Why Harris Family Health Does Not Accept Health Insurance? Monthly Memberships Only.

Harris Family Health is Flint’s first direct primary care clinic. It’s a good alternative to the traditional health system offering monthly membership based service without billing or accepting health insurance by bringing focus back to patient care.

As the community learns more about Harris Family Health and direct primary care they have many questions. A common question I get asked is “why I do not accept health insurances at Harris Family Health?”.

I wanted to take the time to go through some of my reasons in one place from the patient experience to the health system.

1. Honestly, I got tired of being forced to have “billable opportunities” instead of just being able to focus on patient care and help patients prioritize their health.

2. Practicing evidenced based medicine was getting harder when health insurance companies denied medications, labs, or work ups because they did not want to pay for it.

3. AFFORDABILITY! Primary care is the most affordable and important part of health care yet many people do not have a primary care doctor.

   • Some people have medical debt which is the leading cause of bankruptcy in the US and are avoiding the health care system as a whole.

   • Some people can’t afford their medications even though they have insurance.

   • Some co-pays are crazy high and deductibles are ridiculous.

   Why are so many people priced out of health care, especially primary care. Greed and health administration costs are the top reasons in my opinion.

   Harris Family Health gives people access to an affordable primary care option with discounts on medications and labs because there are no extra expensive steps and other people in the mix. It’s straight primary care.

4. TIME! The health care system is a business that does not prioritize time with patients but number of patients seen.

   • The health system functions as if people come in with simple UTIs only. As if every appointment is a quick in and out and doesn’t prioritize building doctor-patient relationships or primary care in that matter. All your problems should be addressed in the sometimes 8 minutes of face time you have with your doctor.

   Rushed and tight appointments are not why I signed up to be a board certified family medicine doctor who can take care of head to toe problems for men, women, and children.

   I’m proud of my diverse skills and value time to use them. Harris Family Health provides patients and myself with more time to understand, listen, and advocate.

5. DOUBLE BOOKING! I hated the double booking in my previous schedule. I hated the 15 minute appointment slots.

   • It didn’t make sense to me and it made it difficulty to give patients the time they deserved each appointment.

   I am a good doctor in all settings but now with Harris Family Health the focus is not on the schedule but rather the patients, access, and outcomes.

6. There are clinics that take health insurance so someone can establish at many clinics that take their insurance. A direct primary care clinic is an alternative to the traditional system that offers an affordable and simplified way get the time and access to with your primary care doctor. Harris Family Health empowers patients to take a proactive approach to how the access care and not depend on the system.

7. Billing insurance is very expensive and exhausting!

   • Each health insurance company has their own process and hiring someone to do this billing and reimbursement process can get costly. And waiting months to possibly get reimbursed for care provided is not fun from a business prospective.

   • Having a high overhead and complicated clinic experience was not my intentions when I decided to start my own clinic. I just wanted to provide good care and direct primary care works for me.

   Honestly, taking insurance would lead me back to the jam packed schedule I left. It would have patients feeling rushed in a full scheduling fighting for access and a few extra moments with their doctor. I wouldn’t be able to show the community the affordable approach to getting primary care, labs, and medications. Or give the time that people the care they deserve.

   Ultimately, I’d be a good doctor functioning in a broken system if I took health insurance instead of a good doctor providing good care in an innovative and approachable way.

   Harris Family Health is accepting new patients. Enroll today via the website.

   Check out www.harrisfamilyhealth.com for more information.