Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a model of healthcare that puts patients first. It eliminates the “red tape” in the traditional medical model that adds cost, wastes time, and interferes with caring for patients. Many view DPC as a new and innovative model for medical care, but it isn’t really new, just a return to the way medical care used to be. The patient and the provider work together to improve your health and well-being, without any interference from insurance companies or administrators.

Lower costs: There are no copays, no deductibles, no hidden costs. Prices are transparent up front and at a significant discount, so you can make an informed decision.
Time and Convenience: No rushed visits, no waiting for an appointment, telemedicine visits, and access to your provider 24/7.
Better Care: We are not claiming to be better providers. However, we have the time to spend with you to address all of your concerns, to research and consult with specialists, to follow up with you often, and to customize your care to your specific needs. We feel this leads to better care overall and a more pleasant experience.
For more information, see our Benefits page.

No, we do not accept any insurance. This is what allows us to provide the better service and lower costs we offer, and to maintain a truly personal patient-provider relationship without interference.

Yes, while we can handle a majority of your medical issues, we recommend you maintain an insurance plan for use with specialists, hospitalizations, and for emergencies. I recommend a high deductible plan with a Health Savings Account, which many people already have.

Due to the current Medicare regulations, we are prohibited from seeing Medicare patients for any covered services unless we bill those services to Medicare, even though you may choose to utilize our model instead . Until we are able to opt-out of the Medicare program, we are unable to see or accept any patients that currently have Medicare.

There are times when seeing a specialist may be necessary. In such cases you would use your insurance as you have in the past. We will work closely with the specialist before your visit to ensure they have all of the information they need, and after your visit to ensure your care plan is comprehensive and maintained appropriately.

If you have an illness or injury which you feel may be serious or life threatening, call 911 or go to the nearest Emergency Room.
If you are in the Emergency Room or are admitted to the hospital, you or a family member may contact us. We will be happy to provide the ER provider or Hospitalist in charge of your care with any and all information they require and can help to coordinate your care with them.

We know insurance is expensive. We also know most people do not ever reach their deductible, so the care they do receive still comes out of their pocket and is more costly than it needs to be. This is where we can make a difference. Our goal is to save you more than the cost of your membership in the following ways:

• No copays
• No charges for visits or for most procedures
• Significantly discounted medications
• Significantly discounted lab testing
• Access to significantly discounted imaging

Your lab samples can be collected in our office. For those labs that we cannot complete in the office, the samples will be sent to a fully accredited laboratory service and are provided at a significant discount when billed to our office. We pass these savings on to you directly. Alternatively, you can choose to have the laboratory service bill your insurance directly. In this case we cannot give you a cost estimate or guarantee that your insurance will cover the test.

We offer many of the most common medications in our office at wholesale prices. If we do not currently have the medication you require, we can easily give you a cost estimate that you can use to compare your options, and in most cases I can have the medication for you in 1-2 business days. For some patients, the cost savings on medications alone far outweighs the cost of their membership.

If you prefer to fill your medication at the local pharmacy, or if we cannot provide the medication at a significant discount, your prescriptions can be faxed or printed for you as at any other practice.

Yes! We understand that life happens, and situations arise that make coming into the office difficult. If in our opinion the situation warrants a house call, we will come to you at no additional charge.

Please see our membership page for a full list of covered services. As always, transparency is our goal. You will always know ahead of time if something requires an additional charge.

Currently, no. Your membership fee is not a qualified medical expense according to the IRS. We are hoping this changes in the near future. However, any charges you pay for lab work, medications, or imaging ARE qualified medical expenses.

At the current time, since the membership fee is not considered a qualified medical expense, it most likely cannot be paid with your HSA or FSA. Please contact your plan administrator in order to clarify. Lab, medication, and imaging costs should be payable with your HSA, however.

No, membership at Cannon Family Practice is not insurance and does not qualify as insurance according to the IRS. Also, your membership fee is not deductible as a medical expense for tax purposes. Other expenses, such as labs, medications, and imaging, would qualify as medical expenses.

Nurse Practioners (NPs) are Registered Nurses (RNs) who have pursued additional education and clinical experience to become Advanced Practice Nurses. NPs are quickly becoming the health partner of choice for millions of Americans. As clinicians that blend clinical expertise in diagnosing and treating health conditions with an added emphasis on disease prevention and health management, NPs bring a comprehensive perspective to health care.

All NPs must complete a master’s or doctoral degree program, and have advanced clinical training beyond their initial professional registered nurse preparation. Didactic and clinical courses prepare nurses with specialized knowledge and clinical competency to practice in primary care, acute care and long-term health care settings.

To learn more about Nurse Practitioners and their qualifications, you can read more here.