives, no insurance quotas in the back of our mind guiding our treatment. We will grow as more people are dissatisfied with the direction of government sponsored healthcare. But I would prefer that The Institute For Medical Wellness grows due to our outstanding care and committment to everyone who chooses us for their healthcare.
My promise to you. No matter what comes out of Washington, D.C., The Institute For Medical Wellness will continue to be where you can go for healthcare that is focused solely on you!
I will end with the mission statement that I wrote back in 2007, while putting the wheels in motion for the founding of The Institute For Medical Wellness. This mission statement describes how I want to be treated when I access medical care, and it is how I will always care for you!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
MISSION STATEMENT
To provide outstanding family medical care to our patients with a focus on comprehensive wellness and prevention.
To inform you of healthcare options that your health insurance carrier may not want you to obtain or know about.
To be an advocate for your medical care without regards to the health insurance bureaucracy.
Where patients go to be treated as a person and not as a commodity.
Where patients go to have a Physician who listens carefully and respects what the patient has to say and encourages the patient to say what is on their mind.
To give patients the ability to see their own Doctor and to make appointments without unreasonable waits.
To provide this care with an open mind, and to make your healthcare a team effort between Dr. Horvitz, his office staff, and you, the individual.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Institute For Medical Wellness is now experimenting with Twitter.
If you "tweet" or follow others, you can find us at http://twitter.com/IMWHorvitz
Please email us at DrHorvitz@DrHorvitz.com to let us know what type of "tweets" you would find useful.
To Good Health!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Medicine
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
www.drhorvitz.com
Monday, December 07, 2009
Prelude to your New Years Resolutions !!
December 7, 2009
Institute For Medical Wellness prelude to your New Years Resolutions!
The new year is almost upon us and I hope everyone is thinking about their New Year's Resolutions. As many resolutions revolve around health, at The Institute For Medical Wellness, we are putting the finishing touches on helping you with a common resolution, with our soon to released healthy weight program.
One of the most common New Years Resolution is to achieve a healthier weight. So we are putting together a program that will help you achieve just that. Many weight loss programs work for a short while, only to become too difficult to continue. These difficulties can be in the program itself, an early plateau of weight loss, or the return of intense hunger and cravings that sabotage your ability to achieve your goal. Our goal is to help you defeat the cravings by giving your body the nourishment it needs. And our program will achieve this with sound nutritional advice and supplements, but without prescription medications.
Why I am so positive about this program?
About four months ago, I tested it out on myself. Now I rarely hear anyone tell me I need to lose weight. But, any weight I would gain would always go to my midsection, the worst area for good health. For this I thank my genetics. I will not get myself into trouble by naming the family members responsible. I know better than that! But central obesity or abdominal obesity is a high risk factor for Diabetes and High Blood Pressure, among other ilnesses. Please refer back to a previous newsletter on how central obesity leads to a deterioration in health.
But let me move on to results. After about 3 months my weight loss peaked at 15 pounds, 10% of my body weight, and is still there today. My waist size is down, and my clothes all fit well again. In my case, 95% of my weight loss occurred from my midsection. The other 5% somehow came from my fingers, so if anyone finds my college class ring in my office, please let me know! My energy level is definitely up. In fact I increased my exercise after I lost about 12 pounds, not before. Exercise is important for good health, but when it comes to weight loss, your diet is the most important factor.
Now, not everyone has the same genetics or metabolism. But most people make the same mistakes when it comes to eating. Most diets revolve around menu plans and portion control. It becomes a mental exercise to determine what you can put into your mouth. It should not be that way, and this is where our new program will help. Our program will revolve more around teaching you what you should not eat, than what you should. Portions should not be an issue, for if you eat the proper types of food, hunger cravings go away. If you choose to follow the media's diet headlines or Oprah's latest diet sensation, then I wish you luck, and I'll still be here to help you when it fails. But I hope that you will give us a chance instead, to help you not only lose the excess weight, but to achieve an overall healthier you!
So look to a future newsletter for the roll out of our new Healthy Weight Program. And start thinking about how The Institute For Medical Wellness can help you achieve your upcoming New Year's resolutions!
----------------------------------------------------------------
Do you still have money left in a medical or healthcare flexible spending account (FSA) for 2009?
Many of these accounts enable you to put aside money for healthcare for each calendar year. One drawback is that you lose the money if it is not used at the end of each calendar year. Our Wellness Plans put this money to excellent use. So if you have an unused balance for 2009, or looking to budget your account for 2010, check out our Wellness Plans. You can use your 2009 remaining balance to prepay for a 2010 Wellness Plan!
To Good Health!!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Medicine
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
http://www.drhorvitz.com/
Please follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/IMWHorvitz
Institute For Medical Wellness prelude to your New Years Resolutions!
The new year is almost upon us and I hope everyone is thinking about their New Year's Resolutions. As many resolutions revolve around health, at The Institute For Medical Wellness, we are putting the finishing touches on helping you with a common resolution, with our soon to released healthy weight program.
One of the most common New Years Resolution is to achieve a healthier weight. So we are putting together a program that will help you achieve just that. Many weight loss programs work for a short while, only to become too difficult to continue. These difficulties can be in the program itself, an early plateau of weight loss, or the return of intense hunger and cravings that sabotage your ability to achieve your goal. Our goal is to help you defeat the cravings by giving your body the nourishment it needs. And our program will achieve this with sound nutritional advice and supplements, but without prescription medications.
Why I am so positive about this program?
About four months ago, I tested it out on myself. Now I rarely hear anyone tell me I need to lose weight. But, any weight I would gain would always go to my midsection, the worst area for good health. For this I thank my genetics. I will not get myself into trouble by naming the family members responsible. I know better than that! But central obesity or abdominal obesity is a high risk factor for Diabetes and High Blood Pressure, among other ilnesses. Please refer back to a previous newsletter on how central obesity leads to a deterioration in health.
But let me move on to results. After about 3 months my weight loss peaked at 15 pounds, 10% of my body weight, and is still there today. My waist size is down, and my clothes all fit well again. In my case, 95% of my weight loss occurred from my midsection. The other 5% somehow came from my fingers, so if anyone finds my college class ring in my office, please let me know! My energy level is definitely up. In fact I increased my exercise after I lost about 12 pounds, not before. Exercise is important for good health, but when it comes to weight loss, your diet is the most important factor.
Now, not everyone has the same genetics or metabolism. But most people make the same mistakes when it comes to eating. Most diets revolve around menu plans and portion control. It becomes a mental exercise to determine what you can put into your mouth. It should not be that way, and this is where our new program will help. Our program will revolve more around teaching you what you should not eat, than what you should. Portions should not be an issue, for if you eat the proper types of food, hunger cravings go away. If you choose to follow the media's diet headlines or Oprah's latest diet sensation, then I wish you luck, and I'll still be here to help you when it fails. But I hope that you will give us a chance instead, to help you not only lose the excess weight, but to achieve an overall healthier you!
So look to a future newsletter for the roll out of our new Healthy Weight Program. And start thinking about how The Institute For Medical Wellness can help you achieve your upcoming New Year's resolutions!
----------------------------------------------------------------
Do you still have money left in a medical or healthcare flexible spending account (FSA) for 2009?
Many of these accounts enable you to put aside money for healthcare for each calendar year. One drawback is that you lose the money if it is not used at the end of each calendar year. Our Wellness Plans put this money to excellent use. So if you have an unused balance for 2009, or looking to budget your account for 2010, check out our Wellness Plans. You can use your 2009 remaining balance to prepay for a 2010 Wellness Plan!
To Good Health!!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Medicine
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
http://www.drhorvitz.com/
Please follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/IMWHorvitz
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Why I love my job!!
Why I love my job!!
Yea that's right. I love my job, because, if you have not yet noticed, I do it a wee bit different from my colleagues. You see, most of my colleagues practice what I call third-party healthcare, by contracting with HMO's or other insurers to provide your care. This keeps them very busy. A common misconception in primary care is that a busy office is a successful office and contracting with health insurers almost guarantees a busy office! Well, I have a different belief system. I believe that success in medical practice is based upon the good health and goodwill of your patient's. Do a good job, and you are a success. Do a good job meeting HMO criteria but not your patient's individual needs, and well, that is not so good!
HMO's, otherwise known as Health maintenance organizations, an oxymoron if I ever heard of one, may pay doctor's by what is called a capitated rate. This means that the HMO will pay a doctor a certain amount of $$ per month whether a patient is seen or not. This fee ranges from as little as $5/month to as much as $30/month, dependent upon your insurance plan. And by the way, the HMO insurance industry does not classify you as an individual, but as a "covered life". How icky is that??
The doctor also gets paid your copay if and when you visit the office, and occasionally an HMO bonus for meeting certain criteria. What many doctor's don't realize is that by trying to earn a bonus and meet the HMO criteria, their patient's become caught in a numbers game. For example: Did everyone get their cholesterol checked? Did everyone get a colonoscopy? No! Then call up these patient's and get it done. It doesn't matter whether the test is medically necessary, the HMO wants the test done to prove to another third-party, known as Uncle Sam, that it is providing good care. This is called population based care, and is what the present federal government wants to expand. Fit everyone into the same system, regardless of their individual history and needs. I am sorry, but this just does not work for me!! If I go to a doctor and they treat me as a number, or a statistic instead of as an individual, I am out the door quickly!
My colleagues sign 50-plus page contracts with insurers that they do not read. These unread contracts allow third parties power over your healthcare. Seems a little like the 2000+ page Congressional healthcare reform package that is alleged to be able to improve patient care. The only thing that 2000 page bill will cause is a hernia trying to lift it! And if you ever had a hernia, it hurts!! A 2000 page bill certainly will not improve patient care. But let me not digress. These insurance contracts allow the insurer to set up medical guidelines for your care, such as what type of tests to order, and what medications are covered. In essence they take the doctor and make him or her a robot. Now there are excellent doctor's who work within the system. In fact, I believe that 99% of doctors are highly skilled, competent and can do an excellent job. But if they put themselves in a system that restrains them from providing proper care, well, that is not a system that I care to be a part of!
I strongly believe in preventive care. It was one of the major factors in the founding of The Institute For Medical Wellness. But no two individuals are alike. Healthcare needs to be individualized to the patient's needs based on their personal and family health history. I do not allow any third party to tell me what to do for my patient's. If a doctor signs a contract with an insurer, that insurer is inside his head during every patient encounter. Not my idea of individualized patient-centered care.
So why do I love my job? The answer is fairly simple. I have designed a practice that caters to the individual, without any third party intrusions. I offer yearly wellness-retainer options, or payment at time of service for those that do not want a retainer. The retainer options can be paid all upfront, or with a down payment and monthly checking account debit. This monthly checking account debit is essentially a capitation for my services. But my services are spelled out in a simple easy to read and understand two-page contract between myself and my patient. There are no hidden clauses, no ulterior motives and no third party in my exam rooms. I am capitated, but to my patients, and not to any third party.
I average 10-15 patient visits a day, instead of 25+ when I went by the name of "insurance healthcare provider", which is actually pretty funny. When I was a kid, and people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I didn't say, "I want to be an insurance healthcare provider." I think, no, I am positive, I said I wanted to be a doctor!
And so I am, and I love my job!!
Now take a poll of other doctor's. Ask them if they love their job. You may be surprised at their response.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare Reform and the AMA
Yes, another healthcare reform piece. We hear all the time on the news how the AMA, (American Medical Association) supports the present healthcare reforms in Congress. As a doctor, I must ask myself why? My job is to do the best I can for my patient's. That is the oath I took when I graduated medical school. The AMA has no such oath. The AMA, by supporting the present reform bills, is watching out only for their corporate entity. I encourage you to read a short piece about why the AMA has thrown doctors and patients under the bus, in favor a huge income windfall from the government. You will be very surprised to find out who the AMA represents and where they get their revenues. I'll give you a hint. The first name in Uncle and the second name is Sam.
To Good Health !!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
Yea that's right. I love my job, because, if you have not yet noticed, I do it a wee bit different from my colleagues. You see, most of my colleagues practice what I call third-party healthcare, by contracting with HMO's or other insurers to provide your care. This keeps them very busy. A common misconception in primary care is that a busy office is a successful office and contracting with health insurers almost guarantees a busy office! Well, I have a different belief system. I believe that success in medical practice is based upon the good health and goodwill of your patient's. Do a good job, and you are a success. Do a good job meeting HMO criteria but not your patient's individual needs, and well, that is not so good!
HMO's, otherwise known as Health maintenance organizations, an oxymoron if I ever heard of one, may pay doctor's by what is called a capitated rate. This means that the HMO will pay a doctor a certain amount of $$ per month whether a patient is seen or not. This fee ranges from as little as $5/month to as much as $30/month, dependent upon your insurance plan. And by the way, the HMO insurance industry does not classify you as an individual, but as a "covered life". How icky is that??
The doctor also gets paid your copay if and when you visit the office, and occasionally an HMO bonus for meeting certain criteria. What many doctor's don't realize is that by trying to earn a bonus and meet the HMO criteria, their patient's become caught in a numbers game. For example: Did everyone get their cholesterol checked? Did everyone get a colonoscopy? No! Then call up these patient's and get it done. It doesn't matter whether the test is medically necessary, the HMO wants the test done to prove to another third-party, known as Uncle Sam, that it is providing good care. This is called population based care, and is what the present federal government wants to expand. Fit everyone into the same system, regardless of their individual history and needs. I am sorry, but this just does not work for me!! If I go to a doctor and they treat me as a number, or a statistic instead of as an individual, I am out the door quickly!
My colleagues sign 50-plus page contracts with insurers that they do not read. These unread contracts allow third parties power over your healthcare. Seems a little like the 2000+ page Congressional healthcare reform package that is alleged to be able to improve patient care. The only thing that 2000 page bill will cause is a hernia trying to lift it! And if you ever had a hernia, it hurts!! A 2000 page bill certainly will not improve patient care. But let me not digress. These insurance contracts allow the insurer to set up medical guidelines for your care, such as what type of tests to order, and what medications are covered. In essence they take the doctor and make him or her a robot. Now there are excellent doctor's who work within the system. In fact, I believe that 99% of doctors are highly skilled, competent and can do an excellent job. But if they put themselves in a system that restrains them from providing proper care, well, that is not a system that I care to be a part of!
I strongly believe in preventive care. It was one of the major factors in the founding of The Institute For Medical Wellness. But no two individuals are alike. Healthcare needs to be individualized to the patient's needs based on their personal and family health history. I do not allow any third party to tell me what to do for my patient's. If a doctor signs a contract with an insurer, that insurer is inside his head during every patient encounter. Not my idea of individualized patient-centered care.
So why do I love my job? The answer is fairly simple. I have designed a practice that caters to the individual, without any third party intrusions. I offer yearly wellness-retainer options, or payment at time of service for those that do not want a retainer. The retainer options can be paid all upfront, or with a down payment and monthly checking account debit. This monthly checking account debit is essentially a capitation for my services. But my services are spelled out in a simple easy to read and understand two-page contract between myself and my patient. There are no hidden clauses, no ulterior motives and no third party in my exam rooms. I am capitated, but to my patients, and not to any third party.
I average 10-15 patient visits a day, instead of 25+ when I went by the name of "insurance healthcare provider", which is actually pretty funny. When I was a kid, and people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I didn't say, "I want to be an insurance healthcare provider." I think, no, I am positive, I said I wanted to be a doctor!
And so I am, and I love my job!!
Now take a poll of other doctor's. Ask them if they love their job. You may be surprised at their response.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Healthcare Reform and the AMA
Yes, another healthcare reform piece. We hear all the time on the news how the AMA, (American Medical Association) supports the present healthcare reforms in Congress. As a doctor, I must ask myself why? My job is to do the best I can for my patient's. That is the oath I took when I graduated medical school. The AMA has no such oath. The AMA, by supporting the present reform bills, is watching out only for their corporate entity. I encourage you to read a short piece about why the AMA has thrown doctors and patients under the bus, in favor a huge income windfall from the government. You will be very surprised to find out who the AMA represents and where they get their revenues. I'll give you a hint. The first name in Uncle and the second name is Sam.
To Good Health !!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
Thursday, November 12, 2009
H1N1 Revisited
H1N1 revisited
The H1N1 vaccine is now becoming available in many schools and community health centers. Whether to get yourself or your child immunized is a decision that has caused much angst. As I have stated in past newsletters, I have strongly supported the use of the yearly seasonal flu vaccine. But I had not, as yet, supported the use of the new H1N1 vaccine. I feel that building up your bodies immunity thorugh a healthy diet and lifestyle, along with an increase in Vitamin D is the best and safest way to prevent influenza. Please look at the following excerpt from the Vitamin D council website on Vitamin D and flu.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/vitamin-d-and-h1n1-swine-flu.shtml .
New information has been gathered about the production and manufacturing of the H1N1 vaccine that has lowered my fears about this new vaccine.
So I am now led to believe that the H1N1 vaccine is another option in prevention of H1N1.
Why the change of heart?
A few of my earlier objections to the H1N1 vaccine were:
-the presumed quickened production cycle of vaccine production
-the possibility of untested and potentially unsafe adjuvants (additives that help provoke a stronger immune response)
-newer untested manufacturing processes
-low rate of hospitalizations and death did not warrant a new vaccine
-being a "testee" for a new vaccine
Let me explain how these concerns have decreased.
I viewed a letter from Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of FDA which can be read in its entirety here. This letter calmed many of my objections about the H1N1 vaccine. It stated that the manufacturing process and production cycle of the H1N1 vaccine was followed almost identically to the production of the yearly seasonal flu vaccine. No new adjuvants or untested additives were used in the production. The hospitalization and death rate have not been higher in H1N1 influenza, but this virus strain appears to be more contagious than most. So as a percentage of the population infected, it does not appear more deadly. But as so many more people have become ill with H1N1 than with seasonal flu, there have been many hospitalizations and deaths. More worrisome is that the H1N1 flu is most dangerous to healthy children, due to their strong immune response. It appears that some children's immune response go into overdrive, which results in more hospitalizations and deaths. As with other flu's, it is also dangerous to individuals with weak immune systems, chronic medical conditions such as asthma, cancer or heart disease, and pregnant women. So as I recommend the seasonal flu vaccine each year, I no longer see a reason to oppose the H1N1 vaccine.
But as immunizations are a personal health matter, it is still up to each individual to decide for themselves if they want the vaccine. My office will not be ordering the H1N1 vaccine, as there will be many places in the community offering the vaccine in the future. To find a location please click here. At present, if you choose to get the vaccine, I would stick to the injectable version as I am not convinced that the nasal mist has enough data behind it to be pronounced safe or effective.
Again, whether to receive the H1N1 vaccine is up to each individual's philosophy on health, and I will support whatever decision you choose!
The H1N1 vaccine is now becoming available in many schools and community health centers. Whether to get yourself or your child immunized is a decision that has caused much angst. As I have stated in past newsletters, I have strongly supported the use of the yearly seasonal flu vaccine. But I had not, as yet, supported the use of the new H1N1 vaccine. I feel that building up your bodies immunity thorugh a healthy diet and lifestyle, along with an increase in Vitamin D is the best and safest way to prevent influenza. Please look at the following excerpt from the Vitamin D council website on Vitamin D and flu.
http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/vitamin-d-and-h1n1-swine-flu.shtml .
New information has been gathered about the production and manufacturing of the H1N1 vaccine that has lowered my fears about this new vaccine.
So I am now led to believe that the H1N1 vaccine is another option in prevention of H1N1.
Why the change of heart?
A few of my earlier objections to the H1N1 vaccine were:
-the presumed quickened production cycle of vaccine production
-the possibility of untested and potentially unsafe adjuvants (additives that help provoke a stronger immune response)
-newer untested manufacturing processes
-low rate of hospitalizations and death did not warrant a new vaccine
-being a "testee" for a new vaccine
Let me explain how these concerns have decreased.
I viewed a letter from Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., Commissioner of FDA which can be read in its entirety here. This letter calmed many of my objections about the H1N1 vaccine. It stated that the manufacturing process and production cycle of the H1N1 vaccine was followed almost identically to the production of the yearly seasonal flu vaccine. No new adjuvants or untested additives were used in the production. The hospitalization and death rate have not been higher in H1N1 influenza, but this virus strain appears to be more contagious than most. So as a percentage of the population infected, it does not appear more deadly. But as so many more people have become ill with H1N1 than with seasonal flu, there have been many hospitalizations and deaths. More worrisome is that the H1N1 flu is most dangerous to healthy children, due to their strong immune response. It appears that some children's immune response go into overdrive, which results in more hospitalizations and deaths. As with other flu's, it is also dangerous to individuals with weak immune systems, chronic medical conditions such as asthma, cancer or heart disease, and pregnant women. So as I recommend the seasonal flu vaccine each year, I no longer see a reason to oppose the H1N1 vaccine.
But as immunizations are a personal health matter, it is still up to each individual to decide for themselves if they want the vaccine. My office will not be ordering the H1N1 vaccine, as there will be many places in the community offering the vaccine in the future. To find a location please click here. At present, if you choose to get the vaccine, I would stick to the injectable version as I am not convinced that the nasal mist has enough data behind it to be pronounced safe or effective.
Again, whether to receive the H1N1 vaccine is up to each individual's philosophy on health, and I will support whatever decision you choose!
To Good Health !!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
More on H1N1
The "Swine Flu" or H1N1 virus is here and still spreading.
The H1N1 vaccine is slowly becoming available as distributors have started shipping out the vaccine.
The question still stands: Should I get the vaccine and should I have my kids get the vaccine?
I had a call today from the mother of a family I have known for quite a while.
Here is a little of the conversation we had:
Mom: Thanks Doc for taking my call !
DrH: No problem! What can I do for you?
Mom: My child's school has been hit with the swine flu. Six (6) kids have already contracted the flu and the school will now be offering the vaccine to all student's, with parent's permission. What is your opinion doc?
DrH: Would you like the short or the long version?
Mom: I would like your answer as a parent first.
Wow!!
Score One for Mom!!!
Right to the point!
BTW, I try to make all my medical decisions as if I were treating my own family. I would not give you any treatment or medication that I would not take if I were sitting in your seat.
But back to the H1N1 question.
The H1N1 virus is here and spreading. So far, this virus has not been any worse than traditional seasonal influenza virus. In fact it seems to be less harmful. Unfortunately, any influenza illness will still cause hospitalizations and some deaths. But the H1N1 flu seems to cause more problems for children as opposed to adults. The theory behind this is that the H1N1 virus causes our immune systems to overcompensate. This overcompensation contributes greatly to the severe illness that can lead to bad outcomes. Children's immune systems appear more prone to overcompensation than adults.
That being said, I am not ready to give this vaccine to my child. This vaccine was rushed into production before proper testing. While I understand the "Why's" of it being rushed, that does not mean that I should recommend the vaccination to my family and my practice. If this vaccination program is a nationwide test of the vaccines ability to prevent H1N1 infection, I prefer not to be a "testee". Please, no puns intended!!
There are a few variables that can change my opinion.
1) If the H1N1 vaccine makes it through proper testing showing both effectiveness against contracting the virus and safety equivalent to or better than the seasonal flu vaccine, then I will advocate for vaccination.
2) If the H1N1 virus does morph or change into a deadlier strain, causing increased hospitalization and death, then the pros and cons of getting the vaccine may tilt towards receiving the vaccine.
As of today, neither of the above have occurred.
But, I do not expect everyone to agree with my views.
As George Patton once said, "If everyone is thinking alike, someone is not thinking!"
So if you want to receive the H1N1 vaccine, please click on the link to a Burlington County Health Department update on the H1N1 Vaccine distribution. It will indicate where you can go to receive the vaccine.
There are other options to help prevent contracting the H1N1 flu.
While not proven by large medical studies, Vitamin D has been shown anecdotally to help prevent and treat influenza.
We do have Vitamin D in the office for those that want to try this method.
We use RX Vitamins Liqui-D3, which is an oil based supplement that contains olive oil and Vitamin D3.
The usual dose is between 1-5 drops a day, equivalent to 2,000 to 10,000 iu per day. It is helpful to obtain a blood test to monitor Vitamin D levels if on this supplement, although I have not yet had anyone have harmfully high levels on the above doses.
To Good Health!!!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
The H1N1 vaccine is slowly becoming available as distributors have started shipping out the vaccine.
The question still stands: Should I get the vaccine and should I have my kids get the vaccine?
I had a call today from the mother of a family I have known for quite a while.
Here is a little of the conversation we had:
Mom: Thanks Doc for taking my call !
DrH: No problem! What can I do for you?
Mom: My child's school has been hit with the swine flu. Six (6) kids have already contracted the flu and the school will now be offering the vaccine to all student's, with parent's permission. What is your opinion doc?
DrH: Would you like the short or the long version?
Mom: I would like your answer as a parent first.
Wow!!
Score One for Mom!!!
Right to the point!
BTW, I try to make all my medical decisions as if I were treating my own family. I would not give you any treatment or medication that I would not take if I were sitting in your seat.
But back to the H1N1 question.
The H1N1 virus is here and spreading. So far, this virus has not been any worse than traditional seasonal influenza virus. In fact it seems to be less harmful. Unfortunately, any influenza illness will still cause hospitalizations and some deaths. But the H1N1 flu seems to cause more problems for children as opposed to adults. The theory behind this is that the H1N1 virus causes our immune systems to overcompensate. This overcompensation contributes greatly to the severe illness that can lead to bad outcomes. Children's immune systems appear more prone to overcompensation than adults.
That being said, I am not ready to give this vaccine to my child. This vaccine was rushed into production before proper testing. While I understand the "Why's" of it being rushed, that does not mean that I should recommend the vaccination to my family and my practice. If this vaccination program is a nationwide test of the vaccines ability to prevent H1N1 infection, I prefer not to be a "testee". Please, no puns intended!!
There are a few variables that can change my opinion.
1) If the H1N1 vaccine makes it through proper testing showing both effectiveness against contracting the virus and safety equivalent to or better than the seasonal flu vaccine, then I will advocate for vaccination.
2) If the H1N1 virus does morph or change into a deadlier strain, causing increased hospitalization and death, then the pros and cons of getting the vaccine may tilt towards receiving the vaccine.
As of today, neither of the above have occurred.
But, I do not expect everyone to agree with my views.
As George Patton once said, "If everyone is thinking alike, someone is not thinking!"
So if you want to receive the H1N1 vaccine, please click on the link to a Burlington County Health Department update on the H1N1 Vaccine distribution. It will indicate where you can go to receive the vaccine.
There are other options to help prevent contracting the H1N1 flu.
While not proven by large medical studies, Vitamin D has been shown anecdotally to help prevent and treat influenza.
We do have Vitamin D in the office for those that want to try this method.
We use RX Vitamins Liqui-D3, which is an oil based supplement that contains olive oil and Vitamin D3.
The usual dose is between 1-5 drops a day, equivalent to 2,000 to 10,000 iu per day. It is helpful to obtain a blood test to monitor Vitamin D levels if on this supplement, although I have not yet had anyone have harmfully high levels on the above doses.
To Good Health!!!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
Monday, October 05, 2009
Butter...... Parkay !!!
October 5, 2009
Butter..... Parkay !!!
Remember that commercial.
I do!
Here is a link to its youtube video !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvM-5LYMohM
I am often asked whether to eat butter or margarine.
Growing up it was cool to eat margarine instead of butter. Better eating through better science, or so we thought!!
Here is how butter is made.
Milk a cow.
Skim off the cream.
Add salt.
Churn the cream until it’s thick and chunky and tastes awesome.
Here is one of the processes for making margarine:
Farmers grow seeds.
The seeds are harvested.
The seeds are crushed to extract some of the oil.
The rest of the oil is extracted by mixing the seeds with hexane, a chemical solvent.
The hexane is (supposedly) all removed.
The oil is pumped full of hydrogen gas and nickel powder.
The remaining oil is subjected to heat and high-pressure CO2 gas.
The oil is mixed with sodium hydroxide and passed through a centrifuge.
The oil is mixed with water and passed through another centrifuge.
At this point, the margarine is a gray, speckled, oily mass that doesn’t smell so good.
The oil is mixed with hydrated aluminum silicate that binds to and filters out the unwanted pigments.
The mix is heated again and the oil is extracted.
The oil is passed through a steam distillation chamber to remove unwanted odors.
Yellow food coloring and artificial flavors are added.
Margarine.
Mmm Mmm good!!!
Not !!!
So what would you rather eat?
Most margarines are chemically altered vegetable oils and contain dangerous and unhealthy trans-fats otherwise known as trans-fatty-acids. While vegetable oils have received good press coverage, most contain an abundance of omega-6 fatty acids, which may counter the healthy effects of omega-3 fatty acids.
So what are we supposed to eat?
Cardiologists say butter is bad, because it contains saturated fat which they argue is responsible for an increased rate of heart disease.
But is this fact or fiction?
Let us look back at history for a moment.
In America, the rate of heart disease soared during a period when saturated fats consumption fell sharply while cholesterol intake remained roughly unchanged.Before 1900, heart disease was rare in America, affecting about 8 percent of the population.
By 1950, heart disease caused 30 percent of all deaths in America. Today, it causes about 45 percent of all deaths.During this period, consumption of butter, which is high in saturated fats, fell from over 18 lbs per person per year at the turn of the century, to about 10 lbs per person per year by 1950.
Today it is even lower, yet the rate of heart disease continues to escalate.In the same period, Margarine consumption rose from about 2 lbs per person at the turn of the century to about 8 lbs per person.
Ok now.
Do we follow the advice of clever advertisers and marketers?
Or do we follow the logic of our ancestors who relied on a very low processed foods diet?
Listen to your ancestors !!!
They ate saturated fats.
They did not eat processed food.
Pass on the Parkay and vegetable oils.
Eat butter!!
To Good Health!!!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
Butter..... Parkay !!!
Remember that commercial.
I do!
Here is a link to its youtube video !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvM-5LYMohM
I am often asked whether to eat butter or margarine.
Growing up it was cool to eat margarine instead of butter. Better eating through better science, or so we thought!!
Here is how butter is made.
Milk a cow.
Skim off the cream.
Add salt.
Churn the cream until it’s thick and chunky and tastes awesome.
Here is one of the processes for making margarine:
Farmers grow seeds.
The seeds are harvested.
The seeds are crushed to extract some of the oil.
The rest of the oil is extracted by mixing the seeds with hexane, a chemical solvent.
The hexane is (supposedly) all removed.
The oil is pumped full of hydrogen gas and nickel powder.
The remaining oil is subjected to heat and high-pressure CO2 gas.
The oil is mixed with sodium hydroxide and passed through a centrifuge.
The oil is mixed with water and passed through another centrifuge.
At this point, the margarine is a gray, speckled, oily mass that doesn’t smell so good.
The oil is mixed with hydrated aluminum silicate that binds to and filters out the unwanted pigments.
The mix is heated again and the oil is extracted.
The oil is passed through a steam distillation chamber to remove unwanted odors.
Yellow food coloring and artificial flavors are added.
Margarine.
Mmm Mmm good!!!
Not !!!
So what would you rather eat?
Most margarines are chemically altered vegetable oils and contain dangerous and unhealthy trans-fats otherwise known as trans-fatty-acids. While vegetable oils have received good press coverage, most contain an abundance of omega-6 fatty acids, which may counter the healthy effects of omega-3 fatty acids.
So what are we supposed to eat?
Cardiologists say butter is bad, because it contains saturated fat which they argue is responsible for an increased rate of heart disease.
But is this fact or fiction?
Let us look back at history for a moment.
In America, the rate of heart disease soared during a period when saturated fats consumption fell sharply while cholesterol intake remained roughly unchanged.Before 1900, heart disease was rare in America, affecting about 8 percent of the population.
By 1950, heart disease caused 30 percent of all deaths in America. Today, it causes about 45 percent of all deaths.During this period, consumption of butter, which is high in saturated fats, fell from over 18 lbs per person per year at the turn of the century, to about 10 lbs per person per year by 1950.
Today it is even lower, yet the rate of heart disease continues to escalate.In the same period, Margarine consumption rose from about 2 lbs per person at the turn of the century to about 8 lbs per person.
Ok now.
Do we follow the advice of clever advertisers and marketers?
Or do we follow the logic of our ancestors who relied on a very low processed foods diet?
Listen to your ancestors !!!
They ate saturated fats.
They did not eat processed food.
Pass on the Parkay and vegetable oils.
Eat butter!!
To Good Health!!!
Steven Horvitz, D.O.
Board Certified Family Practice
Founder of The Institute For Medical Wellness
128 Borton Landing Road, Suite Two
Moorestown, NJ 08057
Phone 856-231-0590
Fax 856-294-0311
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