Do you take my insurance?
No, we do not take any insurance and will not directly bill any insurance company. This is what allows us the freedom to be unique and more personal. Insurance is still needed for the services outside of the scope of our primary care practice however. Check with your tax expert or human resources department regarding the use of health savings accounts or flexible spending accounts. There are a number of different types of health plans out there and direct primary care practices can combine well with them to allow for improved patient care.
Do you take Medicare/Medicaid?
No, Medicare patients will have to sign a waiver every 2 years declaring that neither you nor your doctor will directly bill Medicare for our services. Although we do not bill Medicare you are still able to utilize your Medicare coverage for all other medical care received outside our practice as well as tests, labs and medications ordered by our office.
Why don’t you take insurance?
Not taking insurance allows us to concentrate on you, the patient. In direct primary care, patients and physicians are not subjected to the inefficient demands of insurance companies. Without the administrative burdens and invasive requirements, we are able to save time and money, and therefore, keep our patient panel to a much more manageable size of 600-700, versus 2000-3000 in insurance-based practices. By eliminating needless clerical chores, we are able to spend visit time on what you actually came to discuss - giving you a truly personalized experience. We are also able to offer extended visit time and more availability via technology. We want you to feel like a part of our family and not a number/commodity. By not taking insurance, we are able to offer you more care at a lower price, including access to labs and commonly prescribed medications at greatly reduced prices.
If I don’t have any insurance can I join your practice?
Although we do encourage everyone to have some coverage for catastrophic events as long as you pay the monthly membership fee you can join our practice. Just to be clear though we are not an insurance program/company.
Will you limit your practice size?
Yes, we will limit the practice to about 600-700 patients so that we are able to provide a comprehensive personalized patient experience. If we have more people sign up we will start a waiting list and as openings become available we will contact you regarding membership. If demand is high enough we may make plans to add a physician and expand.
What if I am hospitalized?
If you are hospitalized, we will work closely with your hospital team and arrange for quick follow up after you are discharged from the hospital to allow for a seamless transition and most importantly to prevent you from returning to the hospital. Your membership to Health and Healing DPC does not include services by any other doctors or hospitals, and those costs would have to be paid by you or your insurance company.