FAQS for Individuals & Families
MEMBERSHIP QUESTIONS
Who is the typical Direct Primary Care patient?
Our patients run the gamut from CEOs to patients who qualify for Medicaid. Some patients see us as their only affordable way to access great health care, while others are happy to pay for a membership in addition to their insurance in order to obtain enhanced primary care and all of its benefits, like long appointments, telemedicine and 24/7 access to their doctor. We take care of freelancers, business owners, state workers and restaurant employees, to name a few of our patient types.
Testimonials from current patients can be read here.
What does the Euphora Health membership fee cover?
It covers your access to your physician during the business day and after hours, discounted lab work, and most in-clinic labs and procedures are included. As a member, your follow-up and sick visits are included as well. Visits can take place in-person, over the phone, or on a video teleconference e-visit (certain visits must take place in-person). We will do everything we can to see members on the same day or next business day. Additionally, plan members get a secure online personal health record, after-hours phone coverage from the physician, email communication with the physician, and coordination of care with specialists. We also act as your guide to services outside of our office and can often help you save money when you access services outside of our clinic.
Is my membership fee at Euphora Health tax-deductible?
Certain expenses from Euphora Health may be tax deductible. We suggest that you ask your accountant for clarification.
How do I join if the practice is full?
The practice is not currently full. However, there may be a situation in the future where for a short time the practice is full. At that point, we will waitlist those who are interested in becoming patients and contact them when additional staff is hired.
What if I decide to cancel?
You may cancel at any time without penalty.
What costs are involved in becoming a patient?
There is a one-time signup fee of $79 for individuals and $109 for families who sign up at the same time. There is a monthly recurring payment for your membership, and the amounts are based on your age.Visit our Individual & Family Pricing page for more information.
Does Euphora Health see patients of all ages?
Yes. We are primary care physicians and are trained to take care of pediatric through geriatric patients.
Is there a long-term contract?
No. Our services are offered on a month-to-month basis and you can cancel at anytime. There is an agreement that will be explained to you and you will be asked to sign, acknowledging your intent to pay for services.
Are there any hidden fees?
No. We strive to help you make informed and financially responsible choices. You will be presented with the fee schedule if any additonal-fee test/lab/procedure is suggested.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a model of primary care that offers enhanced primary care and access to discounts. Members pay a recurring monthly payment, similar to a health insurance plan. For more information on what Direct Primary Care covers, see our Pricing page or read our pages listed under Health Services.
Why don’t you take insurance?
Our vision is to take the time to get to know you, your health goals and to spend extra time “behind the scenes” in order to provide the service that you deserve – the kind of service that studies show can help care for many health issues before they become bigger, more expensive/more debilitating problems. If a physician takes health insurance, this type of care is difficult, if not impossible, on a consistent basis because of the red tape and demands of ‘Big Insurance.’ Being able to coordinate specialist care, talk with you over the phone about your lab results, and to answer follow-up questions over the phone (that you forgot to ask in the exam room) are all examples of what this style of practice allows Direct Primary Care doctors to offer. And the reason is simple: ‘Big Insurance’ causes physicians to have to increase caseloads for nominal fees and to spend enormous amounts of time handling paperwork. Fewer patients with far less paperwork means more time for helping patients with their concerns.
Why is a Direct Primary Care practice a great option?
For an affordable monthly fee with no long-term contract, patients have easy access to a physician that can spend an extended amount of time on their care. DPC’s also offer discounts on services in addition to guiding patients through the medical system.
Will I still benefit from a Direct Primary Care practice even if I don’t require frequent medical attention?
Just a few bad choices while getting medical care could cost more than the yearly membership fee for a Direct Primary Care membership. Consider this: The cost difference between an MRI at a low-cost and at high-cost provider is often $1,000-$2,000. With direct primary care, your physician has already done the research to know where you should obtain help. This level of care and knowledge could potentially save a patient thousands of dollars should advanced medical care be necessary.
How will I know if Euphora Health is right for me?
For those who need it, we offer a free “meet and greet” phone call prior to joining. This allows a prospective patient time to ask questions in order to be more comfortable in making his or her decision.
What are your prices?
| Age | Full DPC | Virtual DPC |
| 0-19 years old | $39 | $29 |
| 20-39 years old | $69 | $49 |
| 40-59 years old | $79 | $54 |
| 60+ years old | $89 | $59 |
Can you help with the costs of prescriptions?
We can use the discounted prescription lists that are available at multiple pharmacies to take care of many of your health care issues (including diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid issues, and common infections). These pharmacies offer particular medications at $4 for 30-days worth or $10 for 90-days worth. Additionally, services like GoodRx allow us to find the lowest local pharmacy prices for one-time medications (such as antibiotics, muscle relaxers, antivirals, etc.).Finally, we also offer a drug discount card that can drastically reduce the costs of brand/specialty medications. Please inquire for details
What about labs?
We offer any lab that you might require, and we pass our savings along to the patient. Our lab prices are often 90% lower than typical medical clinics, and our patients benefit from the convenience of having us draw the lab specimens here in our office.
What medical conditions do you care for?
The following is an incomplete list of services provided:
- Routine Adult Physicals
- Well Child Visits
- Routine Gynecological Care
- Chronic Disease Management (Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Hypothyroidism, High Cholesterol, Sleep Apnea, Congestive Heart Failure, Arthritis, Allergies, Asthma, GERD/Reflux, COPD/Bronchitis/Emphysema)
- Urgent Visits (Cough, Colds, Flu, Bladder Infection/UTI, Joint Pain, Sore Throat, Headache, Abdominal Pain, Back Pain, Skin Infection, Abscess/Boil, Sinus Infection, Ear Pain, Chest Pain)
- Wound Care
- Splinting of Minor Fractures
- Medication Prescribing
What happens if I need to go to the hospital or see a specialist?
We are attempting to obtain discounted prices for our patients at other health care organizations (i.e. specialist clinics, imaging centers, labs, counseling). This process gets easier as more and more medical professionals once again become independent service providers.If you have insurance, you can continue to use your insurance for care outside of our office.
Are my medical records ever shared with insurance carriers, pharmaceutical companies, or government agencies?
Only if the records are subpoenaed or if you or your medical proxies request that your records be sent to one of these entities.
What if I need medical attention while I’m away from home?
Your Euphora Health physician will be your first point of contact no matter where you are in the world. You can always text, call, or email your physician.Often, we can help you without requiring that you see another physician. However, there may be some instances where we would ask you to visit a clinic near you for urgent services (i.e. EKG, chest x-ray, antibiotic injections, etc.).
May I contact Euphora Health after hours? How?
Your physician is available to you after hours and on weekends for urgent or emergent issues. You can call, text, or request a telemedicine visit. All of this can be done through a smartphone based app.
When do I pay for my labs?
Fees for labs are collected at the time of service.
If I go to an emergency room or see another doctor, will this clinic take care of those charges?
No. Your membership fee ensures you access to care at our office during regular office hours. Your Euphora Health physician will always be available for emergency phone calls and to act as your advisor. You are responsible for any charges incurred for services not provided by our office.
Is Direct Primary Care like MDVIP/concierge medicine?
In some ways, but not all. MDVIP is a service that offers concierge medical services, generally giving patients enhanced access to the physician. MDVIP includes some labs in their service but tends to charge a larger dollar amount than a Direct Primary Care practice. As well, MDVIP charges a patient’s insurance for billable services.
MEDICARE & INSURANCE QUESTIONS
Will you see me if I have Medicare?
We hope to be able to sign direct contracts with Medicare patients early in 2018. However, at this time we are unable to see patients who have any type of Medicare insurance due to Medicare regulations.Because we anticipate changes in 2018, we have created a list of Medicare patients to call when the new rules take effect. If you would like to be on the list, please send us an email or call to indicate your interest.
Is Direct Primary Care considered health insurance?
The simple answer is no, DPC is not health insurance. As of the time of this writing, The IRS calls Direct Primary care a type of insurance but the Affordable Care Act (ACA) does not. The state of Texas indicates that we must explicitly state to patients that Direct Primary Care is not insurance. Direct Primary Care covers primary and some preventive care services. These services will take care of the vast majority of an individual’s needs. Studies indicate that DPC takes care of 85-90% of the healthcare needs for most people.If you require care outside of our office, your Euphora Health DPC membership fee will not cover these services. If you have traditional health insurance, that insurance can be billed by outside providers for services such as emergency, hospital, specialty care, laboratory tests, diagnostic imaging, prescription drugs or other goods and services that are ordered by our clinic but which are not performed or provided in our offices.
Does Euphora Health accept outside health insurance?
We do not.
Do I need health insurance to become a patient?
No. Actually, this practice was created with the primary intention of serving those who don’t have insurance and those who pay directly for their own care, although anyone can become a patient at any time with the current exception of Medicare patients. We anticipate that the Medicare ruling will change next year.We do not pre-screen or deny patients because of their age, race, religion, national origin, or due to a pre-existing health condition. However, it practically goes without saying that we do suggest that you have traditional major medical coverage to protect yourself should you experience an unpredictable and catastrophic event.
As a patient of Euphora Health, will I still need insurance?
If you want to use insurance to pay for services outside of Euphora Health or to protect yourself in the event of a catastrophic health event, then it is suggested that you continue to carry insurance.
What if I want to continue my current insurance? Can I use it?
You may use your current insurance to pay for services received outside of Euphora Health. Euphora Health, however, does not accept insurance for payment.
How does this work with 'ObamaCare' or the ACA?
Direct primary care can be used in conjunction with ACA-compliant health insurance to offer you full coverage. DPC can cover 90-95% of an average patient’s medical needs. It will not cover you for outside services, such as in the case of a catastrophic health event. Having direct primary care alone doesn’t exempt you from the ACA individual mandate penalty.
How can I save on insurance costs by being a patient of Euphora Health?
Some health sharing organizations will give their members a discount if the member uses direct primary care. Currently, insurance companies do not offer patients a discount for using direct primary care.
Are Euphora Health’s monthly fees eligible for HSA or FSA reimbursement?
If you have an HSA, you must check with your plan administrator to see if they consider our membership fee an eligible medical expense. At the time of this writing, most interpret the stance of the IRS to indicate that you may not use HSA/FSA funds to pay for DPC services.
AUSTIN
711 W 38th St, Suite D1
Austin, TX 78705
512-887-3955
Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Same-Day / Next-Day Appts. Available
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CEDAR PARK
1120 Cottonwood Creek Trail
Building B, Suite 280
Cedar Park, TX 78613
737-215-4525
Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Same-Day / Next-Day Appts. Available
