Why Membership?
Primal is a direct pay health and wellness medical practice that has completely removed insurance companies from the health care equation. You may have heard of this healthcare delivery model referred to more commonly as “concierge medicine”. In this model, patients pay their physicians directly for the medical services provided. By eliminating insurance companies from the practice of medicine we can provide services outside of the insurer imposed “box”. For example, a man in his 30s or 40s with “low-normal” testosterone levels and with symptoms of androgen deficiency would very likely benefit from testosterone replacement therapy. However, in an insurance-based practice not only may this patient struggle to have their medical condition identified and treated by a practitioner who does not specialize is hormone optimization and testosterone replacement, but their medical insurance typically won’t cover the cost of ongoing therapy even if ordered. To make matters worse, insurance-based practices don’t focus on negotiating rates and working with pharmacies and suppliers that adjust prices for cash pay patients, so the cost of therapy ends up being more expensive as well.
insurance-based practices don’t focus on negotiating rates and working with pharmacies and suppliers that adjust prices for cash pay patients, so the cost of therapy ends up being more expensive as well.
In addition, there is significant waste and inefficiency when dealing with insurance companies. Coding, billing, and rebilling insurance companies takes extraordinary effort. There are entire areas of specialization for medical coding alone. There are third party business entities that exist to deal with billing and rebilling. On top of that, there are the prior authorization requests, insurance rejections, and appeals that make up the typical daily practice of medicine now days. Each of these unnecessary layers adds costs. These costs get transferred to the patients through increased co-pays, medical office fees, and rising insurance premiums not to mention less and less time with your doctor if you can actually get in to see them.
Finally, in insurance-based practices the patient must typically have contact with their provider to generate a charge. Have you ever wondered why you are required to make an appointment for a simple medication refill? Why you must be seen to get some paperwork for your job filled out? What about why you can’t just call or email your doctor a quick question and expect a timely and useful response. Each of these things take time from the provider that doesn’t get reimbursed by the insurance company, but having you come into the office does. No one wants to work for free and in an insurance-based practice that usually means less access and more hassle for patients.
At Primal we recognize that the current system is broken and doesn’t meet the needs of our patients. Free from the cost constraints mandated by third party interference we can deliver high quality care at an affordable price that focuses exclusively on the best interests of our patients.
At Primal we recognize that the current system is broken and doesn’t meet the needs of our patients. Free from the cost constraints mandated by third party interference we can deliver high quality care at an affordable price that focuses exclusively on the best interests of our patients. We believe that the doctor-patient partnership is the foundation of effective healthcare. Extended video appointments and access to your provider through text, email, and phone allows us to develop a personalized approach to meeting your hormone optimization needs. In doing so, we believe we can truly make a positive difference in our patient’s lives.