It means we are going back to what worked so well in the past. Simply put, I'm immediately available to you. When you come in for a visit, I will know you well beyond your medical history, and we will work together as a team toward your health goals and well being. Direct primary care means rarely waiting in the waiting room, and seeing me, your personal physician, whenever you need to see me. Direct Primary Care, or DPC, is a model of healthcare that puts patients first by getting rid of the red tape by which most other traditional practices are restricted. This means that I am not paid anything, ever, by an insurance company. If the insurance company reimburses you for the monthly membership fee, that is great !!
I plan to keep around 600 patients on my roster. Compare that to the 2,500 patients I was responsible for in my last practice, and you'll understand very quickly why this was a good decision for me and my patients alike.
I have been in private practice since '95 right here in the Mid Cities of DFW. Through the years I have been involved in various practice groups, but I have focused on primary care since 1995.
Ask any physician why he or she got into medicine, and most will tell you that they chose this career to offer quality-of-life professional services to their community. I have seen so many changes come and go in the healthcare industry, it was time for me to set up my practice in such a way that neither I nor my patients will be forced to put up with the same frustrations we have seen the last 10-15 years. Over the last 2 decades, the business of healthcare has created an environment where physicians have spent less and less time with patients, and more time working through the insurance system. On average, a primary care physician spends only about 15 minutes with each patient per visit. I didn’t become a doctor to see my patients as if they were on an assembly line – I did so to help see them through their lives.
The terms are often used interchangeably and essentially refer to the same principles. Direct Primary Care is a healthcare model focused on putting the patient first. That means treating them when they need it, never rushing patients through appointments, and being proactive with healthcare treatment plans. The doctor-patient relationship is just as the name suggests – direct. Direct Primary Care clinics don’t accept insurance, rather they choose to work directly with the patient, providing wholesale labs, deeply discounted prescription prices, and other costs savings along the way. Monthly fees allow us to focus on providing high-quality, convenient, personalized primary care. More time and attention for you means better care, better results, and a better experience Concierge doctors usually take insurance plus charge a monthly or yearly “access fee” to be part of their rather exclusive panel.
Together we will cut the red tape of bureaucracy. The restrictions that typically leave physicians in a traditional healthcare setting buried in nonsense paperwork are lifted through Direct Care, allowing us to spend our time where it really counts: with you, the patient !! In refusing to recognize any interference with the sanctity of the patient-physician relationship, we have returned family practice medicine to its root values of clinical excellence for and compassionate knowledge of every patient. In every aspect of family healthcare, and custom healthcare, we promise accessibility, convenience, and affordability. I will try to help you save money everywhere I can. Having health insurance does not guarantee access to healthcare. And, the cost of healthcare drives the cost of health insurance. We have to bring down the cost of healthcare in order to make insurance more affordable.
Of course. We might argue that everyone benefits from a service tailored directly to them. That’s why we offer truly custom healthcare. Our practice is devoted to the maintenance of your good health, to the enhancements of your daily experience that only physical well-being can bring. We’re here for your reactive needs. But proactive healthcare is important, and we’re here for that, too.
This means, we have the gift of time. Even better? I get to give the gift of time. Large amounts of precious, irretrievable time given to you as you wish. Every visit, for whatever reason, will be easygoing in its absolute thoroughness, relaxed in answering your questions and addressing the need of the moment. Then, as the months and years go by, we’ll build a comprehensive, intimate knowledge of your health, invaluable understanding available in no other regimen of care.
No. Happily, no. Perhaps the most critical distinction in this model of care centers on a direct, personal relationship between you and Dr Heldridge. That directness carries over to the business model as well. While we can sometime rely on the tender mercies of an insurance company, I see no reason for any insurer to have the final say about either the quality or the cost of your family’s care.
I forgo insurance payments in order to save our patients from the arbitrary, intrusive decisions that inevitably follow with third-party payors. Furthermore, this direct fee-for-services arrangement frees us from the typical contractual agreements that prevent physicians from offering wholesale prices on laboratory tests, imaging, and medications. What this means is, we can look for ways to save money/ not to spend your whole deductible as the current system seems to encourage us to do.
Yes. I consider it essential that my patients continue a major medical plan with a high deductible and health savings account/ flexible spending account to protect against financial catastrophe should hospitalization or referral to a specialist be necessary. If you’d like, I would be happy to refer you to insurance representatives who can help customize an insurance plan to your specific needs. The idea is good quality care for the money spent—not to burn through your deductible if possible.
Just as before, you can call my office, except you'll have me on the phone a lot quicker. Once I've heard your situation, I'll advise you whether a trip to the ER is necessary, or perhaps just an office visit.
Yes. You need only sign a one-time waiver declaring that neither you nor Dr Heldridge will directly bill Medicare for our services. Medicare will still cover any laboratory testing, imaging, medications, or hospitalizations prescribed by our offices. I had to sign an affidavit to Medicare legally promising not to be—so that they would allow me to order tests for Medicare patients.
Unfortunately, no. Your membership fee is not yet defined as a “medical expense” by the IRS and as such is not deductible. The American Academy of Private Physicians, however, is lobbying hard to win rightful deductibility for these expenses. In the meantime, confer with your tax consultant to clarify tax consequences in your particular circumstances. If allowed, your employer sponsored FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT will often cover monthly fees. HSAs/ health spending accounts are governmentally regulated and are not allowed to pay for monthly membership fees, though they may possibly pay for a few DPC services that are not the membership fees.
In providing superb care with unprecedented sorts of access, together we will seek to prevent or reduce hospitalizations and specialty referrals. In instances where those types of care are required, I will certainly work with your hospitalist during your hospital stay as well as work closely with any specialist. In some cases, depending on the level of care and the sorts of expertise required, we may rely on those specialized caregivers to manage your treatment.
Yes. I am happy to accept the children of any age to be enrolled patients. The only downside is that I will not able to provide routine vaccinations for young children but will happily work with you to arrange these.
By all means, yes! Because illness and injury do not respect regular office hours, you may call Dr Heldridge any day, at any hour. Simply call the office number and if the office is closed, than Dr Heldridge will answer urgent calls via automatic routing to his cell phone. If the need is not urgent, you may also use our secure patient portal to access your medical record and then e-mail Dr Heldridge securely. You can text, but that less secure message will not be looked at till the next office day. I will answer phone calls within 2 hrs and portal messages within 24 hours.
Naturally I will do what I can to provide such care – yet another freedom we enjoy together as a result of my independence from the restrictions of third-party payment. Because we know each other well, we can streamline your care when you’re sick away from home. Many illnesses can be diagnosed and treated with a simple conversation by phone, email, or text. We’ll locate the nearest pharmacy and order the medications most appropriate for your circumstances.
I maintain scrupulous standards of privacy. My records are cloud based and password protected. I am never obligated to provide any third party with a copy of your records unless you specifically ask that I do so, in writing. The same HIPPA privacy laws still pertain. However, there are some reportable infections that as a licensed doctor in Texas that I have to report, like measles, AIDs, some STDs-or I could lose my license.
Come and visit with me! Schedule a visit to discuss your healthcare needs. It’s the only reasonable way to begin what we trust will be a long, productive, healthy relationship. The only cost will be a 50 dollar registration fee—even if you decide not to continue with me.