High Deductible? Asthmaniac Is Best Value!

✓   You have a Health Insurance Policy

✘   But, it has a high deductible

🙏  Asthmaniac was made for you!

💙  Affordable $50 doctor visits

✓   State-of-the-Art Asthma Care

✓   All online!

High-Deductible Health Insurance

The Accountable Care Act (Obamacare) created changes in the U.S health insurance market that allowed many more people to enroll in a health insurance plan.

The majority of these policies have a deductible that is large.

A deductible is the amount that you have to pay out-of-pocket before the policy kicks in.  This amount is usually many thousands of dollars!

This comes as a shock the first time you try to use your health insurance to pay for a doctor visit, a prescription, or worse, get admitted to the hospital where your bill quickly grows to tens of thousands of dollars. 

Ok, so like me, you have to pay out-of-pocket for the first several thousand dollars of medical services you need.

That means you will be shopping for the best value in medical products. 

Best value means: highest quality + lowest price.

In my three decades of practicing medicine, I’ve seen so many  patients with run-away, preventable disease whose illness got out of control because they did not got to a doctor earlier due to cost concerns.

That recurring theme motivated me to create a ‘clinic’ that IS affordable BUT delivers state-of-the-art medical care for you.

Asthmaniac is that clinic, specially focused on delivering the medical stuff asthma sufferers need.

 Stuff like:

• prescribed inhaler refills and controller medicines;
• a personalised action plan to guide them in responding to the symptoms;
• an affordable online/on-phone doctor to coach them to greater health; and
• a convenient, organised, accessible place to learn more about asthma.

I deliver this package through Asthmaniac which you can access on your smartphone, tablet or home computer.  

I price doctor visits at $50. 

If you have  well controlled asthma, you need 4 doctors visits a year to make sure that you have all of your needed medicines prescribed, that your asthma hasn’t changed into a more severe type, and to make sure you know how to respond if your breathing gets worse.

So fifty dollars per visit, thats..

$200 per year.

A doctor in your back pocket, coaching you to greater confidence and less anxiety about your asthma.

And if you have an HSA (Health Savings Account) with your high-deductible plan and need a receipt to reimburse yourself for your out-of-pocket Asthmaniac appointments –

I will make sure you have it!

That’s Asthmaniac!

Let’s get started!

Complete the subscription form on the right if you’d like to get an email when I post a new podcast and blog entry.

Remember our hashtag: #asthmacarenow!

And keep Breathing Easy!

#asthmacontrolnow
#telemedicineasthmacare
#backpocketasthmadoc
#asthmaactionplan
#asthmacontroltest
#asthmacontroller
#rescueinhaler
#asthmacovid19
#childrenandasthma
#eprescription
#easthma
#peakexpiratoryflow
#peakflowmeter
#asthmaniac

No Insurance is Not a Problem at Asthmaniac!

⇨ Active asthma

🙏 Asthmaniac was made for you!

💙 Affordable $50 doctor visits

✓ State-of-the-Art Asthma Care

👍 All online!

No Insurance = No Problem

I mean it!

I don’t care  that you don’t have insurance.  

I designed Asthmaniac to deliver asthma care to asthma sufferers that:

.. don’t have insurance

.. don’t have a doctor

.. have too much anxiety because this.

 I will be your asthma doctor.

I charge an affordable, fair price for:

.. having your doctor on your smartphone

.. making sure you have rescue inhalers

.. making sure you have state-of-the-art medicine for asthma control

.. making sure you KNOW how to manage your asthma day-to-day

.. making sure you have access to the latest medicine for asthma

.. making sure you have the best tools for self-management

I price doctor visits at $50.  If you have  well controlled asthma, you need 4 doctors visits a year to make sure that you have all of your needed medicines prescribed, that your asthma hasn’t changed into a more severe type, and to make sure you know how to respond if your breathing gets worse.

Fifty dollars per visit.

$200 per year.

A doctor in you back pocket coaching you to greater confidence and less anxiety about your asthma.

Uninsured Asthma Care.

A core feature of Asthmaniac!

Complete the subscription form on the right if you’d like to get an email when I post a new podcast and blog entry.

Remember our hashtag: asthmacarenow! And keep Breathing Easy!

#asthmacontrolnow
#telemedicineasthmacare
#backpocketasthmadoc
#asthmaactionplan
#asthmacontroltest
#asthmacontroller
#rescueinhaler
#asthmacovid19
#childrenandasthma
#eprescription
#easthma
#peakexpiratoryflow
#peakflowmeter
#asthmaniac

* e-Asthma is category of severe asthma

* Patients with e-Asthma have difficulty getting asthma control with usual treatment

* e-Asthma responds well to a new type of injected medicine

* In such patients, this new medicine can decrease their asthma attacks and allow them to use less oral steroid.

     e-Asthma is a type of severe asthma that responds well to a new kind of control medicine that you inject under skin, usually monthly.

     Severe Asthma means:

1. You’ve been on a high dose of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and a long-acting bronchodilator or theophylline for in the past year; and/or
2. You’ve been treated with steroids (like Prednisone) by mouth for more than half of the past year.

Wondering what “high dose” ICS means?

This new type of injectable asthma medicine has been shown to dramatically:

1. Reduce the number of asthma attacks you will have

2. Reduce how much oral steroid (like Prednisone) and ICS you need to stay controlled.

How do we know if your asthma is the type that will respond to this medicine?  You would be likely to get a good response to this new medicine if:

1. Your eosinophils are elevated in your bloodstream, and
2. Your allergy testing shows that you are triggered by seasonal allergens.

So, let’s review:

If 

You have been on high dose ICS (see above) or oral steroid for more than half of the year,

AND

You have skin allergy tests that show a problem

THEN

I would recommend having your blood drawn to measure your eosinophil count.

If your eosinophil count is elevated (35-700 IU/mL), you would be a good candidate to try this new type of medicine.

What medications would be considered?

Here is a list of subcutaneous medications that can be ordered for e-Asthma:

Omallzumab (Xolair) injected every 2 or 4 weeks depending on your eosinophil count and age

Dupilumab (Dupixent) injected every 2 weeks

Mepolizumab (Nucala) injected every 4 weeks

Benralizumab (Fasenra) injected every 4 weeks for 3 doses, then every 8 weeks.

These medications are quite new and it will take some time for general practitioners to become educated about prescribing them.

But, they are available RIGHT NOW and if you are suffering from severe asthma, they could be a really good solution for getting your severe asthma under control.

Complete the subscription form on the right if you’d like to get an email when I post a new podcast and blog entry.

Remember our hashtag: #asthmacarenow! And keep Breathing Easy!

#asthmacontrolnow
#telemedicineasthmacare
#backpocketasthmadoc
#asthmaactionplan
#asthmacontroltest
#asthmacontroller
#rescueinhaler
#asthmacovid19
#childrenandasthma
#eprescription
#easthma
#peakexpiratoryflow
#peakflowmeter
#asthmaniac

* Finding your inhaler empty when the tightness starts IS NOT A GOOD FEELING!

..You need your rescue inhaler

..When you need it!

..Without it, it is probably a trip to the ER and

..a few days of having messed up breathing.

* Asthmaniac offers $50 doctor visits for inhaler refills and

*sends all orders for prescription medication to the pharmacy of your choice.

Asthma is one disease that cannot be controlled without medication.

When your wheezing kicks in, you need a rescue inhaler NOW!

And to keep your wheezing suppressed, you need a controller medication.

Since these medications are so important to keeping you breathing well, I have designed a online ‘clinic’ that makes it possible for you to never run out!

Running out is usually from:

… The discouraging cost of the medicine

…  The discouraging inconvenience of finding a doctor appointment to get the medicine ordered

… The discouraging cost of the doctor appointment.

Well, I have good news!

1. Albuterol (your usual rescue inhaler) is now generic, and priced as low as $20/inhaler in some pharmacies!
2. You have already ‘found’ the doctor that will take care of you (that’s me!).
3. You can ‘see’ me online (on your phone) to get your refill ordered for $50! 

I send your prescriptions electronically to your preferred pharmacy.

That doesn’t matter where you are or where I am.

All electronic.

No paper prescription to lose,

Even better: now that Amazon is in the pharmacy game, there’s a pretty good chance you can get more affordable inhalers delivered right to your door!

Ok, to be sure, getting your asthma under control is not ONLY about getting your inhalers.

But making sure you have your rescue medicine is my First priority.

Affordable

Convenient

Inhaler Refills.

A CORE philosophy of Asthmaniac!

Complete the subscription form on the right if you’d like to get an email when I post a new podcast and blog entry.

Remember our hashtag: asthmacarenow! And keep Breathing Easy!

#asthmacontrolnow
#telemedicineasthmacare
#backpocketasthmadoc
#asthmaactionplan
#asthmacontroltest
#asthmacontroller
#rescueinhaler
#asthmacovid19
#childrenandasthma
#eprescription
#easthma
#peakexpiratoryflow
#peakflowmeter
#asthmaniac

* Electronic prescriptions mean:

..More accuracy in the order, 

..More convenience for you,

..No paper to lose, and

..It’s FAST!

* Asthmaniac sends all orders for prescription medication to the pharmacy of your choice.

Asthma is one disease that cannot be controlled without medication.

When your wheezing kicks in, you need a rescue inhaler NOW!

And to keep your wheezing suppressed, you need a controller medication.

Most asthma patients are sensitive to environment allergens like pollen, dust and smoke.  For them, a trigger control medication protects their airways from ever getting started with narrowing, swelling, and the breathing struggle that follows.

Since these medications are so important to keeping your breathing well, I have designed a clinic that makes prescribing them more efficient.

I send your prescriptions electronically to your preferred pharmacy.

No paper prescription to lose,

And since I send the prescription as part of our scheduled appointments, you can go to the pharmacy with a single goal: pick up your prescribed medication!

Even better: now that Amazon is in the pharmacy game, there’s a pretty good chance you can get more affordable inhalers delivered right to your door!

Asthmaniac is designed to minimize your contact with sick people and make more time for LIFE!

Electronic prescriptions: another key convenience of Asthmaniac!

Complete the subscription form on the right if you’d like to get an email when I post a new podcast and blog entry.

#asthmacontrolnow
#telemedicineasthmacare
#backpocketasthmadoc
#asthmaactionplan
#asthmacontroltest
#asthmacontroller
#rescueinhaler
#asthmacovid19
#childrenandasthma
#eprescription
#easthma
#peakexpiratoryflow
#peakflowmeter
#asthmaniac

* The National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute coordinated this update

* Recommendations were published on December 1, 2020.

* It Focuses on six areas:

….Fractional Exhaled Nitric Oxide Testing

….Indoor Allergen Mitigation

….Intermittent Inhaled Corticosteroids

….Immunotherapy in the Treatment of Allergic Asthma

….Bronchial Thermoplasty

* Only four of these six areas have immediate implications for asthma disease management in primary care.

* I’ll review the recommendations briefly here.

Major Points:

• These guidelines are not as wide-ranging as those developed and released in 2007.
• The new recommendations are based on reviews of the scientific literature and the use of the GRADE methodology for assigning a level of certainty (Low, Moderate, or High) for each recommendation.
• Of the six areas, only numbers 2, 3, 5, & 6 have practical implications for primary asthma care.

• The full guidelines:  2020 Focused Updates to the Asthma Management Guidelines:…
• I have put together a quick-read summary of the recommendations.  I have only included recommendations that have moderate or high certainty of benefit for patients.

Indoor Allergens: Pillow covers and mattress bags to seal in allergens are recommended if you have symptoms.  (Moderate Certainty)

Allergy Shots: SCIT (Subcutaneous Immunotherapy) is recommended for adults and children (>5 yr) with mild to moderate allergic asthma as long as they have lab or skin testing data to support the allergy. (Moderate Certainty).

Wheezing in Kids: Children from ages 0-4 yr with recurrent wheezing (3 x /year), triggered by colds and URI’s should have a short course (7-10 days) of inhaled corticosteroid at the onset of a new wheezing episode. (High Certainty).

In ages 4+ with moderate to severe-persistent asthma, a combination inhaler containing formoterol and steroid can be used as both a daily controller and as a rescue medicine. (Moderate to High Certainty).

In ages 12 + with mild persistent asthma, inhaled corticosteroids should be used daily, either along with rescue albuterol or in a combination inhaler that includes  albuterol. (Moderate Certainty).

In age 12 + yr with uncontrolled, persistent asthma, Long Acting Muscarinic Antagonist (LAMA) medicine can be added to Inhaled Corticosteroid (ICS) for better control. (Moderate Certainty).

I have devoted a full page to discuss how these recommendations will affect my asthma care plans in further detail.

If you have questions about asthma management or want to update your asthma action plan and medication prescriptions, grab an appointment and let’s talk!

Complete the subscription form on the right if you’d like to get an email when I post a new podcast and blog entry.

#asthmacontrolnow
#telemedicineasthmacare
#backpocketasthmadoc
#asthmaactionplan
#asthmacontroltest
#asthmacontroller
#rescueinhaler
#asthmacovid19
#childrenandasthma
#eprescription
#easthma
#peakexpiratoryflow
#peakflowmeter
#asthmaniac