What is
lifestyle medicine?
Lifestyle Medicine is an evidence-based approach to preventing, treating, and managing chronic disease by focusing on the everyday habits that influence your health. If you've ever thought, "There has to be another way besides adding another prescription" you're speaking my language.
Lifestyle Medicine combines nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, and other healthy habits with traditional medical care to help improve your health and, when appropriate, reduce your reliance on medications.
What is Direct Primary Care (DPC)?
Direct Primary Care is a membership-based practice model approach that allows physicians to spend more time with fewer patients. Physicians who practice in traditional, insurance-based practices are faced with ever increasing administrative burdens, including documentation, repetitive data collection, pre-authorizations, patient billing, and outside case management. None of this busy-work benefits patients, but considerably reduces time available for physician to actually care for patients. Such meaningless tasks also adds significantly to practice overhead expense – which unfortunately, must be passed on to patients.
By not participating with or accepting insurance, my direct primary care practice allows me additional time and resources, which I can devote to you in terms of longer visits, easier access, and care that's focused on your health rather than insurance requirements.
is this concierge medicine?
No. Concierge practices generally bill your insurance in addition to charging a monthly or annual membership fee. The patient remains responsible for co-pays, deductibles, and any other additional insurance fees.
Direct Primary care, on the other hand, offers the availability, longer visits, and smaller patient panels that come with the concierge model without the additional charges common in concierge. Direct Primary Care (DPC) membership practice gives you direct access to your physician with price transparency and without copays, insurance billing or surprise charges.
It is similar in that we offer longer visits, better access, and a smaller patient panel. The difference is that Neu Lifestyle Medicine is a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice, which means we don't bill insurance for your primary care. Your membership gives you direct access with your physicians private number to call/text, no co-pays, no insurance billing, and price transparency.
why does a smaller patient panel matter?
Caring for fewer patients allows me to provide more accessible, personalized care. It means greater availability for same- or next-day appointments, longer visits to understand your health and goals, flexibility with in-person, virtual and asynchronous care, and the time to build a lasting relationship. Rather than trying to see more patients in less time, my focus is on caring for fewer people—and caring for them well.
Membership & Insurance
Do you accept insurance?
No, we do not accept, participate with, or submit charges to insurance/third party payors. Our only duty and loyalty is to YOU, the patient. This is a membership model, which means patients pay a monthly subscription fee for personalized, direct access to their physician and care. This allows us to offer longer visits, transparent pricing without surprise billing i.e. no copays, the option for cash-based labs, longer detailed visits to help avoid unnecessary referrals to specialists, direct access via text/phone calls.
Can I use my insurance?
No. You can use your insurance with other providers who deliver services which can submit charges for reimbursement consideration, and you will be be reimbursed
according your plan's policies. You may use insurance for labs, prescriptions, imaging, and other services that you order, but do not personally provide.
The patient is responsible for understanding their policy's coverage and payment policies, the practice cannot guarantee payment for any of these services.
Can I use my HSA or FSA?
Is there an enrollment fee?
DPC memberships may qualify for HSA reimbursement (subject to IRS rules and limits – confirm with your tax advisor and benefits administrator)
Yes, the enrollment fee for membership is $200. Before we meet, we spend dedicated time obtaining prior records, reviewing your health history, organizing your medical information, and preparing your chart so we can make the most of your first visit together. This one-time fee supports the comprehensive onboarding process that allows us to begin your care thoughtfully and efficiently
Becoming a patient
What if I'm not sure this is right for me?
We offer complimentary meet and greets, virtually and in-person, to meet the physician to ensure this practice mutually aligns. There is no obligation to enroll if this does not suit your needs. If at any time you feel that this practice no longer is right for you, you can cancel your membership at any time.
Do I have to be healthy to join?
You don't need to be anything other than who you are, at this moment in your journey. We provide medical care to meet you where you are in your life.
I believe in the value of a continuous relationship with a primary care physician to support whole-person, long-term care. If you prefer to maintain your current PCP, I offer one-time fee for service consultations to review your care plan and provide thoughtful, personalized recommendations.
Are you accepting new patients?
I already have a PCP. Can I still see you?
Yes. We are currently accepting new patients. To provide the personalized, relationship-based care that defines Neu Lifestyle Medicine, membership is intentionally limited. Once capacity is reached, prospective patients will be invited to join the waiting list and contacted as openings become available