Concierge primary care can work for you! Strategy #1/5

I am Dr. Patrick O’Connell with Sentinel Primary Care in Brier Creek in Raleigh. I’ve had some conversations with folks who have expressed interest in Sentinel Primary Care but have said, “I’m already spending a lot of money in other areas of healthcare. I don’t know if I can add more expense.” I want to talk about some of the ways that you can save money in combination with Sentinel Primary Care. This series of five short videos will share some ideas on how to save money with healthcare and integrate it with Sentinel Primary Care.

Number one, open enrollment season is coming. This is the time of year when you get the glossy brochure that says why you should pick this health insurance versus that health insurance, and it’s your opportunity to select the health insurance for the upcoming year. With health insurance, the general concept is that the more money you pay, the more coverage you’re going to get. Conversely, the less you pay, then your deductible or your out-of-pocket expense is usually higher.

Shift health care budget allocation

Here’s what a lot of folks do with a membership fee type of practice: You pick a health insurance that has a lower monthly premium, therefore the out-of-pocket cost is going to be higher; the deductible is higher. And then you shift some of the money you saved on your monthly premium to pay your membership with Sentinel. When you come in to see me, I’m not charging you anything. I’m not sending a bill to your insurance, and so the higher deductible part doesn’t really matter with Sentinel Primary Care.

When you look at health insurance, with most plans you’re going to be paying hundreds of dollars a month for your health insurance premiums. Sentinel Primary Care’s membership fee varies by age, but it ranges from about $60 a month to about $130 a month. During the plan selection, if you pick one with a less expensive monthly premium, you’re potentially going to completely make up the difference or completely make up the monthly membership fee at Sentinel Primary Care. During the open enrollment season, look at your insurance options. You may be able to find one that makes Sentinel fit perfectly.

For four more suggestions, take a look at the other videos on the website at sentinelprimarycare.com.