2026 February Newsletter
What’s in this month’s newsletter?
⭐️ Program Spotlight: Now Introducing Hormone Pellets @ DOPC
⭐️ Member Discount: Price reduced on Body Composition Analysis
⭐️ Trending: HSA Now Covering Direct Primary Care Fees
⭐️ Next FB Live: “Why I changed my mind on Pellets” with Dr Brie February 3 @ 12:30
⭐️ Next Event: Virtual Book Club “Weightless” by Dr Salas-Whalen
Have you heard the news about hormone pellets at DOPC?
After waiting a long time for the right product, we discovered EvexiPEL. Offering a new pellet design that allows for more gentle rise and sustained levels of hormones and an insertion procedure that significantly reduces inflammation at the insertion site, EvexiPEL is revolutionizing pellet therapy. We are excited to bring it to you!
What are pellets? How do they work? How much do they cost and how often do you need to get them placed?
Pellets are tiny, rice-sized capsules containing bioidentical hormones (estrogen or testosterone) that are implanted under the skin into the fat tissue of the buttocks (for women) or flank/”love handles” (for men). EvexiPEL’s pellets are formulated with triamcinolone which decreases inflammation at the insertion site and allows for a more sustained release of hormones over many months: 3-4 months for women; 5-6 months for men.
After over a decade of prescribing messy creams and gels that absorb inconsistently and trialing new market options or watching the swings with other methods (injections), it became clear that utilizing this effective tool at DOPC would benefit you, our community. As usual, we are prepared to help guide you on if this option is right for you.
We can aim lower on dosing for our sensitive patients, unlike most clinics that aim high and don’t take into account other health factors influencing your hormones.What we see clinically when Testosterone levels are boosted:Improved body composition metrics - helping your body to burn fat and build muscle.Improved mental clarity and focus (bye bye brain fog!)Increase libido, desire and sex driveDecrease fatigueAnd our favorite quote “I feel more like myself again”Because we know you want to stay as healthy as you can in midlife, we are excited to add this option to our offerings. Even before estrogen is needed in perimenopause, testosterone can be an option for treatment. Men have the same benefits and respond well to pellets without as much of a rise in red cell count requiring phlebotomy.
Of course, hormones are a very personalized journey, and we are here to help decide which of the tools in our toolkit is the best suited for your goals. Pricing is different from the other methods but is comparable to other options in our Healthy Hormones Program.
For women, the initial pellet procedure is $475, which includes a free body composition analysis scale, a 4-6 week follow-up and a ”booster” pellet for free if you want to aim low your first pelleting. Because men need more pellets and their pellets last longer, their pricing is also different: $775 for the initial, including the 4-6 week follow-up/”booster” visit.Want to learn more? For more information from EvexiPEL, Click Here
Curious where you are at in your hormone journey? All DOPC members (especially those around 40 or over) are encouraged to add one of our hormone panels to your annual wellness visit blood draw. An explanation of the levels is included in your yearly visit or at any Healing Pathways Program visit. For more information, send us a message in the portal or schedule a phone visit as a next step.
BCA Member Discount
Great news! Our Body Composition Analysis Scale (BCA) is now discounted for all members from $85 to $55 for 2026!We have found this tool incredibly useful for understanding more than the scale at home tells you. Body fat and muscle mass percentages plus visceral fat assessment give a much better picture of your health than any weight number on its own!Note that a BCA is also included in several of our programs. Ask at your next visit if you haven’t done a BCA to track your own health markers; now is the time to do just that!
TRENDING: HSA’s now can cover the DPC Fees!
Did you know that thanks to the signing of H.R. 1 in the 119th Congress on 07/04/25, there is no more confusion about whether or not DPC fees can be covered by HSA. The answer is simply, YES!Want to learn more about what this means? Below is a trusted resource.DPC FrontierBig Beautiful Bill Ends the HSA ConfusionThe article explains that with the signing of H.R. 1 (the One Big Beautiful Bill) on July 4, 2025, confusion over whether Direct Primary Care (DPC) arrangements qualify for Health Savings Account (HSA) eligibility has been resolved and starting in 2026, DPCs will generally be acceptable for HSA purposes without the “clunky” workarounds previously needed if the practice meets certain criteria (e.g., fees under $150/month and appropriate staffing).Read The Full Article >>
DPC In the News! Understand Why More Doctors Are Adopting The Direct Primary Care Model
Upcoming Events
Next Facebook LIVE:“Why I changed my mind on Pellets”with Dr. Brie📅 February 3rd | 🕒 12:30 PM👉 Follow Our Page 👈
Next Events:
Virtual Book Club “Weightless”
by Dr. Salas-Whalen
with Cat📅 February 24th @ 5pmJoin us for our next Book Club, where we’ll dive into Weightless by Dr. Rocio Salas-Whalen. This book is a helpful resource for patients navigating GLP-1 treatments, weight loss, and overall health. If you need a copy, we have several in our lending library.👉 See the Google Meet Link in the Patient Portal for the log on 👈