What is Direct Primary Care (DPC)?

DPC is an innovative primary care model where the traditional patient/provider relationship is the foundation of how care should be provided. DPC has proven benefits by providing care that exceeds the standards by, offering longer appointment’s to address all your needs (typically 60 minutes), e-visits, no co- pay’s, full pricing transparency, access to my personal cell phone and email, discounted labs drawn onsite, plus discounted imaging fees at local facility’s.

So how does this work? People pay a flat, affordable, monthly fee that covers all visits, including your yearly comprehensive physical exam, plus additional in-office testing. This model is not an insurance plan and Holistic Wellness does not accept insurance, which in my opinion is the beauty of the model, as the provider works for the patient and not the insurance company. It is however, still highly encouraged to have insurance (but not needed to join) for those unforeseen, catastrophic events.

If you do have insurance you may continue to use it as your plan states, at hospital’s, pharmacy’s, other specialty providers, etc. However, some plans, such as an HMO require you to have an in-network provider for additional services, so please check with your insurance company. If you have a PPO, these do not require an in network provider so Holistic Wellness can order services you may need being an out of network provider. If you happen to NOT have insurance there are medical cost share plans that work great in conjunction with DPC and I would be more than happy to speak with you more about this.

In regard to Medicare, Holistic Wellness accepts patients that are on Medicare, but I can not bill Medicare, accept any payment from Medicare, nor can the patient bill Medicare for any of my services rendered. Medicare will however, acknowledge any lab testing, imaging, speciality referrals or hospitalizations from Holistic Wellness.

What is Functional Medicine?

Functional Medicine is an alternative medicine that looks for the root/cause of an issue and does not just treat the symptom. It is a holistic approach and treats the whole body and not just the disease. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century. Functional medicine should not be thought of as a quick fix, it takes work and a patient who is ready to heal and get their body back to a state of balance. Functional Medicine is treated typically through nutrition/diet and natural methods after proper testing has been completed. This is a service I offer to all of my patient’s that are part of the DPC model but, I also offer functional medicine consults for non DPC members as part of the hybrid model and this is based on a flat fee consult (see pricing).