Caduceus Courier
                          

                            November 2014
CDC Changes Pneumonia Vaccine Recommendation for Seniors
Pneumococcal pneumonia is the most common type of community-acquired bacterial pneumonia in the United States. About 900,000 Americans get pneumococcal pneumonia each year, nearly half of whom end up in the hospital. Among adults 50 years of age and older, there are close to half of a million cases each year in the United States with approximately 25,000 pneumococcal disease-related deaths annually.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted August 13th to recommend a second vaccine, Prevnar 13, for routine use to help protect adults aged 65 years and older against pneumococcal disease.  Specifically, the committee voted to recommend the following:

  • Adults 65 years of age or older who have not previously received pneumococcal vaccine or whose previous vaccination history is unknown should receive a dose of Prevnar 13 first, followed by a dose of Pneumovax 23 four to six weeks later
  • Adults 65 years of age or older who have not previously received Prevnar 13 and who have previously received one or more doses of Pneumovax 23 should receive a dose of Prevnar 13

The recommendations, including the time intervals between vaccines, will be forwarded to the director of the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for review and approval; once approved, the recommendations are published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.  

"Immunization with Prevnar 13 can play an important role in helping to reduce the incidence and burden of vaccine-type pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease among adults 65 years of age or older," said Luis Jodar, Ph.D., vice president, Vaccines, Global Medicines Development Group and Scientific Affairs. The committee recognizes the importance of implementing an adult recommendation for Prevnar 13 in advance of the U.S. influenza season, the time of year when this population is most likely to be considering vaccination."

Currently Medicare covers the Pneumovax 23 and the CMS has annnounced they will likely cover the Prevnar 13 in 2016. In the interim we are offering a discounted cash price for this important vaccination. Review our discounted pricing.  Both are FDA approved for those fifty and over, but the recommended guidelines suggest starting at 65 unless considered a high risk for contraction.  
Medicare Open Enrollment...Are You Ready?
Medicare open enrollment started October 15th and ends December 7th.  If you are newly enrolling in Medicare, dissatisfied with your existing Medicare Advantage plan, or just have general questions regarding your coverage... we are here to help!  Medicare consultants are available to meet with you and help you choose the plan that best suits your needs.    

 

Below is a summary of what Caduceus offers our seniors at NO COST:

 

  •          We sit down with you and show you how Medicare works  
  •          We educate you on ALL of your plan options
  •          We teach you how each plan benefit will work
  •          We input all of your drugs into the Medicare.gov system to see which plans                  will cover your prescriptions at the lowest cost
  •          We make sure that you choose a plan that your physicians accept
  •          We make sure you are placed with a network that will allow you to use the                      hospitals of their choice
  •          We answer any questions that you have
  •          We will help you apply for extra help if needed (low income subsidy)
  •          We give each senior an annual benefit review to ensure you are always on a                plan that fits all of your needs

We offer this service at all office locations.  Email us to reserve your appointment with a consultant:

 

Yorba Linda

Irvine

Laguna Beach

A Message From Our Medical Director
I share in your frustration with the phone system over the last few months.  Our recent phone system difficulties have fallen far short of our expectations. 


 

The root cause of the issue was traced to a substantial increase in calls that could not have been anticipated as a consequence of our decision to participate in all tier levels of the California exchange, Covered California.  Prior to the exchange being operational, Caduceus averaged 500 calls per day and by September the number had jumped to over 1500 daily.


 

Our action plan included both investment in additional call center staff and upgrades to our phone system to handle the new call volume.  I am pleased to report we have turned the corner and our phone communication with our patients now appears to be fully functional. 


 

I would encourage all of our patients to use our interactive website for reserving appointments, requesting refills and lab results, and of course our popular "MouseCalls" that provides to you direct communication with your physicians via email.  Be sure you have downloaded our smartphone app, available on iOS and Droid devices, for quick access to your medical care.  Contact with us electronically is safe, secure, and a much more efficient resource for requests.


 

I am asking for your assistance to assure our investments continue to enhance your patient experience.  Please email me any kudos, questions or concerns to [email protected]


 

Thanks again for your support and patience and we look forward to providing to you the superior care and the ultimate "Caduceus" patient experience you deserve!


 

Sincerely,

Gregg DeNicola MD

Medical Director

Caduceus Medical Group

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