What does the monthly membership cover?

The monthly membership covers top of the line direct primary care by providing open access to our services. Feel free to visit us in our office, call us when you need us, text us, or email us. You can schedule your annual wellness exam, regular check-up, basic office procedures, and integrative and functional medicine consultations. Our members also have access to wholesale pricing laboratory testing, wholesale imaging services, as well as wholesale medications. Point of care testing is provided free of charge (EKG, Vitals, Blood Glucose, Strep Testing, Urinalysis)

What can I expect as a patient?

At Concierge Health Network you can expect short wait times, longer appointments, and almost 24/7 access to your doctor. No more rushed visits or waiting weeks for an appointment. You can contact Dr. Schneider via phone, text, or e­mail, day or night. 

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Does Concierge Health Network see patients of all ages?

Currently, Dr. Schneider only sees patients 5 and above. However, there are exceptions to this rule. Please contact Dr. Schneider for more information if you fall outside of this age range. 

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Do I still need health insurance?

All patients are encouraged to have medical insurance coverage, as Concierge Health Network membership does not replace insurance and is not health care insurance. The ACA legislation does exempt patients from the underinsured/non­insured tax if you have major medical/catastrophic coverage and a physician on retainer, which is what you will get with Concierge Health Network. 

 

One way to save money on your healthcare is by getting insurance with low premiums and high deductibles. DPC doctors strive to eliminate insurance claims. Let's say you need some routine lab tests. Why pay $200+ towards a deductible you're unlikely to meet when you can get the same tests from a Concierge Health Network for $15 in cash? (That in many cases can also be applied to your deductible!)

How is Concierge Health Network different than traditional medical clinics?

Concierge Health Network uses an innovative model of care known as Direct Primary Care (DPC). In this model, doctors are paid directly by their patients, rather than through governmental payers or insurance companies. Basically, we cut out the middle man, along with the hassles. This model of health care is rapidly growing. DPC is reminiscent of the doctor-patient relationship from times gone by, when doctors didn’t have thousands of patients, had plenty of time to spend with you, and you didn’t have to wait weeks for your appointment. Cutting out all the middlemen and red tape increases the doctor and the patient's satisfaction, and dramatically cuts costs. Savings through DPC yearly can be upwards of several $1,000's. 

Every year I feel like I am being robbed by how much I pay for health care insurance! What are my options?

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Unfortunately this is an all to uncommon problem today, and this is where Concierge Health Network comes in. Health insurance is not the same as health care, and health care does not have to be expensive. We don't have to insure primary care and primary care can be affordable. Direct Primary Care is the answer to this problem.

 

However, even if you're using DPC to cover your preventative care and routine medical needs, you still need to be protected from catastrophic expenses in rare case of a medical emergency such as hospitalization, surgery, etc. DPC is not health care insurance and does not replace the need for health care insurance. 

 

There are affordable short-term catastrophic insurance products, but most of these are only good for a few months. While they're very affordable and offer catastrophic protection, if you get a medical condition while you're on a short-term plan, the insurance company will decline to renew your short term policy once it expires. This makes this a poor option over-all (not to mention you have to re-enroll several times a year to keep active coverage).

 

Although the ACA all but eliminated "major medical" or "catastrophic" health insurance market (products that pair very well with DPC), there are still some plans available. However, they're not ACA compatible, and at least for now, you'll probably have to pay the affordable care act tax for having such a plan. That's right, your government punishes you for insuring yourself if you choose one of these plans. Some choose to go this route, and just pay the tax.

 

A third option exists for people of the Christian faith, which works very well for many Concierge Health Network patients, and that is joining one of the Christian Health Sharing Ministries (CHSM). These non-profit companies existed before the ACA was enacted and were grandfathered in. They generally exist as underwritten refund-style memberships (where you get paid back by other members for your qualified healthcare expenses.) Often, they function much like catastrophic insurance, and are very affordable compared to ACA-compliant insurance plans, and because they are faith-based, the plans exempt the members from paying the ACA penalty tax. CHSMs include Liberty HealthShare, MediShare, Samaritan Ministries, and several others. A quick internet search will help you research these ministries.

 

Lastly, there are still catastrophic plans available as group insurance products, as well as self-funded or partially-self-funded "ERISA" plans. Although these plans can save you lots of money, they're only available to groups, (I.e. employers.) Talk to your employer about finding a plan like this, as some of these companies give significant discounts to employers whose patients use DPC practices, and such employers are saving up to 60% on their insurance expenses. Allied National is a good example.

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The above information is for educational purposes only. We are not licensed health insurance agents. It is advised that you consult with a license health insurance agent to review all of your options along with what type and level of health insurance is best for you. 

Are my membership fees reimbursable by my health insurance company?

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In some cases, you can submit a receipt for your membership fees or lab/medication costs to your insurance companies and they will apply these payments toward a deductible. For questions in regards to this issues please speak to you license health insurance agent or health insurance company representative. 

Can I use my HSA (Health Savings Account) to pay for my membership?

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The law currently allows the use of HSA money to pay for medications, imaging tests, labs, etc. However, it is legally unclear if HSA funds can be used to pay for DPC membership fees. This is a question for your tax professional. Legislation has been proposed to clear up the question regarding if HSA money can be spent on a DPC physician's retainer or membership fee.

How can Dr. Schneider offer same or next day appointments and longer office appointments?

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Dr. Schneider only plans to accept approximately 500 patients. Considering that modern era physicians have patient panels of 4,000 or more patients, it's no wonder why you encounter long waits and very little time with your doctor. We keep our patient panel low so we can spend plenty of time with you and get you in when you need it. This is the same type of care we expect for our own family and what we offer for our patients.

What kind of medications can I get wholesale from Concierge Health Network's Pharmacy?

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As a member, you have access to our entire pharmacy, and you pay only wholesale, which is almost always below retail pharmacy prices. We only dispense medications we can save you money on. Therefore, we primarily dispense generic medications. Name-brand prescriptions are generally expensive, and therefore you'll normally get a better price on name brand drugs using an insurance prescription drug benefit or a prescription drug discount card at your local pharmacy. We also do not dispense any DEA-controlled medications such as narcotic pain medicine, sedatives, or stimulants.

Is Dr. Schneider available after-hours for his members?

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We know that illness and injuries don't always happen during office hours. If you just need to get in touch with us to order a medication refill or schedule an appointment, you can directly call, text, or email Dr. Schneider. For urgent and non-urgent issue after-hours, Dr. Schneider is only a phone call or text away!

Are there medications that Dr. Schneider does not prescribe?

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Dr. Schneider is not accepting new patients for pharmaceutical treatment of Chronic Pain. New Opioid Prescribing Guidelines have recently been released by the CDC to combat the prescription drug abuse epidemic, and those patients who use narcotics for chronic pain are encouraged to seek a pain treatment center.

 

Dr. Schneider does not prescribe weight loss medications, due to lack of proven long-term effectiveness and adverse risk profile and side effects of such medications.

 

Dr. Schneider does not prescribe controlled sedatives for the treatment of chronic anxiety.

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For exceptions to the above information please reach out to Dr. Schneider directly. 

Does Dr. Schneider see patient on a fee-for-service basis if they are not a member or for consultation only?

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Yes, we do offer visits to patients who are not members on a consultation only basis. This offering is very limited and may not be readily available. New patient consultation is $185, with all follow-up consultations being $150. All consultations include a 15 minute follow-up phone call within one month of consultation. Patient consultation concerns include: General medical issues addressed from a integrative and functional medicine standpoint. 

 

Concierge Health Network will also provide affordable office visits to visiting family members of Concierge Health Network members. We understand that it's always miserable to get sick or hurt when you're away from home.

Is there a fee to join or cancel my membership?

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For each new patient there is a enrollment fee of $100 per adult and $50 per child. Monthly membership plans can be billed monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annually per request. 

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We understand that your medical needs may change, and we want to help you through whatever transitions you're making. If you need to cancel, we would appreciate a 30 day notice. If you sign up for a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual term and decide to cancel, your remaining balance will be refunded without question. If you choose to re-join Concierge Health Network in the future after previously cancelling your membership there may be a re-enrollment fee of up to $300 per person or up to $500 maximum per couple or family membership plan.