FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is Direct Primary Care an insurance plan?
This is not an insurance plan. You still need to keep your insurance to cover your expenses outside of the office, such as prescriptions, radiology studies, lab work, consultant and emergency room visits.
Is this a concierge practice?
This is not a concierge practice. Typically concierge practices require a membership fee to join the practice, but they still bill your insurance company for the visits, so you may still have co-pays and deductibles you need to meet. With Direct Primary Care you have contracted with the Physician so there are no co-pays or deductibles to meet.
What does enhanced access mean?
When you join the practice, you will be given the direct emails to Dr. Knobel and her staff. You will also have access to the direct phone number for Dr. Knobel to use for issues that arise after hours.
What ages of patients are seen in the practice?
Dr. Knobel is a board certified Family Physician and will see infants all the way to grandparents. In her prior practices she has had 2, 3 and occasionally 4 generations of patients.
Can I use my Medicare insurance?
Dr. Knobel has “opted out” of Medicare, which allows her to provide you more services and spend more time with you. As a result, she cannot bill Medicare and you can not submit a claim for her services to Medicare.
Can I use my health savings account?
There are currently two bills in the federal legislature that would allow this. Call your Senators and Representative and tell them you would like them to support the bills.
What services are covered?
Your membership fee covers all your primary care in the office. Also included are the in-house lab tests we do as well as certain vaccines. We are also looking at ways to help you save money on other testing and prescription drugs, more to come on that.
What types of visits do you do?
We do well visits as well as sick visits. We can suture wounds, deal with initial athletic injuries, do school and sports physicals, pap smears, and minor surgeries (abscess drainage, wart and lesion removal).
What if I need to see a specialist or go to the hospital?
We will refer you to the appropriate specialist as needed. We will use the same specialists we always have. The same holds true for the hospital, we would send you to the hospital of your choice. We do not see patients in the hospital at this time, but stay in communication with the doctors who do.
Why should I pay for this and my insurance?
For many people who have high deductible plans, belonging to a Direct Primary Care Practice can actually save them money. It also is more affordable for those who are self-pay and have no insurance. The improved access to the physician allows for longer visits and shorter waiting times and more personalized health care..
How can I learn more about the practice and whether it is the right choice for me and my family?
You can call the office or send us an email at info@knobelmd.com and set up a time to come in for one of our free information sessions where we can address issues more personally and in depth and hopefully convince you Direct Primary Care is the way to go. We look forward to seeing you.