Our Story
In this model no insurance means no hassle or red tape. Because I don't take insurance, I can keep my overhead low and pass the savings on to you. I charge an affordable monthly fee for unlimited access. There is no charge for office visits or tests that are run in the office; that is all included in your monthly fee. Access by phone, email and Skype is also included. You will never need to worry if the services provided in my office are covered by your insurance. This model allows for total price transparency. I will never hit you with a surprise fee.
With the DPC model you will also have lower out of pocket expenses for things like imaging, labs and prescription medicines. Believe it or not, when you file these services with your insurance, the cost goes up. If you have a high deductible, you end up paying all of that higher cost out of pocket. For example, I recently priced a HIDA scan at a local hospital with and without insurance. If insurance is filed the scan costs $1,500. The patient is responsible for all of that if he/she has a high out of pocket deductible. By paying cash up front and not filing insurance, the same patient was able to get the same test for $600. As a DPC physician, I can help negotiate for the lowest rates possible.
I firmly believe that the DPC model will get you better care for less money. That is why I am doing it. However, I know it isn't obvious at first how this works. Many of my patients have insurance with high monthly premiums, high deductibles and limited coverage. When you consider that having this insurance also means that they might pay more for lab tests, imaging studies and prescription medicines, it just doesn't make sense. Why would we pay to get charged more? In the DPC model you will get excellent primary care regardless of your health insurance status. I offer the same high quality care, at the same affordable rates to the insured, uninsured and Medicare patients.
DPC members find the greatest savings when they have a low monthly premium insurance and let their DPC physician negotiate for discounted cash rates on any additional services that they might need. For patients who don't have access to a low premium insurance, health sharing may be beneficial. Health sharing is not insurance but it will provide coverage for catastrophic events at an affordable rate. Health sharing members are exempt from the Affordable Care Act requirement to carry insurance.
