What is a boutique/concierge practice?
We prefer the name, “personalized medical practice”. All of these terms refer to a medical practice where the doctor chooses to limit the size of his or her practice in order to spend more time with patients and be more accessible. In order to keep the practice small and intimate, we charge an annual fee instead of billing your insurance company for visits.
What does the annual fee cover?
The annual fee covers all of your doctor visits, whether in the hospital or office. It covers the various minor procedures done in the office and routine vaccinations when indicated (Influenza, Pneumonia, Tetanus). The only other charge you may receive from us is any special medication or vaccination that you request. In that case, we just pass on our costs to you or your insurance company.
How does insurance work in all of this?
You need to keep your medical insurance for all of the ancillary testing, specialist consultations or hospitalizations that you may require. We currently are out of network for all private insurance and no longer participate in Medicare, but all testing (blood work, x-rays etc) will be billed to your insurance by the in-network provider that we refer you to. As long as your private insurance is not an HMO or Medicare HMO, your out-of-pocket costs will not be affected by our insurance status.
What about specialist referrals?
As your personal doctor, we are knowledgeable about the best specialists in the area, and have excellent lines of communication with them. Our staff is able to coordinate these appointments, and, many times, expedite the waiting time for the visit. When you visit the specialist, it will be a conventional visit using your medical insurance. We are then able to follow-up with you and your specialist about the visit.
What hospitals do you go to?
We both are on staff at Barnes-Jewish, Barnes-Jewish West and Missouri Baptist Hospitals. Should you require hospitalization we will visit you every day.
Do you share coverage?
We both care for our patients from Monday morning until Saturday at Noon. One of us will then be on-call from Saturday afternoon until Monday morning. We each typically take about three weeks vacation every year. The other physician will cover all medical issues during this time. We think you will find that our practice styles and personalities are quite similar, making coverage situations quite seamless.
How do I reach you?
We are easily contacted at the office during usual business hours. If we are in the midst of seeing patients, we will return the call promptly. After hours we can be reached on our cell phones.
Does my annual fee apply to my insurance deductible, or can it be made tax deductible?
Your annual fee does not count toward your medical insurance deductible. Some patients have Health Savings Accounts or Flexible Spending Accounts which may allow for your annual fee to be paid with pre-tax dollars. You should check with your specific plan to find out if it applies.
Do you make house-calls?
Our practice is office and hospital based. On rare occasions we will make home visits for patients who are home bound.
How do I sign up?
Just call the office at 314-993-1200 and speak with a staff member. They will be more than happy to provide additional information.