Have you ever been frustrated as a patient with the time it takes to see a specialist? ….The cost of seeing a specialist? Or maybe you are frustrated that your primary care doc refers out many of your medical issues without taking enough time to get to the root of them? Having worked in the insurance-based system for ten years, I can honestly tell you that many of the referrals I made were medically unnecessary. Although I hate admitting this, it is a fact. Required to see 20-25 patients a day for 15 minutes at a time (if lucky), I did not have adequate time to think and/or treat even if it was an issue that was in my scope of care. This is one major reason I switched to a Direct Primary Care practice. I wanted more time with my patients to think, to treat, and as a result decrease the number of specialty referrals I make. And when you eliminate the restrictions of third-party payment many other great opportunities open up to you- both as a patient and a physician. One of the incredible services that I offer to my patients is called RubiconMD.

RubiconMD is a company built for Direct Primary Care practices, but in my opinion it could also be used effectively by any primary care practice. They have created a network of specialists from all fields of medicine from some of the top hospitals in the nation. For a very affordable monthly fee that I pay them (with no extra cost to patients), I have access to online consults with any of these specialists. You have a rash that I can’t figure out? I can send pictures to them and get a response from a dermatologist in less than 24 hours. You have concerns about a complicated insulin regimen? I can email an endocrinologist for unbiased medical advice. All communications are secure, and all-in-all it is an amazing tool that saves time and money and facilitates much better medical care and patient satisfaction. It is one of the many great services we offer at our Direct Primary Care practice.