Life at Neighbors

Why is there a membership fee?

The membership fee is an innovative way for us to provide a majority of your primary care at an affordable, fixed price. Membership gives you access to comprehensive primary care without co-pays, unparalleled access to your provider, wholesale pharmacy pricing, and negotiated transparent pricing on labs and imaging. Membership allows you to better budget for your primary healthcare costs.

How does direct primary care at Neighbors Med decrease healthcare costs?

First, we circumvent the 3rd party payer system and replace it with a cost-effective membership delivery system. Second, you do not pay for individual office visits. Third, we dispense many of your medicines at discounted prices, which saves you both time and money. Fourth, we have negotiated cash pay prices for imaging (X-rays, CTs, MRIs, and ultrasounds) as well as labs. Fifthly, we have access to RubiconMD an e-consult platform offering specialty care. We have also partnered with some local specialists that see the need for this type of care and we have negotiated, transparent pricing with them as well. Finally, you have unparalleled access to your provider via email/text/phone/video during regular business hours and after hours as well, which can save you office visits as well as ER or urgent care visits. We love this efficient system—access healthcare care efficiently only when you truly need it!

Even with insurance, many people do not meet their deductible most years. This means that you are paying your healthcare bills at prices that pay numerous middlemen along the way! As a Neighbors member, we will help you access affordable primary care, often leaving more money in your pocket!

Do I have to be a member to be seen at Neighbors Med?

Yes. However, if you would like to learn more about Neighbors Med in person, please contact us to schedule "Meet and Greet" with either Dr. Smith, Dr. Reinhardt or Ashley Bryan, PAC. We would love to meet you and answer all your questions about our model of healthcare delivery, at no charge to you!

If I am a member at Neighbors Med do I still need insurance?

It is best if you still maintain insurance for major health care expenses: hospitalizations, surgeries, etc. Our model is very effective when combining high deductible insurance with a Neighbors Med membership. Another good option is combining a health sharing program (such as Sedera, Samaritans Ministries, etc.) with a Neighbors Med membership. Some of these programs actually allow you to submit your membership fee for "sharing" and give you a small discount for being a part of Direct Primary Care. Please ask us more about this. Additionally, we desire to be an affordable option for those that often have the most difficulty affording healthcare—those without insurance.

Are there any membership contracts?

No. Memberships are open and ongoing. There is no initiation fee, but if there is a lapse in membership, there is a $200 re-initiation fee to restart your membership.

Is Neighbors Med “concierge medicine”?

No. Concierge medicine charges to have access to a particular clinic and generally still files claims with insurance for healthcare costs. Additionally, concierge access fees are generally much higher than those seen in direct primary care.

What if I am generally healthy? Will a Neighbors Med membership benefit me?

That is great! We want to keep you healthy and avoid the need to access medical care very often. We can spend time focusing on preventative care and healthy lifestyle management. Additionally, you will have after-hours access to your providers that often can help prevent after-hours visits to the ER or urgent care. Avoiding just one unnecessary, costly visit to the ER can justify the cost of an annual Neighbors Med membership.

Do I get assigned a primary doctor at Neighbors Med?

Yes. You will be assigned to either Dr. Smith, Dr. Reinhardt or Ashley Bryan, PAC. You will see your primary provider at most of your scheduled visits. However, all of our providers collaborate in caring for the patients at Neighbors Med. This means that we take a team approach to caring for our patients. So you get 3 providers for the price of one! Occasionally, you may see or hear from one provider when you primarily see the other provider in the office. Again, we work in close communication with each other to give you the best care possible!

What does a monthly Neighbors Med membership cost?

Newborn to 19yrs old $30/mo ($15/mo with adult membership)

20 to 39 yrs old $50/mo

40 to 65 yrs old $60/mo

Families (2 adults+2 children) $120/mo (additional children $15/mo)

Are there co-pays for each visit?

No. We do not charge by the visit. If there are tests (imaging, labs, etc) or treatments (sutures, biopsy, etc) recommended that are not included in your membership, we will discuss the cost of the care with you and help you make the best decision for you.

Are there any hidden fees?

No! Much of your primary care is covered by your membership. When there are any services that we recommend that are not covered in your membership, the provider discusses those costs during the visit before the service is provided. There are no billing surprises!

What services cost extra?

Many in-office labs (strep test, flu swab, urinalysis, pregnancy test, etc) and procedures (EKG, cryotherapy, etc) are covered in your membership. Some servies have a small additional fee (examples: joint injection, toe nail removal, etc).

For labs and tests that are not covered with your membership, we have negotiated affordable cash pay prices that are remarkably discounted from what you would pay elsewhere. If there is a test you need that is not listed, we will get a price for you.

What are your regular clinic hours?

Our regular hours are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm for scheduled visits. Additionally, members have access to our doctors by text/email/phone/video during the business day. After hours, members can text their doctor and should a expect a response within an hour by either text or call. We can arrange after hours visits as needed.

Are you a walk-in clinic?

We see patients by appointment only. We offer same-day or next appointments because we take great pride in offering our members unparalleled access to your doctors.

How long should I expect to see my provider during visits?

As long as you need! We are here to serve you. Typically, we expect 30-45 mins per visit. No rushed visits or walking away with unanswered questions. We love to ask “Anything else?” during our visits. But, if you think of additional questions when you get home feel free to email or text us!

What if I need additional care—specialist, hospitalization, etc?

We can order or refer just as any insurance-based practice can do. Often, we use RubiconMD, an electronic consult specialty platform. Other times, it is more appropriate for you to see a specialist in their office. In these cases, we have negotiated cash prices with some local specialists who appreciate the value of direct primary care. You can avoid many urgent care and minor emergency services during regular or after-hours because we offer these services in our office (stitches, simple fracture management, etc). However, if possible it is best if you have either health insurance or a health share program membership in the case of an expensive event such as an insurance funded specialty care, ER visit, hospitalization, or surgery.

What type of visits can be done by phone or video?

“Virtual visits” are most valuable when used as a supplement to traditional primary care visits rather than a replacement for primary care visits. Good examples include follow-up visits for rash/abscess/back pain, evaluation to see if a laceration needs suturing, or follow-up on depression or anxiety. It is best to be seen in our office for chronic care such as for diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart failure. These are only examples and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. You can be sure that if we have you come in to the office, it is in your best interest, not so that we can get paid for a visit.

Does a Neighbors Med membership qualify as insurance under the Affordable Care Act?

No. This model is called “direct primary care” and is NOT health insurance.

Is a membership at Neighbors Med a substitute for health insurance?

No. It is best if you have insurance to cover unexpected and expensive health care costs, such as ER visits, hospitalizations, and surgeries.

Do you accept patients with Medicaid?

Yes. However, we do not bill Medicaid, and thus you are responsible for the same monthly membership fees or medication costs as any other patient. However, outside services can still be ordered and covered with Medicaid.

Do you accept patients with Medicare?

No, not at this time. We would like to care for patients with Medicare, but there are regulations that currently keep us from doing so. We are going to continue to work on this and hope to have Medicare patients in the future.

Can I continue to use my insurance for outside services?

Yes. Your insurance options will not be changed by your Neighbors Med membership. Specifically, PPO plans do not require a designated “gatekeeper” for referrals. HMO plans do require an in-network primary care provider and thus these plans may be the most cumbersome to integrate into our model at Neighbors Med.

Can I submit claims to my insurance for reimbursement?

At this time, most insurance companies do not reimburse monthly membership fees.

Can I use FSA or HSA accounts to pay for services at Neighbors Med?

As defined by the Internal Revenue Service, it is not clear whether FSA or HSA accounts can be used for monthly membership fees. This is an ongoing legal discussion. To get more clarity for your specific situation, we recommend addressing this question with your CPA. However, certainly you can use FSA and HSA funds to cover ancillary services (meds, labs, imaging).