We are constantly adding new items to these FAQs. Feel free to send us your questions, perhaps you’ll make it onto the list!
What is different about this model of medical care?
Traditional medicine and membership medicine represent different approaches to healthcare delivery, each with its own set of characteristics. Here are the key differences between traditional and membership medicine:
- PAYMENT MODEL
Traditional Medicine: Typically operates on a fee-for-service model where healthcare providers bill insurance companies for each service rendered.
Membership Medicine: Involves a subscription or membership fee paid directly by patients to healthcare providers, covering a set of services without involving insurance for routine care. - INSURANCE INVOLVEMENT
Traditional Medicine: Relies heavily on insurance coverage for reimbursing healthcare services, leading to complex and often confusing billing processes and massive administrative overhead.
Membership Medicine: Often minimizes involvement with insurance for routine services, aiming to simplify billing and reduce administrative burdens, allowing care providers more opportunity to devote to personal patient care. - AVAILABILITY OF CARE
Traditional Medicine: Access to healthcare providers is often limited, with standard appointment times, potential wait times, and less direct communication.
Membership Medicine: Typically offers enhanced access, such as longer appointment times, same-day or next-day appointments, and direct, accelerated communication with healthcare providers. - PREVENTATIVE CARE
Traditional Medicine: Typically emphasizes reactive care, addressing illnesses and diseases after they occur.
Membership Medicine: Places a strong emphasis on preventive care and healthy lifestyle, encouraging regular check-ups and proactive health management. - PATIENT LOAD
Traditional Medicine: Healthcare providers often manage substantial patient panels, potentially leading to shorter appointment times and less individualized care.
Membership Medicine: Providers place a limit on the number of patients they accept, allowing for a compact patient panel and more personalized attention. - ADMINISTRATIVE OVERHEAD
Traditional Medicine: Involves significant administrative overhead related to insurance billing, claims processing, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Membership Medicine: Aims to reduce administrative burdens, allowing healthcare providers to focus more on patient care. - FOCUS ON HOLISTIC CARE
Traditional Medicine: Does not typically prioritize holistic approaches to healthcare, such as addressing lifestyle factors and mental health.
Membership Medicine: Places a greater emphasis on holistic care, taking into account the overall well-being of the patient.
Do I still need to carry insurance?
Membership medicine is not necessarily a substitute for regular health insurance. Speciality care, hospitalization, and other major medical expenses not addressed by membership medicine plans make health insurance a wise choice.
What if I have Medicaid?
Why would I pay more when I'm already paying for insurance?
Having both Membership Medicine and health insurance can provide a comprehensive approach to your healthcare needs, addressing various aspects of medical care. Each serves a distinct purpose, and together, they offer a more well-rounded strategy for managing your health and financial well-being. Membership Medicine provides direct availability to primary care services, emphasizing preventive care, and offering a more personalized and accessible relationship with your primary care provider. Health insurance, on the other hand, addresses major costs, including specialty care, hospitalizations, surgeries, and other significant medical expenses. Health insurance acts as a financial safety net for unexpected and high-cost medical events.
If I have an injury or am suffering from illness, can I come to you for walk-in care, even if I don't have a membership?
We plan to eventually offer walk-in services for illness or injury. Please check back or contact us for further information.
You have three providers; is it a problem if I begin care with one of them but desire to switch?
Besides being professional and utterly dedicated to helping you achieve good health, our providers are thick-skinned and won’t get their feelings hurt if you think one of the other providers might be a better fit. Try opening the conversation with “It’s not you, it’s me…”
Do you anticipate adding services in the future?
Definitely. As we find our way and grow as a medical group, we will constantly explore new offerings and solutions. Feel free to make suggestions, nothing is more important to us than serving you.
Do you accept insurance?
While we will be credentialed with insurance this will allow you to submit your bill to insurance for reimbursement.
We will direct bill your insurance for office visits. Labs will be billed directly through Quest.
Our membership fees can be paid by HSA (but not FSA) accounts as well.
If I require specialist care, where will you refer me?
We will refer you to wherever is best suited for you. We will have a bank of referrals available and therefore your insurance and you with your provider will be able to make that decision together based on multiple factors. This is an individual decision and not a one size fits all solution.
If I require a hospital stay or other hospital services, where will you send me?
We can and will use whatever hospital is closest to you and most convenient.
What walk-in services will be available for injury or illness?
Treatment for cold/flu, sinus infections, step throat, and other minor illnesses. Treatment for minor wounds, such as non-severe cuts, blisters, skin abrasions, fish hooks, and small lacerations. Treatment for cerumen impaction. Treatment for sprains and strains. Splinter removal, staple removal, suture removal.
Will you have access to records and notes from my other providers?
We will request records from providers and share records with all clinics as this is part of health care mandates. This is also done relatively seamlessly through electronic medical records once we have your written permission.
Will you communicate with my other providers if my health care requires it?
By all means, this is essential to taking care of you and creating the type of personalized care that we are aiming for in the practice.
Seriously, is this a real medical office?
Well, we’ve got all the stuff and equipment and a lobby and pointy tools and tables and chairs, a nurse, a lawyer, an accountant, and many very-stressed family members who are tired of all that’s gone into getting us to this point.
Honestly, the best way to answer that is to come in and see for yourself. We think you’ll be impressed and we hope you’ll stay.
Tell me more about these free cookies
The details of our “Baked Goods Patient Retention and Temptation Program” are still being finalized, but yes, that’s our plan. Probably a good idea to schedule appointments early in the day (just to be safe).