The five most common complaints of healthcare consumers are long wait times, issues with staff members, amount of time spent with their practitioner, insurance and billing issues, and lack of communication and dismissiveness. Let me share how we have addressed these and why we are different.
Average Visit is 60 Minutes
We don't bill according to time, but our average visit is 60 minutes in duration and for a new client, this only includes listening to you, taking your history, and gathering information. Your physical and further discussion occurs in a separate visit. All of this time is spent with the practitioner, not in the waiting room (in fact we don't even have a waiting room) or with a clinical assistant.
When Dr. Layne was in clinical residency, she was pushed to get new clients completed in TEN minutes. The insanity of this makes clear why our healthcare system is in completely shambles, but the faster individuals are moved through, the greater the reimbursement. Third party payers don't care about time. They care about diagnostic codes, which also mean the more we can assign you in a short amount of time (often misdiagnosing or overdiagnosing) the higher rate the clinician can bill. Imagine seeing a pediatric client and having ten minutes to identify their psychiatric condition and prescribe for it. No wonder why so many feel they aren't heard or understood, and go without proper treatment!
Recurring theme among healthcare consumers is that they don't feel heard and that their concerns are quickly dismissed.
We simply won't engage in this model of care. We want to hear your story. We want to understand your current struggles and your timeline. What are your goals and how can we best help you today, as well as get you to a point of optimal health. We are actually committed to wellness.
No Waiting Room
What was the waiting room in the doctor's office leasing our space prior to us is now our yoga studio. We book our appointments so that we have wiggle room in the event a client needs more time. We rarely have more than one client in the clinic at a time, unless we are seeing a family. We do have an IV Lounge where many clients will hang out if I am with another client, where they are welcome to drinks and treats but our goal is not to have a turn-style clinic environment. I haven't a minimum of twenty clients each clinic day, or heaven forbid, forty! Our goal is quality of care, healing, connection, and personal growth - for you as well as ourselves.
Cash Only Practice
The only way this model works is stepping outside the third party payer model that otherwise straps the hands of its clinicians. There are a plethora of rules and regulations within the insurance model, most of which make no sense for the individual we are serving. When every detail drives reimbursement, those rules become the focus more so than the story the client shares or the individual treatment plan they may require. Education barely registers as a priority within that model, because time is expensive.
If a therapy has proven benefit but the larger corporation doesn't offer it or the third party payer doesn't cover it, you won't hear about it from your clinician. Botanicals don't cushion the bank account, nor does healthy eating or movement so these are just token suggestions. We are doing things our own way based on the literature. We can implement these findings immediately after they are realized in the literature, rather than waiting the typical twenty years for it to be known in clinical practice. We are focused on you. In fact, our clinicians have no administrative role. They don't work on financial incentives. We also aren't forced to utilize the large data where everyone's healthcare information is stored and freely available to any practitioner to peruse. We truly prioritize your private healthcare information.
While referrals are more abundant in the insurance model, we are best suited for a particular type of consumer. Our clients seek education over quick fixes. They want to be a partner in their healthcare, not dictated to and prescribed. You get what you pay for - if it is inexpensive to you, it's probably Dollar General quality. While we are Hollywood famous or priced, we strive for high quality and that demands financial resources to implement.
What this means for you is that when you walk in our office, your story, health and happiness is our primary concern. We can offer your a superbill for reimbursement or you can use your health savings account, but we don't speak the lingo of insurance companies. Our service fees are also exceptionally low, particularly after becoming a member, so for most everyone our fees are far less than your deductible, and what you invest in is true healthcare - not sickcare.
Minimal Staff
Not working in the insurance-model eliminates more than half the staff of your typical medical clinic. Most everyone serves at the pleasure of the payer, either coding, filing, calling to argue or re-explain, or to seek, even beg for approval. We have no staff for these purposes. We simply don't engage. We are also much happier while working in the clinic than those in typical medical offices, because there aren't any hoops to jump in that regard. What we do simply makes sense.
Admittedly though, we don't accept just anyone in our practice. We aren't eager to simply get paying clients. We want those who desire true healthcare and are ready to invest. We also have high expectations. While everyone of us may have a bad day and be shorter than we intended or even run late or miss an appointment entirely, we do nurture a culture of respect and grace. If this isn't your nature and desire, we simply won't be the best fit for you. That Walmart mindset of bullying to get what you want is not tolerated at Eden Family Practice. We are building a community of like-minded, truly uplifting clients and colleagues. We may not be the best fit for you and we're okay with that.
Empowering through Education
We also empower our clients in ways that reduces our need for a plethora of clinical assistants. Our clients have direct contact with Dr. Layne and a plethora of educational opportunities to get their questions answered. While delegating nearly all work to the lowest paid staff makes financial sense, it simply isn't the model we find greatest satisfaction. We are walking this walk with you. Hiking the trails with you and even getting into downward dog on the mat with you. We are genuine about what we do and fully committed to the work.