Direct Primary Care Frequently asked Questions

Direct primary care is a relatively new model with which to deliver primary care. Just as you don’t use your car insurance to pay for oil changes and tire rotations, in direct primary care you don’t use your insurance to pay for primary care. Patients are charged a modest retainer fee in return for which they get 24/7 access to their physician via phone and same-day or next-day appointments, which nearly always start on time and which last as long as you need (initial visits are scheduled for 2 hours).

The retainer fee is charged by our providers so that each physician in the practice can limit the number of patients for which he or she cares to no more than 600 (typical panel sizes for a fee-for-service primary care physician range anywhere between 2,500 – 4000 patients). By doing this, physicians can take care of their patients the way they’ve always wanted: with the luxury of time to take complete and thorough histories, to think problems through rather than reflexively refer to specialists, and to actually read and research about problems they can’t figure out immediately—in essence to provide their patients not just with a primary care doctor but with a personal health manager.

The difference between the customer service that ImagineMD primary care physicians can provide and the customer service that traditional fee-for-service primary care physicians can provide is like the difference between a dial-up modem and broadband. With a broadband connection, you don’t just use the Internet faster. You use it differently.

Similar idea, but less expensive. And in direct primary care we don’t bill your insurance for anything.

Our physicians charge a flat monthly fee. PLEASE NOTE: There is a non-refundable $250 registration fee charged once at the beginning of your membership. See here for individual and family pricing.

No. You must pay our fees out of your own pocket.

Many of our patients do use pay our fees out of their FSA or HSA accounts, but you should consult your accountant before making this choice.

You can leave the practice at any time by providing written notice through ImagineMD’s electronic medical record messaging portal, and you won’t be charged any further monthly fees. We do not refund or pro-rate any fees already paid. You can always re-apply to rejoin the practice if you wish, but once you cancel, you must wait 6 months to rejoin.

Our goal at ImagineMD is to enable our physicians to practice medicine the way it could be and should be—not just with outstanding clinical care but also with outstanding customer service.

So when you have even a minor medical question, when you want to make sure that the advice a specialist gave you is good, when you have a perplexing problem that requires extended thinking, reading, and research to puzzle out, when you’re anxious about a pending test result and need reassurance, or when you need an extended conversation to understand why you’re being given certain advice or instructions or to understand exactly what it means to have a certain condition or disease—we’ll address those needs as if you were a close member of our own family. All of our discussions with you and all of our recommendations for you will be highly personalized. That is, we’ll have the time to learn about your values and your lifestyle and incorporate both into our thinking always.

We’ll also care for your mind as well as your body. To us, the emotional, psychological, and spiritual impact of a disease on a person’s life is as important to address as the disease itself.

Finally, evidence suggests that the cost of care with direct primary care physicians like those at ImagineMD is often lower than in traditional fee-for-service primary care practices (though this will certainly not be the case with everyone). This is because a good primary care physician with enough time to spend with his or her patients is better able to limit unnecessary testing and referrals, as well as address problems early before they become more serious and require more expensive intervention. Click here to read about the research in this area.

The membership fee covers all office visits and virtual visits with your physician in the ImagineMD network. For a specific list of services, see here.

The membership fee does NOT cover the cost of:

• Diagnostic blood tests (though all blood tests are drawn onsite as part of the membership fee so you don’t have to travel)
• X-rays (plain films, CT scans, MRI scans, etc.)
• Specialty tests (sleep studies, colonoscopies, etc.)
• Specialty referrals
• Surgery
• Recommended vaccinations
• Inpatient hospitalization
• Holter/event monitoring for cardiac arrhythmias
• Medications

Yes, you will still recommend health insurance to cover the cost of services not covered by our retainer fee (that is, to cover the cost of medications, specialty appointments, x-rays, blood tests, specialty tests, surgery, and hospitalizations). But because we will never bill your insurance ourselves for anything (none of ImagineMD physicians are in-network for any insurance plan), you can use any insurance you want (as long as your plan doesn’t require an in-network primary care physician for referrals). Our practice doesn’t alter your relationship or coverage with your medical insurance in the slightest.

Absolutely not! We welcome all patients, especially those with complex medical problems.

In order for physicians within the ImagineMD network to charge a retainer fee to Medicare patients they must opt out of Medicare billing. This doesn’t mean you are opting out of Medicare. It just means our physicians won’t ever bill Medicare for any services they provide (and that you can’t either). It means, therefore, that just like patients with other insurance, you will need to pay our physicians’ monthly fee out of your own pocket.

ImagineMD physicians will make all necessary specialist referrals to a community of providers they know and will assist you in obtaining specialist appointments. Our physicians will also assist with hospital admissions and consult regularly with the physicians caring for you while you’re there (though we will not serve as the inpatient attending of record). Our physicians will also coordinate discharge care and follow-up appointments with them.

Your insurance will cover payment for specialty visits and hospitalization in the same way it did before you joined ImagineMD, with the same co-pays, co-insurance, and/or deductible charges.

Yes! We take children of all ages.

Yes. Each member of your family can choose a different ImagineMD physician at any of our locations.

You can contact your physician via phone or email 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (except when he or she is on vacation, during which time another ImagineMD physician will be available to you). We aim to return routine phone calls within 12-24 hours and all urgent/emergent phone calls immediately. Except when vacationing, your own personal physician will answer all your calls, whether during regular business hours or in the middle of the night.

Your physician will remain available to you for consultation no matter where you are in the world. If you require medical attention locally, they will communicate with any local providers you see.

You can sign up here or call (312) 374-5860.

If you have a question about a bill you receive for a specialty visit, a procedure, an ER visit, a surgery, or a hospitalization, you should call the number on the back of your insurance card.

No. Your medical record is protected by privacy laws and remains completely confidential.

No. If your company is sponsoring your membership with ImagineMD, it will pay our fees on your behalf.

You should call the number on the back of your insurance card for all questions related to your employer’s health plan. We are your physicians, not your insurance plan.