My first healthcare "need"...

Okay - now we'll see how this "experiment" of mine will work in the real world. 

I've been having some very weird symptoms lately - mainly since I took almost all sugar and most "cheap" carbs out of my diet. My blood sugar has gone down, so I've tried to reintroduce things like whole grains and so on back into my diet. When I did so recently, I ended up with a cracking headache that kept me up all night, and then a distinctly "hungover" feeling (sorry my Christian followers, I was a sinner before I came to the Lord) all the next day. I also had what felt like Rheumatoid arthritis symptoms that lasted three days one time (no RA factor in my blood - had that tested!). 

Okay - long story short, Dr. Griffin told me about a food sensitivity test called the ALCAT that can look at over 200 foods, additives, herbs and environmental factors. I looked at the price and nearly fainted... $1100 for a blood test? Well, then I realized - this is a legitimate healthcare "need" as defined by Samaritan!

So - I called Samaritan and told them my symptoms (and thankfully they will publish those, not necessarily that it's a food allergy problem - because what if it isn't and I need more tests later??). I got my need packet in the mail last week and took it to Dr. Griffin today. He drew the blood, and will be sending it to ALCAT's lab in Deerfield, FL overnight FedEX. He knows I'm with Samaritan, so he will bill me! Not sure what the total is, because I will be getting his discounted price, which he will pass on to me! 

This is what a trust-filled relationship between doctor and patient should look like! I trust him with my health, and he trusts that I will pay. And I trust that my fellow members in Samaritan will send their shares to me once my need is published. And I trust in the Lord that he will ultimately provide the healing that will come from having the wisdom of understanding my body's reaction to food... stay tuned!

Not waiting for disaster

I'm not sure if other people with crazily high insurance deductibles do this, but when I was "insured" I would wait till I had a litany of problems to discuss with a doctor, then try to get help for all of them in the 15 minute appointment allotted to me (after waiting for up to an hour to see the doc).

Now, I call Dr. Griffin's office in the morning and say "I'm going to be down that way this afternoon. Can the doctor see me sometime after 2pm?" The answer is "sure - come at 3 - he'll be free then." Arrive at 2:52, chat with his assistant, get in his office at 3, explain three problems, get blood drawn, out by 3:30... done, and done. 

Dr. Griffin also has a patient portal on his site, so that when blood test results come back, I can see them online, securely and safely (HIPAA compliant, yadda, yadda). I can save them to my computer, print them, etc. 
Oh yes, and I found out my A1C blood sugar level fell almost one point in the last three months - low carb/no sugar diet - and I've lost 10 pounds. Life is good when you want to be healthy and have a supportive doc to help you get there!

Visiting the doc just for fun

This week I visited Dr. Griffin just for the heck of it. I wanted to try a Vitamin B-12 shot (since so many people swear by them) and get a "tag" on my neck removed. 


Appointment was at 4pm - I got there early and went right in... Shot given, tag removed by 4:10... then to make sure I didn't react badly to the shot (I tend to get low blood pressure when I receive vaccines) Dr. Griffin sat and talked to me for the next 15 minutes... 


Where do you get that kind of service at a clinic or practice where you see a different P.A. every time? 


So far, loving my experiment in concierge medicine!

Using Concierge Medicine

I've had the opportunity to use Dr. Griffin's services a few times since starting this blog. Remember, for $125 a month, I can see him as often as I need to. I've had a physical (total lab costs - $85), ear wax removal (think - when was the last time you went to a doctor for that - unless you have really, really good insurance that pays for everything), help from him to get me on a Patient Assistance Plan for my asthma medicine, a pre-cancerous lesion frozen off... and a visit for the sniffles... 


All of these visits were things I had put off doing when I had "insurance" since I had to hit a $3000 deductible before it paid for ANYTHING. No office co-pays on that one, so I would be hit with a bill for a couple hundred dollars every time I went to the doctor (my last dermatologist visit was an example of that). 


I even got a referral from him to a chiropractor... it remains to be seen whether Samaritan will pay for the chiro, but I've started a "need request" just in case. I may be able to come in on that one for just over the $300 minimum, so I may not even need help from the other members of Samaritan. I may wait till I have a real need... 


It's all good so far... I'm a relatively healthy person, so I don't anticipate using either the doctor or Samaritan all that much, but I'm glad to know they are there!

Welcome to my Experiment in Healthcare Alternatives

Like many Americans, I have to pay for my own health insurance. No employer plan. No Medicaid or Medicare. It's all on me. When I ended up paying over $300 a month (on a very tight budget) for what I considered lousy insurance, I began to look for alternatives. 


This blog is my way of sharing with others what I have learned, and will learn, about alternatives to standard insurance policies. I call it 'radical' because it is not for everyone. 


The experiment has two parts. The first is a relationship with a "concierge" family medical practice run by Dr. Radley Griffin in Tampa. For a flat fee per month, I get unlimited office visits, in office lab draws, physical exams, well-woman exams, etc. I get his office discounts on lab tests done at LabCorp and Quest, and negotiated prices for specialists and other "preventive" medicine such as colonoscopies (try out of pocket, no insurance, $700). 


The second part is up to God and my fellow Christians. I have joined Samaritan Ministries - a Christian healthcare expense sharing ministry. Members of this ministry commit a set monthly amount, which they then share with fellow member who have Samaritan "publish" their monetary needs (anything that's over $300 per incident). The sharing is direct, not through Samaritan. Apparently it's been working for 14 years or so. 


Since Samaritan doesn't cover preventive medicine or check-ups, Dr. Griffin covers those. And since what I pay to Dr. Griffin won't cover hospital stays or high medical costs outside his practice, I have Samaritan to cover those.


Stay tuned here to find out how it's going! I just sent my membership check to Samaritan today, and will join Dr. Griffin's practice on the 26th of November. 


I'll share more details about how each works as this experiment continues.