DrRic's Out of Network Fee Schedule

Question: Which business model offers reimbursement after 90 days of submitting a bill?
Answer:   Medical insurance.
Question: Which business model is guaranteed to reimburse you lower than what you charge?
Answer:   Medical insurance.
Question: Which service-base-industry requires you to pay back for intellectual services rendered to a patient if the non medical person says you never rendered services regardless of what the patient reveals.
Answer:   Medical insurance.
Question: Which industry does a 3rd party get between a healer and a patient then makes money from both?
Answer:   Medical insurance.

2014.  Insurance based medical care requires lengthy documentation, expensive recording software, full time staff to communicate, submit and approve medical procedures.  This is before a patient ever walks into an exam room.  The only way to break even between bills and reimbursement is to see high volume.  High volume leads to rapid diagnosis and generalized treatment plans.   This is where people become "symptoms" and prescription medicines become "cures".
2014.  My wife's office manager dies from colon cancer at 56 years of age.  She had the will to live but but was given a treatment plan that was based on generalized statistics.  She actually died from a demoralized lack of hope, dehydration, starvation, and side effects of antibiotics.....the cancer didn't kill her.  I watched Kathy go through the slow approval of medical therapy, the lack of compassion to her individual case and the poor knowledge of nutrition and alternative/complementary care that would have worked well with the non cancer complications she was going through.  She did not have to suffer.
2014.  I embark on promoting individualized health care using my board certified training in Family Medicine, my alternative training in Medical Acupuncture, Yoga/Meditation Instruction and Integrative Medicine (Board Eligible).  I utilize a 3rd party secure "Cloud" medical record system that costs an annual fee of $40.00+;  I sell no supplements in my office and defer patients to reliable supplement stores in my area (where I shop); I design treatment plans utilizing what we can from covered benefits while at the same time initiating lifestyle changes that will hopefully be sustainable with as much natural change as possible.  I have partnered with Advocate Medical Group to establish a footprint in the Bartlett area so there are many insurance companies that are contracted however designated days for Integrative Consults are once a week/standard medical visits ("speed medicine") apply for the majority of my office hours.  I have to honor the healthcare group paying my salary by being financially profitable but at the same time I must fulfill my calling to teach/empower/change people with more than just prescription medicines.  No matter how long we live or how many diseases we encounter, if we lived a healthy productive life-in the end there will be no regrets.

Fees for face-to-face time are related to the complexity of your case:

Consults at The Center of Healing (Integrative Medicine/Medical Acupuncture)

60 minutes=$300.00
45 minutes=$250.00

30 minutes=$150.00

Acupuncture=$100.00

Phone/Internet Consults (Online Link)
60 minutes=$200.00
30-45 minutes=$100.00
21-30 minutes=$60.00
11-20 minutes=$40.00
5-10   minutes=$20.00

As an alternative to seeing me, I have fellow graduates who have been trained through the same program and take medical insurance- Integrative Medicine Physicians.  Realize there is only one fellowship in the US that prepares physicians to qualify for the Integrative Medicine Board..... my alma mater-The Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine.

House Rules

When my patients come to me for lifestyle change, they usually don't bring family members in.  I love the process of creating steps to change but only assume everyone at home will be participating/supporting the steps.  No two plans are the same, everyone has different likes, educational levels, adverse memories, food 't intolerance's, stressors or previous attempts.  The one things I can't fathom is how the spouse and kids will react to the changes that are usually restrictive.

No question that if a parent is making a change the likelihood of the child having the same medical problem is high.  Whether it is expressing itself now or later doesn't matter, disease always leads to a bad outcome. To make a major shift in bad habits, craving control or trigger avoidance will take a lot of energy and may lead to some emotional "PMS-ing" even if you are a guy!  If your family and coworkers are unaware of your journey, relationships can be destroyed.  If they understand, they too may be inspired to drop a habit.

Counseling should be a requirement for the journey since unhealthy coping skills have been adopted to get you to poor health.  Excuses are abundant as to why the weight is high, cholesterol is in bold print, and kids tease you about body parts that belong in the zoo.  As tight as we hold onto and defend our reasons for ill health, it will be the ultimate "stress response" to let them go.   Think of  an addict going through the shakes, irritability, hallucinations, vomiting and headache......and that is just from caffeine!  If you are trying to let go of your "comfort food", your nightcap, your morning wake up, or any high risk behavior.....getting everyone to lend a hand would increase success.  Family should always be for you unconditionally but just in case, the behavioral health profession is very good at listening and making suggestions that have worked for your predecessors.

Home should be sanctuary as it encompasses 1/3 of your life.  During the worst times of your life, there should be a place to retreat away from stressors (work, traffic, cable TV, food industry).  If you can't harness the support of family, they should be the ones being counseled.   A happier/healthier you will exude positive energy, problem solving, creativity and love.....the law of attraction will bring positive results to those around you.  (The House Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand )