Mid-January Clinic Update
After the first week and a half here at Fountainhead Family Med, things are going great. Terri and I are adjusting to some new routines and very much enjoying our new setting as well as the group of patients / members that have joined us so far.
You might be interested in this little anecdote, which illustrates one way in which direct primary care, and eliminating insurance from the primary care patient/doctor relationship, can better serve the patient. On our second day in the office we drew blood from one of our patients for two common test panels: cholesterol and a “comprehensive” metabolic panel (kidney & liver function, electrolytes, blood sugar, etc.). We prepared the blood for shipping, sent it to a reference lab, and had results early the next morning.
The total charge? $8.50. That’s not a typo: it was less than the price of a couple of coffee stand drinks.
At most clinic or hospital labs, working with insurance, the customary charge for those same services & tests would exceed $50. Further, if one were interested in finding out the price for those tests beforehand, it would require more than a little digging on your part.
At Fountainhead Family Med, we are here for you, and one of our goals is to make primary medical care straightforward, personal and affordable. This is just one example.
If you have questions or would like to check out the clinic, don’t hesitate to call us, send an email, or drop by. I think you will like what you see, because this is the way it should be.