Tag: family doctor

What is direct primary care?

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Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an innovative alternative payment model improving access to high functioning healthcare with a simple, flat, affordable membership fee.  No fee-for-service payments.  No third-party billing.  The defining element of DPC is an enduring and trusting relationship between a patient and his or her primary care provider.  Patients have extraordinary access to a physician of their choice, often for as little as $65 per month, and physicians are accountable first and foremost their patients.  DPC is embraced by health policymakers on the left and right and creates happy patients and happy doctors all over the country!

Better Health Outcomes

Patients achieve superior health outcomes with Direct Primary Care’s innovative service delivery.  DPCs provide better access to physicians, empower an authentic therapeutic relationship, and comprehensive patient care.  

Lower Costs

Affordable, transparent costs based on a periodic overall flat rate (i.e. membership or subscription).  Patients pay for their care directly to the physician.  No third parties or Fee for Service billing (“FFS”) to inflate costs. Most DPC memberships/subscriptions cost less than the average cell phone bill.

Enhanced Patient Experience

Patients receive unrestrictive access to their healthcare provider, report little to no wait time, and longer appointments (in person, virtually, or phone). In turn, creating a real therapeutic relationship between patient and provider.

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HOW TO DEAL WITH NECK PAIN IN Lincolnton, NC

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A common musculoskeletal issue is “text neck” where we look down at our devices like tablets, phones, and computers throughout the day. This can stretch the muscles at the base of your skull and cause those muscles to spasm when they get over stretched.

My favorite modality for treating text neck is about repositioning our bodies and stretching our neck muscles gently twice daily. These twice daily stretches will keep your neck muscles loose and diminish spasming over time. The more consistent you can be with stretching, the better your improvement.

If your symptoms persist – if you have continued neck muscle spasming, you can try medications like NSAIDS or muscle relaxants. Of course, talk to your doctor before you use these medications to make sure that they don’t cause any stomach irritation or kidney damage.

It would be reasonable to try Ibuprofen 600 mg if you experience neck muscle spasms that cannot be controlled or that cause pain. Ibuprofen is an NSAID.

An alternative would be to take Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) 10 mg 1 hour prior to bed time – this is a prescription medication so please consult with your physician before using a medication like this. Cyclobenzaprine is a muscle relaxant and patients get relief when they use this medication as it relaxes skeletal muscles. But it cannot be taken within 8 hours of driving or operating heavy machinery as it causes drowsiness in some patients, so we have our patients take the medication 1 hour prior to bedtime.

Another alternative to neck pain treatment is integrated musculoskeletal care. These treatments take less than 15 minutes and they can focus on relaxing/manually stretching the muscles in the neck. Our nurse practitioner at our office, Amanda has completed specialized training for this therapy and follow up. The best part….it is included in your membership at no additional cost!

A combination of the above modalities would reduce the muscle spasms that you’re experiencing in your neck.

Thanks for reading. To see if this option is one for you, call and schedule a consultation with Amanda today, 704-240-5260. collierfamilymedical.com

Enroll now.

Collier Family Medical for Small Business

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DPC for Employers (direct primary care)

Do you want to offer great health care to your employees? Are you looking to supplement your existing benefits plan? We are happy to provide you and your employees access to great health care via the direct primary care model! We already have several local businesses in the Lincolnton area offering this to their employees. Please call for references, or to speak to us more about this benefit option.

A Collier Family Medical membership pairs well with either a high deductible health plan, or a self-funded plan. Don’t offer insurance? No problem, we can still enroll your company and provide them with excellent family medical care. Membership fees are collected monthly through automatic payments, and is a month-to-month agreement. Eligibility and enrollment changes can be made at any time.


Why offer Direct Primary Care to your employees?

Same Day Access – Get employees back to health and work sooner by taking care of smaller problems quickly.  No need for urgent care when you can text your doctor and not have to wait.  Our waiting room is usually empty!

Virtual Visits – In some cases, there’s no need to even leave work. Employees who are members of Collier Family Medical can quickly get answers to their health questions by calling or texting the doctor directly. No office visit is necessary in many cases. As a member, all texts, calls, and visits are included. Of course, we do offer same day appointments as well.

Discount Labs and Medications – All of the other benefits of membership are extended to employee members as well, sometimes saving them hundreds of $$ on copays, labs and medications.

Employers get a discount!

Our discount for businesses is to waive the enrollment fee, and to allow spouses and children 19 and under to enroll without an enrollment fee. Find out more about how you can keep your business healthier with direct primary care.

We’d love to talk with you directly about setting up an employer sponsored membership for Collier Family Medical. We will be happy to come to your place of business and do an on-site presentation about what we do and how it can benefit your organization. Please give us a call at 704-240-5260 to get started.

How do I manage my employees?

We have an employer “portal” that allows you to self-manage who is on your roster. Employees enter their own sign-up information with your approval. As the employer, you are not responsible for any protected health information (PHI). Our system separates the employer from the employee’s health information. Once they are eligible for the employer program, we will manage the onboarding and patient care entirely, yet you as the employer have complete control over who is on your company’s roster. When employees come off your roster, they are welcome to continue as patients with us, but must pay for their membership as a private member would.

Already offer health insurance?

These days most health insurance plans have a significant deductible, often a very large deductible. The deductible is the amount you spend OUT OF POCKET for medical care until your insurance even STARTS paying. So, for example, a $3000 deductible is illustrated below (most deductibles are now $5000-6000):

*Example


**Collier Family Medical membership is $65/month**

Ready to sign up now? Please call us at 704-240-5260 and we’ll get you started!

Attention Small Business Owners in Lincolnton, NC

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What incentives are you giving your employees? Do you offer benefits? At Collier Family Medical we are contracting with small businesses to be able to provide a healthcare benefit to keep employees healthier, feel appreciated, and keep them at work. Collier Family Medical offers unlimited office appointments without co-pays, free routine lab work, SEVEN of the top prescribed medications are FREE, and a FREE app for after-hours care to avoid the urgent cares and emergency room visits. DPC not only lowers costs but also leads to better overall health for their employees. At CFM we are happy to come to your business meetings, to speak at your employee events, and to educate your team about the benefits of having us as your primary care provider.

Reasons why to choose Collier Family Medical to partner with your business for a healthcare benefit.

  1. Saves money…healthcare is one of the largest expenses second to payroll. We can keep your employees healthier, by offering personalized care, same day appointments, on-site medications, and after-hours care.
  2. Incentivizes Health. Instead of promoting a “sick plan,” one where sickness is managed through reactive care, DPC chooses to finance health by being proactive. This means healthier employees at a lower cost. When an Employer chooses to switch to DPC, they are incentivized to stay healthy in order to reduce health claims, thereby saving the company money. With FFS, the cost remains the same no matter how healthy or sick the employees become.
  3. Unrivaled Patient Care. DPC members rave about the doctor-patient relationship, frequent communication from the practice staff, and 24/7 access — just three of the many facets of patient experience that FFS seems to be missing. Check out our webpage to read real-life testimonials, quick anecdotes, and see the value of Direct Primary Care.

Check our website out www.collierfamilymedical.com

Contact Amanda Collier, family nurse practitioner and small business owner @ amandacollier@collierfamilymedical.com. 704-240-5260.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN I APPLY MY DPC SUBSCRIPTION TO MY INSURANCE DEDUCTIBLE OR IS IT TAX DEDUCTIBLE?

If you have a deductible for an umbrella or catastrophic policy, your monthly CFM fee will not count toward your medical insurance deductible. HSAs (Health Savings Accounts) or Flexible Spending Accounts may allow you to pay your subscription with pre-tax dollars. You should check with your specific plan to find out if it applies.

DO YOU SHARE MY MEDICAL RECORDS WITH INSURANCE CARRIERS?

Absolutely not. CFM maintains scrupulous standards of privacy. We will never disclose your medical records to any third party unless you specifically ask that we do so.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I NEED TO GO TO THE HOSPITAL OR SEE A SPECIALIST?

Our goal is to minimize your visits to the hospital and specialists. In the event a visit is necessary, we will work closely with any specialist or hospital care provider that is sharing in your care. In some cases, depending on the level of care required, we may rely on those specialized caregivers to manage your treatment.

WHAT ABOUT REFERRALS, TESTING OR PRESCRIPTIONS?

As your personal physician, we will be able to coordinate appointments and, to the best of our ability, expedite the waiting time for the visit. We will then be able to follow-up with you and your specialist after the visit. Your X-rays or other imaging studies will be ordered and set up just like in a traditional practice. As a patient of CFM, you may be eligible for discounted imaging studies and prescription medications through our local partnership agreements.

I AM FAIRLY HEALTHY AND DON’T GO TO THE DOCTOR OFTEN. HOW DOES A DPC PRACTICE BENEFIT ME?

It’s not about the quantity of your visits but the quality of your care. At CFM, we work to minimize the need for specialists or trips to the hospital. That means being there when you need us: to answer your questions via email, telephone or in person and seeing you immediately when you’re sick or injured.  Knowing you, your health history and circumstances, we’re able to develop the most effective and efficient plan of treatment. If we can help you avoid even one trip to a specialist or the ER, your annual DPC subscription is more than paid for.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER HOURS AND ON WEEKENDS?

Call the office. You will be directed to our off-site professional nursing service who can address your concerns. They’ll help you determine if you need immediate attention or can wait to be seen in the office during the next business day. Of course, for all emergencies, we advise that you please call 9-1-1.

DOES CFM BILL MY INSURANCE, MEDICARE OR MEDICAID?

CFM does not work with insurance. Since our practice is a direct primary care (DPC) practice, we offer an alternative payment model to traditional third-party insurance. We work directly for you, providing exceptional, personal, direct health care without the increasing constraints and limitations of the government and private insurance companies. If you have health care needs that require specialty or hospital care, you will be responsible for payment of these services as these services are beyond the scope of care covered by your membership with us.

AS A PATIENT OF CFM, DO I STILL NEED HEALTH INSURANCE?

We strongly recommend an additional umbrella or catastrophic health insurance plan to cover health care costs that fall beyond the services we provide. These include specialist care, hospitalization, radiological imaging and lab tests other than those provided in our office. The most cost-effective insurance to pair with your direct primary care membership might be a high deductible/HSA plan or catastrophic/umbrella policy.

DOES CFM ACCEPT MEDICARE/MEDICAID PATIENTS?

Our direct primary care practice model is designed as an alternative to traditional third-party insurance. Therefore, patients who are enrolled in Medicaid or have a Medicare or private insurance supplemental plan are not eligible for participation in CFM. Medicare patients who have chosen to only have Medicare Part A, can enroll with CFM, using our direct primary care practice as a supplemental plan equivalent.

CAN I STILL USE CFM IF I AM UNINSURED?

Of course! DPC was designed, in part, for people without insurance.

IS YOUR PRACTICE CONCIERGE CARE?

CFM is a “direct primary care” practice. We provide similar access and quality of care when compared to a concierge practice however at a much more affordable price.