Direct Primary Care You and your doctor; the way it used to be.
What is Direct Primary Care? Direct Primary Care is an innovative alternative to conventional health insurance. It is a care model of the past, which is again gaining rapidly in popularity. This model addresses the majority of primary care needs, including annual check-ups, routine care, and care coordination, while dramatically reducing the cost of healthcare for individuals, families, and businesses. DPC eliminates fee for service, or insurance billing, and employs a flat fee payment structure. Patients are able enjoy comprehensive primary care services at an affordable rate with an emphasis on wellness and health. Your chosen provider then enjoys the flexibility of being available to you via email/portal/text/phone or in person or at home depending on the need.
What are the fees?
Roots Package Annual Fees: Individual = $1200.00 Couple = $2000.00 Individual Child 0-15 years = $800.00 Children 16-22 years = FREE* Family (Individual or Couple Fee) plus $400.00/child → (Additional Family Members beyond #5 are free) Additional office fees or Copayments: None. * Must have another participating family member
What does the package include?
Roots Package:
Provider call-backs and texts within 4 hours Monday through Friday 8am-8pm, same business day email reply
Unlimited office visits including annual comprehensive physical and individualized wellness plan
Same day appointments for urgent needs
24/7 access to physician on-call for urgent medical needs
Email/Phone consultations
Minor office procedures (mole removal, wart removal, etc.)
Blood draws
15% discount on all dispensary items
Newborn Home visits/ Home visits on as needed basis
23&me genetic report analysis
Bio-Impedence Analysis of body composition (BIA)
Acupuncture appointment $50.00/session
Craniosacral appointment $60.00/60 minute session
Reiki appointment $40/session
10% discount Infrared sauna rates
When will this go into affect? All of the physicians are currently participating in this program! Will you keep working with Medicaid? Yes, we will continue to work with Medicaid clients indefinitely.
Can providers still order tests and medications? Yes, lab services performed at SNFW are Free of charge under the DPC agreement. (some restrictions apply for patients without insurance) X-rays and other imaging studies will continue to be ordered through hospitals or other private facilities, which will bill your insurance directly. Prescriptions can still be written. Medication charges are billed to insurance by the pharmacy itself.
Can I use my HSA to pay for the membership fee? The IRS has not made clear how direct primary care medical fees fit into the Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Savings Account (FSA) payment model. Many patients elect to pay DPC fees via their tax sheltered HSA or FSA account, which adds to their overall savings.
Why are you making this change? We are looking for greater freedom in how we practice and have been dissatisfied with the current insurance pay for service model. Time spent working with insurance companies can now be time spent focusing on patients. Also, we are naturopathic physicians and enjoy the benefit of being able to provide our expert knowledge in the areas of herbal medicine, homeopathy, and nutrition. Under private insurance plans, many of these therapies are deemed “investigational” and are not covered services. To continue to have contracts with insurance, we would no longer be able to utilize these therapies with our patients.
What should I do with my current insurance plan? DPC is not an insurance plan. You definitely need to have an Affordable Care Act certified insurance plan in place just in case there is a medical emergency. Financially, DPC is best paired with a catastrophic health care plan or a low-cost medical sharing plan such as Liberty Direct or a Christian Healthcare Ministries option. SNFW is not promoting any of these options, just trying to make people aware that they do exist.
What if I want to continue to receive services at SNFW but don’t want to do DPC? We have an à la carteoption for cash pay clients not participating in DPC or for those uninsured
Lab work will continue to be a free service if you have insurance with a laboratory draw fee of $10.00. For those without insurance, lab fees will be on average, less than 50% of hospital fees!!
When can I sign up? Immediately! Once you sign up, your contracted year begins and you can begin enjoying some of these amazing benefits!
645 South Main Street Stowe, VT 05672 Phone: (802) 253-2340 Fax: (802) 253-2239