Frequently Asked Questions

Why should I choose MyCountryDoc?

Aside from the benefits of direct care medicine in general, because of my background I can provide an office based surgical practice as well as general medical care overlooked by many surgical specialists. I can provide many services that a general practitioner is untrained or unable to do including minor surgical procedures, endoscopy, interventional pain management, and diagnostic procedures like non-invasive vascular evaluations and ultrasonography.

Is MyCountryDoc retainer agreement only for the wealthy?

No, depending on whether you use your insurance or not, membership costs only $2 to $4 a day. In fact, with a high deductible insurance plan OR tax deductible HAS (health savings account) OR FSA (flexible spending account), membership is actually LESS expensive than traditional medical insurance. Medical Insurance should be used to protect against catastrophic illness. For most people, day-to-day common problems account for 90% of your lifetime medical problems and should be handled by my system or one like it.

Furthermore, your MyCountryDoc Membership Fee may be tax deductible if paid through a Health Savings Account or a Flexible Spending Account.

How do I pay for care as a Medicare/Medicaid patient?

Care provided by MyCountryDoc is on a fee-for-service basis. This means that all of our patients pay us at the time of service.

General insurance - Patients then submit their claims to their insurance companies for reimbursement as an "out-of-network" provider. For example, a typical benefit is 80% coverage by insurance, and 20% paid by you. You should check with your insurance to see how much, if any, such benefit you may have. You will be responsible for the entire cost of the office visit, and must pay at the time of service. All the necessary billing codes and paperwork will be provided at the time of service, which you then submit to your insurance provider for reimbursement.

Medicare and Medicaid - I have opted out of the Medicare program effective 2011 for a period of at least two years, and am not excluded from participating in Medicare Part B under Sections 1128, 1156, or 1892 or any other section of the Social Security Act. Patients who requesting services and are with medicare will be required to sign a medicare opt-out agreement at the time of their appointment. Patient agrees to be responsible to make payment in full for the services, and acknowledges that Physician will not submit a Medicare claim for the services and that no Medicare reimbursement will be provided.

Payment can be made by check, credit card, Paypal or cash. Paypal is especially useful when online services are requested. We strive to have all aspects of our practice, including our professional fees, reflect our ethical and rational approach to your care. Our charges are based on the time we spend with you, the complexity of your care, and the materials, equipment, or tests utilized during treatment.

How can MyCountryDoc care for anyone needing care?

Giving to the community - because of my practice model I am able to use the revenue of annual fees to subsidize the care of a certain number non-direct care patients who agree to a compensation arrangement.

What if I miss an appointment?

To avoid cancellation fees, all appointments must be cancelled at least 24 hours before the scheduled appointment time. Cancellation fees are $50 for office visits and $350 for housecalls.

What is included in an initial or annual preventative exam

These visits include a thorough physical exam and screening for age-specific conditions, including cancers, after reviewing your health information. At that time, on-site laboratory testing may be recommended to be done or scheduling for a follow-up visit. Other tests may be recommended, such as a mammogram, EKG, colonoscopy, etc., based on your age, personal and family medical history.

Because this is considered a preventative visit, insurance will not pay for other issues to be addressed. This includes chronic conditions like menopause, hypertension, allergies, etc. Likewise, acute problems like colds or bladder infections are also not covered during that visit. Please plan on addressing these types of concerns at an appointment on a different day if you want your insurance to potentially cover them.

A complete physical (annual preventative exam) is recommended for nearly everyone, but especially for those aged 40 on up. Once women have become sexually active, they should have an annual pelvic exam and a pap smear. If a woman aged 30 or more is found to not have Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection and has a normal pap, then she may safely wait 3 years until her next pap smear if she has no new sexual partners.

Prior to coming in for your appointment, please print out and complete the forms: Depression Screening Tool (if over19 years old), ovarian cancer screening (if under 49 years old) and the gender-specific annual preventative exam questions. These are found under Patient Forms on this website. If you are not able to bring these with you to your appointment, please arrive 15 minutes prior to your appointment time to complete them in the office.

If you have not done the How's Your Health online survey in the last year, please complete it (takes about 10 minutes) and email it to MyCountryDoc at the end. A link to this survey is found on this website under Links.

How can I access my records?

Miscommunication between physicians and specialists is expensive and dangerous. Avoid telephone prompts and long wait cues. Go to the patient portal and log onto the service. You will be prompted to go to Medical fusion with permission to access your records.

Alternatively, you will have the option to use email or Skype to speak with me personally about your records.

How quickly can I communicate with my doctor?

I am available by cell-phone, email or text messaging 24/7/365. Generally, I will be immediately available by phone for patients on a payment care plans. However, on occasion it may be necessary to wait as long as 24-48 hours to respond based on my location and prior obligations. True emergencies should be directed immediately to the emergency room. I will be available to discuss the circumstances with you after your emergency care has stabilized your condition.

What is the patient portal and how do I use it?

MyCountryDoc Patient Health Portal - Miscommunication between physicians and specialists is expensive and dangerous. I encourage you to proactively manage your medical information and health with MyCountryDoc Patient Health Portal. This system allows MyCountryDoc patients to communicate with the office securely, easily and at any convenient time for you. This is done by logging into our system and creating an individual account, login and password.

Through the portal you can:

• • Access your medical record online
• • Guest logon to share medical information with other doctors, specialists and family,
• • Send or receive question and messages to/from MYCOUNTRYDOC securely
• • Set your communication preferences (email, texting, phone calls)
• • Make/change an appointment and view upcoming appointments
• • Request a prescription or prescription refill
• • Request a lab test or review and examine lab reports
• • Examine current and past statements
• • Receive reminders from the office regarding appointments, lab/procedure/immunization
• • Access guidelines, worksheets and graphs that assist in meeting your health goals
• • Receive MYCOUNTRYDOC blog regarding current health issues
• • Receive information regarding foreign travel medical needs
• • Receive my personal cell phone number and email address for communications 24/7/365
• • View your entire medical record at any time with HIPAA compliant security
• • Have prescriptions sent to your pharmacy through ePrescriptions for new Rx and refills.

What is a “VIRTUAL OFFICE VISIT”?

Members and active patients will be asked to enter credit card information for your Virtual Office Visit. If you are a member, the card will not be charged as long as your coverage is in effect on the date of the visit. You can receive treatment without going into the office. A Virtual Office Visit is a medical consultation, provided online to you using secure technology. Certain conditions, such as colds, bladder infections, back pain, and management of chronic diseases (e.g. hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol) can be safely and appropriately managed in this setting. Additionally, this is an option for discussing test results, medication changes, etc. This alternative saves you the time and cost associated with a traditional office visit. Patients who are Retainer Members will not be charged for this service.

How do I schedule a “virtual office visit”?

You complete a thorough patient history form focused on your symptoms, which your physician reviews before choosing a treatment plan. This form is necessary to reduce the time necessary for your virtual visit and to treat your condition appropriately. All information you provide is encrypted, secure, and subject to all patient/physician privilege laws. Please read our Security and Confidentiality statement for more information.

You have the option to visit via phone (voice/text) or free services like gmail. Pictures of the problem (skin lesions for example), can be sent by digital cell hone in this way. Free services like Skype can provide real-time video conferencing. This is especially useful when a home monitoring system is used for monitoring of chronic conditions.

Process

• 1. Login (if a member) or follow the instructions to become an online patient and create your individual login
• 2. Schedule a virtual video conferencing (Skype) office visit using the online scheduling system
• 3. Confirm your personal information and complete the health information form including the specifics of you present problem
• 4. If using Skype: log on to skype and contact the office at the agreed time
• 5. If using phone, voice/text messaging or email: when the form is completed, your consult information will be sent to the office and you will receive phone/text or e-mail confirmation of your contact. This contact will not disclose any information you provided. Within 24-48 hours you will receive an answer to your request for information by revisiting our site. This will include a request for more information, an opinion based on the information provided and a management plan

Do I have to be a member to make an appointment?

No, everyone is welcome. Membership ensures that you get priority access and discounts on services, as well as other benefits.

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