Commonly Asked Questions

• What is MyCare PHC?
• How can MyCare PHC provide this level of personal attention?
• What services are included in my membership?
• What if I have an emergency?
• What exactly is a MyCare PHC Special Visit?
• Can I change from one PHC Program to another?
• Will my insurance pay the membership fee?
• Will I also be expected to cover co-pays and other charges?
• So, do I still need insurance if I become a member?
• What if I do not have health insurance right now? Can I still join?
• Is there some way to make this more affordable for me?
• Do I have to join MyCare PHC right now or can I wait?
• Can I meet with you before becoming a member?
• OK, so what is with "the heart inside of the apple" logo?

MyCare PHC is a primary care medical practice that is dedicated to keeping its patients as healthy as possible for as long as possible.

The practice has been designed in a manner that allows the physician to work directly for the patient. As the coach or quarterback of the patient's health "team", the MyCare PHC personal physician is responsible for maximizing the patient's health and wellness during times of illness as well as in times of good health.

The MyCare PHC physician operates from a holistic perspective, treating the whole person and not just the disease, injury, condition, or symptom. MyCare PHC believes in employing a multi-disciplinary approach, utilizing all of the methods of traditional medicine along with a broad spectrum of other therapies designed to ensure the optimal outcome for the patient.

Patients enjoy practically unlimited access to their doctor, with the ability to reach their personal physician via cell phone 24/7; to schedule an appointment for the same day that they need one; and to visit with the doctor for as long as they would like, with minimal waiting room time. In addition, MyCare PHC is there for its patients in those urgent situations where health care requirements are unforeseen. Whether it is an emergency house call, a trip to the Emergency Room, or a consultation with a specialist, the MyCare PHC physician can be there for the patient when needed most.

The overall goal of this design is to ensure that the relationship between the physician and the patient truly flourishes, allowing MyCare PHC to profoundly improve the overall wellness and long-term health of its patients.

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MyCare PHC operates under the practice model of "patient-focused medicine" or, as it is more commonly known, "concierge medicine." Traditional primary care practices can have as many as 3,000-4,000 patients per physician; at MyCare PHC, we limit the number of patients to 400 per physician. Under this model, patients are asked to pay a membership fee that allows them to participate in one of the PHC Programs offered by MyCare PHC. By eliminating the necessity of having a third-party (i.e. insurance company) involved in the financial arrangement, MyCare PHC physicians are free to work directly for their patients and provide them a level of personal attention that would be appropriate for members of the doctor's own family.

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The practice itself is designed to provide all of the medical care and related services that one would expect from a primary care physician. The additional amenities that come with membership in a MyCare PHC Program vary depending on the program in which you are enrolled. Many of these amenities, however, are common between the PHC Access Program, the PHC Security Plus Program, and the PHC Maximum Advantage Program including:

• Same day appointments (within 24 hours of request)
• Appointments with minimal or no waiting time
• No time limits on visits with your physician
• 24/7 access to your personal physician via phone and email
• Phone calls returned by physician within 15 minutes
• Email consultation with physicians with guaranteed 12-hour response time
• Annual complete medical Physical
• Semi-annual Wellness Consultation with physician/health coach
• Coordination of all medical care, including direct consultation with specialists
• Some number of MyCare PHC Special Visits per year

For more detailed information regarding the specific amenities included in each MyCare PHC Program, please click on the corresponding link below:

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If you have a true emergency, we advise you to call 911 immediately. After you call 911, please call your MyCare PHC personal physician on the cell phone number provided. Your doctor will help you until the paramedics arrive, and will coordinate your emergency care thereafter via telephone. If you choose to, or if the situation requires it, a MyCare PHC Special Visit can be utilized and your personal physician will meet you at the Emergency Room to provide you with onsite care facilitation.

For minor urgent problems that do not require paramedics, call MyCare PHC straight away and your personal physician will assist you in taking care of the problem. Regardless of the time of day or night, your MyCare PHC physician will attempt to resolve your minor urgent issue directly.

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MyCare PHC believes that in order to fulfill its mission of keeping patients as well as possible for as long as possible, we must be there for the patient in times of greatest urgency. By definition, these instances are often unforeseen and almost always require the delivery of services outside of the normal scheduled office appointment environment. Special Visits are the mechanism by which MyCare PHC provides these services to its members.

The following is the list of services that qualify as a Special Visit under the MyCare PHC Programs:

• Home visits - Scheduled appointments in the home
• Workplace visits - Appointments at the workplace (if within acceptable geographic limit)
• Emergency Room - Meeting members at the ER to facilitate emergency care
• Chaperone services - Attend visits with specialists as personal medical chaperone
• Hospital/Nursing Home visits
• Wellness Sessions
• Appointments for family members or guests in need of unexpected care

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Yes. Folks of different ages or with varying health circumstances will find that different programs appeal to them. If you become a long-term member, you may one day find that you have moved into a situation that is different than when you first joined. You have the flexibility to determine which program is right for you throughout your membership in MyCare PHC.

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It is very unlikely that your insurance will cover your membership fees. However, these fees are often reimbursable through medical Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) offered by many employers. In addition, contributions to Health Savings Accounts (HSA) may be eligible for payment of membership fees; HSAs are associated with qualified high-deductible health insurance plans (HDHP). Members are advised to consult their employers' Human Resources/Benefits representative; their FSA and/or HSA plan managers; and/or their accountants, tax consultants or attorneys to clarify these issues in their particular circumstances.

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It is our intention to avoid charging members any additional funds for health care services provided directly by MyCare PHC.

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Yes. MyCare PHC is a medical practice not a health insurance program or health benefit plan. Members are advised to maintain insurance coverage upon joining MyCare PHC, since the member and/or the member's insurance carrier will continue to be financially responsible for any and all procedures and medical services not covered in the membership fee. These include, but are not limited to, blood tests/lab work, x-rays, injections, visits with other doctors/specialists, hospitalization costs, etc.

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Yes. However, folks who do not currently have health insurance must understand that MyCare PHC is not designed to deliver 100% of the health care services that you might require or desire. MyCare PHC is a primary care practice and makes no claims otherwise. When a MyCare PHC personal physician refers a patient to a specialist or to a laboratory, or if the patient requires emergency care or hospitalization, the patient must know that these services are outside of their PHC Program membership.

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There is some evidence to suggest that membership in a "patient-focused" medical practice such as MyCare PHC can allow people to carry a health insurance policy with lower premiums. If you are relatively young and basically in good health, a very high percentage of your expected health care costs will be in primary care. Well, your MyCare PHC membership fee will cover virtually all of your primary care medical expenses.

Your insurance policy, then, is really just a safeguard against unexpected or catastrophic care requirements. It is possible that switching your policy to one with higher deductibles can continue to provide the catastrophic coverage that you need, while reducing your monthly premiums significantly.

If you switch to a policy that is designated as a qualified high-deductible health plan (HDHP), you can also contribute on a tax-free basis to a Health Savings Account (HSA). Each year you and/or your employer can contribute enough money to your HSA to cover 100% of your deductible. The money goes in before taxes, accrues interest tax free, and unlike a traditional Flexible Spending Account (FSA), it rolls over to the next year. The best part is that any withdrawals made to pay for qualified medical expenses are also tax deductible.

Please understand that MyCare PHC makes no claims about being an expert in this topic and strongly recommends that anyone considering a switch to an HDHP/HSA should discuss the ramifications of doing so with their qualified benefits, tax, or legal advisor.

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Of course you have the right to become a member of MyCare PHC at any time that you feel it is in your best interests to do so. That said, MyCare PHC is a practice that, by design, sets a very definite and concrete limit on enrollment. Once we have reached our specified limit, membership will be closed until such time that space becomes available. Every effort will be made to accommodate all interested patients at all times, however we must remain true to the ideal of keeping the practice intimate enough to ensure that each member receives the full attention of the MyCare PHC personal physician.

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Absolutely! In fact, we insist on meeting with all prospective members prior to their joining. The doctor/patient relationship is a two-way street. We are very interested in making sure that new members are ready, willing, and able to take full advantage of their specific PHC Program, and committed to treating it with the respect that it deserves. To schedule an introductory meeting with a MyCare PHC physician, get in touch with us here.

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MyCare PHC exists for the purpose of providing people who value their health with the ability to choose a primary care physician whose singular goal is to keep them as well as possible for as long as possible.

We are sure that every medical practice puts forth its best effort to provide the highest quality, most effective medical care that it can to its patients. That said, we also believe that a medical practice that wants to truly optimize its patients' health must also do two additional things:

1. Establish and foster a relationship with the patient that transcends the professional and moves to the personal, as it was in a bygone era; this is what the heart represents.
2. Proactively emphasize wellness and focus the patient on preventative care in periods of good health. When one thinks of going to the doctor, one assumes a state of illness or discomfort. From this perspective, we want to be the medical practice that "keeps the doctor away"; this is what the apple represents.

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