FAQ

Do I still need insurance if I become a member?

Yes. Our service is NOT an insurance product. The practice accepts your insurance to pay for covered services. Our fees are for services not covered by insurance.

Can I pay the membership fee with my HSA?

We believe you can. However we advise you to consult with your own tax advisor. As you will see in our patient agreement, the services for which we charge our fee are almost all IRS accepted medical expenses.

Is this practice a good fit for people who are ill or seniors who are advanced in age?

Yes. Don’t let our emphasis on disease prevention lead you to think that you have to be young or health to benefit tremendously from this practice. Our goal is to remove all of the barriers and unpleasantness associated with health care consumption for our patients. For aging seniors, this may require us to perform house calls or coordinate communications with family members or other caregivers. We welcome this responsibility.

For people with complex or chronic disease, we assume a role of advocate and develop health management plans tailored to your condition.

Our financial advisory service is mostly oriented to helping these two groups manage the burden and complexity of financing their care through Medicare or commercial payers.

What happens when my doctor is on vacation?

You are never without local coverage. When your physician is on vacation, a back-up physician will be engaged to tend to your needs.

Can I call you anytime?

Yes. When you join the practice, you will receive instruction on when and how to access your doctor under different circumstances. You are never without direct access to your physician.

Will you make house calls?

Yes. We make house calls when they are medically necessary. If your circumstances require an abundance of house calls, please raise that issue with us, and we will develop a customized membership for you.

Will you still see me in the hospital?

Yes. You never need us more than in the event you are hospitalized.

How do you protect my privacy?

You will not find a health care provider more vigilant about your privacy than this one. Health care providers are conditioned to think of privacy solely in the context of HIPAA. Our view of your privacy is considerably more broad.

In particular, we are highly sensitive to information that is shared either directly or indirectly with the government and insurance carriers. Our belief is that when patients elect to aggressively search for the earliest signs of disease in order to prevent catastrophic health events, they should not be penalized for their efforts by life and health insurers. While it is always your choice, at times we may suggest that you NOT use your insurance for certain things simply to avoid creating a claim history that distorts your health risk profile in the eyes of insurers.