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F A Q
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What is the difference between Concierge Medicine and Direct Primary Care (DPC)?Concierge and DPC work off a membership model either paid by the patient or sometimes the patient’s employer. Concierge clinics usually charge a retainer fee and may bill the patient’s insurance companies for covered services. DPCs, on the other hand, are independent, small businesses that work directly for patients not insurance companies, hospitals, or corporations. This allows for total price transparency! Concierge and DPC Services: o Extended office visits, 30 mins or longer o Direct access to a physician via phone, text, and video conference o Same-day and next-day appointments o Unlimited office visits, no co-pays DPC - An agreement is made between patients and doctors for all primary care services for a flat, low monthly payment. It is an affordable way of providing high-quality, personalized private medical care outside the current insurance-based or government-based (Medicare and Medicaid) system. This allows easier more convenient access and more time with their physician. It reduces the overhead and expenses and will enable doctors to spend their time on patient care passing the savings on to patients. Our goal is to keep overall costs low providing high-quality care to patients of all incomes and levels of insurance coverage. This leads to fewer tests, medications, ER/urgent care/hospital visits, and overall lower total cost of care. Other benefits include discounted in-office prescriptions, wholesale labs, pathology, and imaging (see benefits). In both models, patients enjoy the individual attention and communication they deserve from their physicians. Physicians are also better able to focus on patient care with fewer distractions or burnout.
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What is Direct Primary Care or DPC?
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What does the monthly membership fee cover?All primary care such as; annual wellness exams, well-child exams, sports physicals, school physicals, pap smears, basic office procedures and testing, along with treatment of acute/chronic illnesses, minor injuries and much more. It also includes: - unlimited office visits with no copays - direct access to your doctor via phone, text, email or video conference - same day or next day visits - extended and relaxed office visits - discounts on pathology, imaging, medications & labs - online specialist expertise through RubiconMD All of this without the need of insurance.
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What is NOT included?Pathology, labs, imaging and medications. However, you can expect them all at a discounted rate.
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What are the prices?Please find a complete list of our prices.
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How to enroll and pay?Enroll here Credit card – there will be a 3.5% service charge Bank draft (preferred) - no additional service charge
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Do I sign a contract with my membership? What if I decide to cancel?Although there will be some paperwork and agreements to sign when you first join, you will NOT be required to sign a contract that commits you to a certain time frame. We ask for a 3-month minimum commitment for us to partner with you to help optimize your health. Accounts must be paid on the first of the month to maintain membership services. If paid after the 10th you will incur a $25 late fee. We expect to have an open, honest, respectful relationship with our patients. We require a 30-day notice if you wish to cancel. At that time the staff will email you a cancelation email to sign. We understand that things happen. If you choose to rejoin, you may be charged a re-enrollment fee.
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What if I don't want to become a member, can I still be seen?"Yes, while the practice is growing we will see patients for a one-time fee if you are not ready to commit to a monthly membership. However, this may change in the future once the practice becomes busy. Please call before coming in to schedule an appointment.
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What age group is seen?Newborns to Adults – Dr. Tami Singh Adults only – Dr. Jessica Porter **NO MEDICARE PATIENTS accepted. No exceptions.
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What if I have a lot of medical issues?Our providers want to help you manage your conditions and keep you feeling your best. Membership prices are based on age and are not based on several existing medical conditions.
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What kind of medical contitions are cared for and what if i need to see a specialist?Our providers are primary care physicians trained to handle most healthcare needs. Our goal at Aspire Health is to avoid referring to specialists. However, in the event you do need to see a specialist, we will help find the right physician for you. Our office pays for a service that provides online specialist expertise. They are called e-consults through RubiconMD (click here for more info). This benefit is free with membership. However, if you prefer to see a specialist in person, we can give you recommendations
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Does Aspire Health accept Medicare?Unfortunately, we DO NOT accept Medicare patients due to Medicare regulations. This is Illegal and there are no exceptions to this rule.
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What about Medicaid?We do not contract with Medicaid and cannot bill the carriers for services. With that said, we are more than happy to care for Medicaid patients if they enroll in the membership. Please note, the cost of membership is not covered by Medicaid plans nor can we bill Medicaid for services provided.
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What if I'm hospitalized?You will use your insurance or healthcare plan. Our goal is to provide excellent health care with accessibility and convenience and we seek a reduction in hospitalizations and specialty referrals. In those instances, we will work closely with the hospitalist in providing post-discharge care and will work closely with the specialists in working as a team.
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Are my medical records shared with insurance carriers or goverment agencies?No. Patient privacy is a natural benefit of this medical model. We will never provide any third party with a copy of your records, unless you specifically ask us to do so or if Aspire Health is subject to subpoena or search warrant.
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What if I need medical attention while I'm away from home?In the age of telemedicine, many conditions can be diagnosed and treated via a simple conversation by phone or video conference. If appropriate, we can prescribe medication (anywhere in the US) most suited for your circumstance. If you need to go to the hospital or seek other medical attention while away from home, we can advise you on that as well.
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Do I really get to speak to my doctor if I call?Yes, during office hours you may speak to the office staff, and if there is something urgent you may request a call back from your provider if the staff is unable to help you. However, if you call the member number after hours for an urgent issue and leave a message for one of our providers, they will personally return your call. Once you become a member, in your agreement you will receive the member-only number for the staff and provider. Texting is only utilized for members and ONLY during office hours.
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Can I contact Aspire Health after hours and how?Of course! However, our providers are only human and can’t guarantee 100 percent availability. That said, a reasonable expectation for availability would be appreciated. Once you become a member you obtain a personal number directly to your provider for urgent situations after hours. However, if it is not an urgent matter and can wait until the following business day please do. If it is an emergency, we do advise you to call 911.
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What if I have an urgent issue?For problems that are not life-threatening urgencies, you can contact your provider via the direct member number given in your agreement after hours or call the office during business hours. In most cases, your provider can help navigate you if you should seek to go to the ER or urgent care. If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately.
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What if I need labs or imaging?Arrangements will be made for you to get your labs done in-office or at a facility of your choice. You could either use your insurance to bill your labs or we can provide our discounted self-pay prices. If utilizing our self-pay prices, the cost of labs will be given prior to collection. Charges for labs will be added and applied to your preferred method of payment for membership. We have negotiated on your behalf with imaging centers for the best self-pay prices and you can confirm prior to scheduling. Charges for imaging will be required upfront to the imaging center. Transparency is our mission so we will always let you know what you're being charged for in our office. However, if you would like to use your insurance for labs or imaging you can do so, just ask and we can guide you. Please be aware that prices will not be transparent if going through insurance. You will obtain a bill from the insurance and may be asked for a co-pay or have a balance.
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If I pay for a membership do I still need insurance?We do not bill insurance, nor do we require insurance for membership. We are glad to enroll patients who do not have insurance and help them negotiate cash prices for non-covered services, but we still advise patients to obtain at least a catastrophic plan to cover unanticipated costly medical services such as surgery or hospitalization. Most patients combine membership in Direct Primary Care with a high-deductible insurance plan or health-sharing plan. We are happy to refer you to an insurance representative who can help customize an insurance plan that works best with our medical model and that will meet your specific needs. At Aspire Health we cover office visits, limited in-office procedures, and some in-office testing. We do not cover the costs of medication, labs, imaging, specialist visits, surgery, or ER/hospitalization.
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Are your services covered by my insurance?No. The purpose of direct care is direct patient-physician care, no middleman, no insurance company to impose arbitrary measures to increase their profits and decrease your quality of care. The direct nature of this model frees us from the typical contractual agreements that prevent physicians in traditional practice from offering wholesale prices on laboratory tests, medications, and imaging. However, we can directly bill your insurance for labs, imaging and medications if desired.
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What if I want to continue my current insurance? Can I use it?Not for our services, but you can utilize your insurance for labs, imaging, specialist appointments, and medication. Regarding the lab, we can add your insurance information on the lab order so the billing will be decided through your insurance and the lab of choice. If your plan requires you to use a particular facility, just let us know. WE DO NOT DO ANY BILLING OF INSURANCE. WE ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY BILLS YOU MAY GET FROM YOUR INSURANCE.
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How can I save on Insurance costs by being a patient of Aspire Health?Many times, patients purchase expensive insurance plans that require little or no co-pay, but in return it does not cover lab or prescription costs. However, with Aspire Health your monthly fee covers unlimited office visits and there are NEVER copays. Plus, our patients have access to wholesale medications and labs sometimes at a 90% discount from retail pharmacies! Patients may find it worthwhile to change from an expensive health insurance plan to a basic health insurance plan (high deductible) to save money.
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Why should I pay a monthly fee if I have insurance?At a traditional primary care office, you will pay a co-pay to see your physician and on top of that, you will have an office visit charge of about $150 toward your insurance. That charge is not including blood work, additional testing, or procedures done at the visit. Our blood draw, procedures, and additional in-office testing are covered under the monthly fee (additional charge for lab results, pathology, and medication). There are no co-pays or office visit charges. We are fully transparent regarding charges to our patients. Most insurances are high deductible plans in which most patients never reach that in a year so unfortunately there are a lot of out-of-pocket charges. Therefore, Direct Primary Care is best for patients with high deductible plans to keep their costs low.
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Are Aspire Health's monthly fees eligible for HSA or FSA reimbursement?Many patients find that their DPC fees are reimbursable through their HSA or FSA. Consult your tax advisor for guidance on your particular circumstances.
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Would I benefit from DPC if I'm healthy and hardly go to the doctor?Many people believe they should only treat illness when it happens instead of identifying and preventing disease before it starts. Our goal is not only to see you when you are ill but to concentrate efforts on preventative care with long-term health and wellness goals. Our focus as primary care providers is to help patients find health and wellness on a day-to-day basis. If you would like to discuss wellness, nutrition, dieting, or exercise plans that are right for you, this is an added component of the membership model. We all benefit from services tailored to our needs, and your health care should be no different. We will provide you with the care you need to optimize your health and reach your wellness goals. Let’s be honest, at some point, you will be sick or injured and need acute care. When that happens, you will have immediate access to your doctor who knows your personal health history completely and will take your circumstances into account when developing a treatment plan. A DPC membership also allows you access to your physician for acute complaints and prevents costly trips to the ER or Urgent Care. Our providers will do their best to keep you out of the urgent care or ER. If you save one ER visit, your yearly fee will pay for itself.
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How does employers benefit?Employers benefit by their employees having unlimited access to their provider. We provide same day or next day appointments, extended and flexible appointment times and follow up appointments that can be provided via video conference or phone call. This decreases the absenteeism from work duties. Other incentives such as; medications at wholesale costs, in-office labs at discounted rates, no copays and no additional cost for procedures or in-office testing. In the end, the employer benefits by lowered premiums due to limit use of the insurance.
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What exactly are e-visits?Visits via phone, text, email or video conference can be more convenient for certain conditions and chronic care. As a general rule, any issue that requires a physical exam we will need to see you in the office. While virtual visits are a great addition to primary care, they still do not replace the diagnostic ability of a physical exam done in the office.
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What if the doctor is out of town and I need to speak to her?In the rare event that your provider is out of town, she will continue to provide and coordinate your care. When possible, she will arrange for another physician to see you if needed.
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Who does the membership plan work best for?It works especially well for those who want to participate in improving their health and staying well, including: Patients desiring easy and direct communication with their doctor. Patients who want a doctor who provides personal care and truly cares for their patient. Patients who want a doctor to address the root cause of illness, not just treat the symptoms. Patients who enjoy unhurried and extended office visits. People with busy lifestyles. Often issues can be addressed without the need for an office visit (text, phone, email or video). Those with high insurance premiums/high-deductible health plans or healthcare sharing plans. Self-insured business owners seeking to provide their employees with affordable health care while improving their well-being, simultaneously reducing health care spending.
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This seems too cheap. Is there a catch?No. This is the real thing. Quality healthcare the way you want it. This is just how healthcare looks when the middle-man is cut out. Keeping payment directly between the patient and the doctor. This keeps the price low and the care high!
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What if I have more questions?If we haven’t fully answered all of your questions,please contact us so we can further assist you. For more information on the many benefits of direct primary care and details, please call (954) 998-4468 to schedule a free introductory meeting. We would love to learn about your health concerns and goals and share why Aspire Health might be a good fit for you.
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