MEMBERSHIP:

Why charge a membership fee?

The membership fee allows us to provide the vast majority of a person's primary care in an innovative way for a simple, fixed price. Much like Netflix or a gym membership, it allows members to better budget their healthcare finances without worrying about extra costs, co-pays and deductibles for routine care. ​

Why would I pay ‘extra’ fees for health care?

We do not think of our services as “extra” but rather an independent, alternative and better way to do your primary care. Most of our members save money when combining SDH with a high-deductible health insurance or medical cost sharing plan (vs. standard low-deductible/"copay" insurance plans). ​

Do I have to be a member? Can I just have a visit without becoming a member?

No. To keep things simple and consistent for all of our patients, we do not provide visits or care outside of our standard membership system. If you’d like to come check out our clinic and meet Dr. Farnsworth before joining as a member, we’d be happy to show you around and answer any questions.  ​

Are there any contracts or commitments? What if I decide to cancel? ​

We do not require members to sign any contracts that commit them to a certain period of membership. Memberships are ongoing and open but must be paid ongoing in order to maintain service with us. A minimum of the first month of membership and a registration fee is paid upfront and are non-refundable. If you decide to cancel , we require written authorization. You will be required to pay the current balance for the current month and cancellations will be effective immediately. You will be charged the remaining outstanding balance the day your written authorization is received.
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​May I re-start my membership after canceling?

Yes, we do allow for re-enrollment after cancellation, but members will be charged a re-enrollment fee of $100 per member before service can be restarted.

​Is this like “concierge” medicine?

A little, but without the high price tag . . . or valet parking! We provide a concierge level of service to all members but try to make things affordable for people of all incomes, with or without insurance. ​

Does SDH accept members with existing medical problems?

Yes. Our memberships (eligibility or fees) are not based upon any existing medical issues or conditions.

Are there any income or health guidelines for becoming a member?

No, we do NOT have any income or health guidelines to become a member. Our fees are the same regardless of income, insurance arrangement, level of health or utilization of our services.

What if I am healthy? and rarely go to the doctor?

That is great! (HIGH FIVE!) Our primary focus is to keep members well and avoiding lots of "medical" care. As such, we can dedicate more time to prevention and lifestyle issues to continue to keep you away from the expensive, cumbersome health care system. However, when you do need care, we are available 24/7 to help get you back on track and avoid trips to ER or urgent care.  ​

Can you provide memberships (virtual visits, etc.) to people “out of state”? residency? Snowbirds

If a member establishes care (has a visit) in-person, we can provide remote monitoring of issues over phone and internet for some period of time. Ultimately, some care (sick visits, etc.)  must be provided in-person and so we do not encourage people to join our practice unless they can reasonably visit us in person should we request. Please contact our office for "Snowbird Rates."

FEES:

​Are there any hidden fees?

Nope. We are transparent. We provide most care to members without any fees at all! If we do charge for non-covered services, we always list prices upfront. If we recommend outside services, we try very hard to find you an upfront, reasonable price if paying cash.
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What about lab work and other testing?

All members have access to many basic lab and diagnostic testing (cholesterol, diabetes testing, strep, EKG, urine dipstick, etc.) for no charge at all. For non-covered labs, we offer significantly discounted wholesale prices -- 50-90% less than insurance based prices. See some of our prices here. If you require labs not listed, you can contact us for pricing of just about anything.
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How much does ___________ cost?

Check out our PRICING page or contact us with specific requests if needed. We are committed to upfront pricing of all of our services. ​

When do I pay my fees for medications, labs, etc.?

For any fees for non-covered services, we expect full payment at time of service for most services, including medications, labs, procedures, etc.

How much will my first visit cost?

We do not charge "per visit". New members must pay a registration fee and a minimum of one month of membership fees upfront. To get started members will usually pay a minimum of around $100. If any non-covered services are required (labs, procedures, etc.) the first visit cost may be slightly more.

How much does a "check-up" cost? wellness visit?

All wellness visits (including most routine labs and pap smears) are provided at ZERO cost to all members.

VISITS:

What are your regular clinic hours? evenings? weekends?

Currently our regular clinic hours are 8:30a - 4:30pm, Monday-Thursday and Friday 8:30a - 1:00p. However, all members have access to the doctor 24/7/365 by phone and after-hours visits if required. ​

Are you a walk-in clinic? Do I need an appointment?

While we can always offer same or next-day to our members (even newbies), we do recommend scheduling all visits.

How long are doctor visits?

Taking into consideration the number and complexity of medical issues, most of our clinic visits are scheduled for 20-60 minutes. ​

Can I really have UNRestricted visits without co-pays?

Yep.

What if I need outside care? Specialists, diagnostic testing, ER, hospital?

We can order or refer just as any insurance-based doctor can do. For some outside services, we can help find reasonable "cash" prices if you are paying out-of-pocket - especially radiology and lab. We can provide many urgent care and minor emergency services during regular or after-hours (stitches, simple fractures, etc.) that can help people avoid a trip to the ER. However, we do recommend having health insurance in the case of an unexpected, expensive event such as surgery, ER visit or hospitalization.

Do you do house calls?

While there are times when house calls are necessary, we'd prefer having access to all our resources in our office to best care for you. Give us a call if you think a home visit is necessary and we can discuss further.

What type of visits can I do by phone or webcam?

We think of "virtual visits" as a supplement to good primary care - not a replacement for in-person care. Generally if the issue does NOT require a physical exam, a virtual visit is fine. Many chronic issues (e.g. diabetes, hypertension, etc.) can be largely managed by email and virtual visits. However, any issue requiring a physical exam (e.g. coughs, sinus infections, ear infection, new pain, etc.) we will recommend a traditional clinic visit.

INSURANCE & HEALTH PLANS:

Is SDH health insurance?

No it is not. At SDH we do not bill any insurance for our monthly membership, but if you have insurance you can always use it for labs, x-rays, specialists, etc. and it's so important to have insurance in case of hospitalization or serious illness. 

Keep in mind that sometimes insurance plans have deductibles and copays that may end up costing you as much or more than being a member.  

For example, if your individual deductible is $1500 per year, then your insurance doesn't pay until you meet that. You pay $65/month ($780/year) for unlimited access to SDH, which might be less than your deductible!

Clearly, this is just food for thought. You have to make the right decision that is best for your family and your financial situation.

Is SDH a substitute for health insurance?

No. SDH is a great way to receive high quality primary health care, but we do believe insurance is needed for unexpected and expensive events.

Can SDH bill my insurance plan?

No. SDH does NOT contract with any private or public insurance plans.

​Does SDH satisfy the requirement for “insurance” under the Affordable Care Act? Obamacare?

Not likely for individuals. However, this type of practice is loosely termed “Direct Primary Care” and is mentioned briefly in the Affordable Care Act as "participating in insurance exchanges with a wrap-around insurance plan.” The details of such are still very unclear, but we are not waiting around for Washington or any other capitols to provide our community with high quality, affordable primary care.

Do you accept Medicaid?

We do not contract with any Medicaid plans and cannot bill them for our services. Medicaid recipients are welcome to join SDH but will likely also be assigned a "network Primary Care Physician (PCP)" that may be required to access other health plan benefits and services. ​

What about Medicare?

​We cannot currently contract with Medicare beneficiaries to provide stellar primary care services. Our charges cannot be billed to Medicare by us or the patient and the beneficiary must sign a Private Contract prior to joining acknowledging this fact. As Medicare is an open network, patients may continue to use their Medicare benefit elsewhere with accepting providers as usual.

Can I use my insurance elsewhere if I join SDH?

​In most cases, yes. Your insurance plans will continue to operate “as usual” at other doctors' office, hospitals and pharmacies. PPO-style plans do not require a designated “gatekeeper” doctor for referrals, medications, tests, etc. Dr. Farnsworth can order or refer just as another doctor would. HMO-style plans (including Kansas Medicaid plans) do require an in-network designated primary doctor for access to other services, so they do not pair as well with SDH.

Can I submit visit claims to my health insurance plan for reimbursement?

For the time being, insurance companies do NOT recognize our membership fees as a reimbursable expense. For non-covered service fees (meds, labs, x-rays, etc.), we can provide a receipt of payment so you can process with your insurance plan if you wish. However, most of our members have not found it worth the time and effort to do so.

​Can I use my FSA or HSA accounts with SDH?

Please contact us or an accounting professional to discuss this matter.

​What type of insurance would you recommend?

We are not financial or health insurance advisors and recommend you speak with a professional in that industry if you have questions. However, our members with high-deductible (or catastrophic) insurance plans are very pleased with their arrangements when combined with our services. SDH can provide day-to-day services and a high-deductible plan can help limit the enormous expenses of a major event. ​

MEDICAL SERVICES & MEDICATIONS:

Is this an “alternative” medicine practice?

We think of our business model as an alternative to managed care medicine, but Dr. Farnsworth is a board-certified family physician (American Board of Family Physicians) and practices very traditional medicine. He holds a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and attended residency at University of Kansas Medical Center. However, Dr. Farnsworth is generally very conservative with ordering of tests and medications and would much prefer to prescribe a book or an iPhone app to solve health problems.  ​

​Can you do women’s care? pap smears?

Yes. We can provide standard women’s and gynecologic services, including pelvic exams, pap smears, birth control and menopause management. We currently do not offer colposcopy or IUD insertion, but hope to to do so in the future.

Can SDH work for kids? pediatrics?

Absolutely! We love little tikes of all sizes. We can provide all standard childhood health care services including yearly physicals, acute care (sore throats) and chronic disease management (asthma, allergies, etc.). We are NOT currently giving childhood vaccinations, but can review records and send you elsewhere for completion.

What are Dr. Farnsworth’s views and policies on vaccines? Is he "vaccine friendly"?

"I think it’s quite reasonable to be cautious of injecting or ingesting artificial substances into your body - and maybe crazy not to be! However, I generally believe the benefits of vaccines far outweigh their risks. I recommend a standard schedule of childhood & adult vaccines per CDC schedule." - Dr. Farnsworth

Do you give vaccines?

Currently we only stock TDaP (tetanus) and influenza seasonally. We hope to offer standard childhood vaccines for patients without insurance as our practice grows. Dr. Farnsworth can review vaccine records and refer you several places to have them completed if needed.

​Can you manage chronic pain? prescribe narcotics?

There are many modalities available to help minimize pain of chronic conditions and aggressively work with people to achieve adequate comfort. I generally have a cautious and conservative approach to using narcotic/opiate medications such as hydrocodone, Morphine, Lortab etc. and will only use them long-term in select situations.

What about mental health problems? depression, anxiety?

Dr. Farnsworth is comfortable providing primary care for most any mental health problem, including associated medications. He generally has a conservative and careful approach when using medications (particularly benzodiazepines such as Xanax or Valium) in this area and strongly promotes the use of non-medicine therapies and lifestyle changes.