FAQ

Q: What is Direct Primary Care?
A: Direct Primary Care (“DPC”) is an affordable model of membership medicine.  Membership includes all primary care services with a single monthly fee. Members have unrushed 30-60 minute appointments, direct access to their provider, and quality of care that improves their health. By not billing insurance, DPC removes a tremendous portion of administrative costs, making it more affordable than traditional fee-for-service practices.
Q: Are there extra fees for visits?
A: No. Members have no visit fees or copays, and many procedures are included in your direct primary care membership. If you receive any specialty procedures that do have a charge with us we will inform you of the total cost before you receive care. We believe in full transparency of health care costs.
Q: How is Direct Primary Care different from Concierge membership?
A: With Direct Primary Care, members have no additional costs for telemedicine or onsite visits. They also receive deep discounts for labs and imaging. With concierge membership you pay an access fee to join the clinic and continue to use your insurance for covered services such as onsite or telemedicine visits, labs, and procedures. You may have co-pays and co-insurance.
Q: What's included in my Liberty Lake Direct Primary Care Membership?
A: Most service performed in the clinic are included. Examples of covered items include visits with your doctor, physical evaluations, EKGs, suturing, foreign body removal, skin tag removal, biopsies, etc. See our Services page for more detail.
Q: What happens if I call the office with an urgent medical question?
A: The quickest way to reach me during the day is via Spruce text. If it is urgent – please mark URGENT. Call if your message has not been responded to in 30 minutes. After hours, phone me with urgent matters, and e-mail with routine questions that can be handled the next day. Sometimes I may ask you to schedule a face-to-face appointment, but I try to use communication technology to answer you as quickly as possible.

If you are asking for a prescription renewal, please give me 48-hour notice.  I will need a pharmacy number, any allergies, and the medicines you need to be renewed.

Q: What about making an appointment?
A: At Liberty Lake Direct Primary Care, I want to have an appointment with you during the first month of your membership. Members schedule follow up and urgent visits the same day or next day by texting or calling.

For life-threatening emergencies, please call 911 first, then alert me. I can call ahead to the Emergency Room to give the attending doctor your background information.

Q: What about labs?
A: I negotiate highly discounted prices on your behalf and offer transparency so you have no unexpected expenses.
Q: What about imaging?
A: I negotiate cash pay prices for imaging which is much cheaper than insurance based pricing – often times 30-50% cheaper! If you have insurance you may also use it for imaging.
Q: How do I get a prescription renewed?
A: You can text, email, or call the office. You can also ask your pharmacy to contact us on your behalf.
If you get your medications at our office, I may need to speak with you to find out how things are going prior to dispensing your next 3 month supply.
If you need a prescription sent to a mail order pharmacy or phoned to a new pharmacy, give the name of the medicine, strength, directions and quantity you are requesting, the pharmacy phone or fax number, and patient ID number if needed.
Q: What about opioids or other controlled medications?
A: I don’t dispense opioids or other controlled medications from my office. I don’t prescribe oxycodone, hydrocodone, or fentanyl as Long-Term Opioid Therapy for chronic pain. I treat chronic pain using a patient-centered multidisciplinary approach using current published guidelines. Because controlled medications for inducing sleep have been associated with adverse outcomes, I avoid using them for long-term therapy, but instead use cognitive-behavioral therapy for chronic insomnia.
Q: What if I am admitted to a hospital?
A: If you require hospitalization, I use hospitalists who specialize in emergency and hospital care. Let me know that you are hospitalized, and I will contact you and help to coordinate your care during and after your discharge from the hospital.
Q: When would you make a house call?
A: Medical problems may prevent a person who is too sick to travel from coming to the physician’s office. I offer house calls or virtual visits as appropriate. House calls may incur a doctor’s travel fee, which I will discuss with you before the visit.
Q: What about specialists?
A: I will refer to specialists if the need arises and usually after a clinic evaluation to reduce costly referrals. Specialty care is outside the scope of Direct Primary Care, but there are still times we can help negotiate much lower cash pay prices for surgeries or procedures.
Q: Does Direct Primary Care bill insurance?
A: I do not bill insurance companies. This frees me up from cumbersome insurance rules and prior authorizations.  I focus on our members’ health care, not on insurance reimbursement. However, if you have medical insurance, you may submit claims to them for specialists, outside services, immunizations, and procedures for reimbursement.
Q: What if I have Medicare?
A: I am committed to offering care to Medicare patients.  I have “opted-out” of receiving Medicare payment for my services.  However, I can order tests and referrals for patients with Medicare. Direct Primary Care provides excellent coordination and quality for aging and disabled patients.
Q: What if I have TRICARE insurance?
A:  Tricare Prime requires an in-network provider to order referrals and tests, and my DPC practice is considered out-of-network. Switching to Tricare Standard or TRICARE For Life is the recommended solution.
Q: What about major medical coverage?
A: Direct Primary Care is not insurance. You can purchase insurance through your employer, or on the individual market. You can also consider medical cost sharing programs to cover your larger medical expenses. If your employer pays for health insurance, DPC membership is an excellent option for your primary care needs. You can still use your insurance for services outside of Liberty Lake Direct Primary Care. I do not require you to have insurance to be a member of Liberty Lake Direct Primary Care. Having insurance will not change your charges with me.
Q: Is the monthly Direct Primary Care membership fee tax deductible or covered by an HSA?
A: Members should consult their tax advisor or Human Resources Department regarding their particular circumstance.
Q: Will I benefit from Direct Primary Care if I don’t need frequent medical attention?
A: Yes. Everyone benefits from services tailored directly for them. That’s why I offer truly personal healthcare. I are here for you if you are sick or hurt, but I also help you promote good health. Visits with me will be thorough, relaxed, and as long as you need to address your health concerns. The longer you are my patient, the better I can help you improve your health.
Q: Will I be required to pay membership dues if I do not use your services?
A: Yes. The membership allows you to be a member of the practice whether you are sick or well. However, I request that you make at least one office visit per year for an annual physical. I strongly encourage you to utilize wellness consultations and emails for appropriate non­-urgent health related questions, regardless of your state of health.
Q: If your practice grows and you get too busy, will I have a difficult time reaching you like a fee-for-service doctor?
A: No. The maximum number of patients in my practice will be 200, which is much less than in my former practice. This allows me, or the physician on-call for me, to always be available to you.
Q: What do I do if become ill while traveling or away on an extended vacation?
A: Call 911 if you have a life-threatening emergency. Then call me. For a minor problem, call me first. With the exception of controlled substances, I can order prescriptions anywhere in the country. If you seek care at an emergency room or urgent care center out of our area, I will be readily available for phone consultation with you and/or health care personnel. If you require hospitalization while away, at your request, I will establish phone communication with you and your attending physician(s) to ensure continuity of care.
Q: I am a business owner with W2 employees who offers health insurance to staff. How can my business LOWER the cost of health insurance year over year?
A: I’d like to introduce you to a health agency who are subject matter experts in removing hidden costs. They can build my services into a health insurance plan in order to provide high quality primary care & access for your staff and their families. The 5-minute video below is produced by Virtuous Benefits.

Virtuous Benefits works with DPC to make health insurance affordable

Q: Where can I learn more about Direct Primary Care?