Question 1

What is Concierge Medicine?

Accepted Answer

Concierge medicine is a healthcare delivery model that provides an opportunity to restore the old-fashioned patient-physician relationship. By eliminating time constraints, documentation requirements, and other red tape imposed by insurance companies, we can provide quality care to a small patient panel through a membership fee. Get care when you need it most with 24/7 access to your physician.

Question 2

What kind of services will my membership fee include?

Accepted Answer

Dr. Kuhfahl is an internal medicine physician. She provides primary care to adult patients 18 years and older. Your membership fee includes preventative care, chronic disease management, sick visits, convenient direct communication, basic in-office testing listed below, and several procedures common to primary care. There are no complicated membership tiers and Dr. Kuhfahl hopes to provide comprehensive primary care services for your monthly fee. 
You can expect preventative care including vision, hearing, and skin cancer screening. She provides chronic disease management for conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, asthma, and COPD, for example. She is passionate about nutrition and exercise and is happy to share tips regarding building healthy habits that she herself uses. And you may find that her more in-depth knowledge of internal medicine means less specialist referrals. 
In-office testing included in your membership fee includes EKGs, glucose, simple urinalysis, stool occult blood, rapid Strep testing, urine pregnancy, and COVID/Flu testing.
Dr. Kuhfahl completed a combined internship in emergency and internal medicine and can perform procedures such as suturing of simple lacerations, incision and drainage of abscesses, skin lesion removal*, and some joint aspiration and injection*.
*membership fee does not include the cost of pathology or medications used for procedures

Question 3

Is Dr. Kuhfahl a Direct Primary Care physician?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Dr. Kuhfahl is proud to be a direct primary care physician - which means she privately contracts directly with her patients rather than an insurance company. There are no co-pays or office visit fees for her services outside of the membership fee. However, unlike most direct primary care practices, Dr. Kuhfahl also provides 24/7 access to her patients which is more typical of a concierge practice.

Question 4

Is my doctor available after-hours?

Accepted Answer

Yes! Dr. Kuhfahl maintains office hours with availability daily for urgent sick visits. However, illness doesn't always strike between 9 and 5. Enjoy having peace of mind with your physician's cell phone number for urgent matters after-hours.

Question 5

Does Delta Health and Wellness take my insurance?

Accepted Answer

No. After spending a decade advocating for patients with insurance companies as a career, Dr. Kuhfahl is proud to work directly with patients in order to reduce administrative burdens and provide accessible, convenient, and quality patient care. Delta Health and Wellness is considered an out-of-network provider, but most non-HMO insurance plans will still cover tests and consultations ordered by out-of-network providers.

Question 6

Do I still need insurance if I am a patient of Delta Health and Wellness?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is still recommended to have some type of health insurance or health share plan. While Delta Health and Wellness can provide primary and sick care, there are times when you may require emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, or specialist care that is not covered in your membership fee. A Delta Health and Wellness membership often works well with a high-deductible insurance plan with a health savings account.

Question 7

If I have Medicare, can I still become a patient of Delta Health and Wellness?

Accepted Answer

Yes! You will need to sign a waiver declaring that neither you nor our office will directly bill Medicare for our services. Medicare will still cover any laboratory testing, imaging, and medications prescribed by our office, as well as specialty care and hospitalizations.

Question 8

If I register as a member of Delta Health and Wellness, how am I billed?

Accepted Answer

Your billing will begin on the day of your first visit with Dr. Kuhfahl.
You can choose to be billed annually, semi-annually, or monthly.
In order to reduce administrative burdens, we require membership fee payment via automated means by automatic bank draft (ACH) or credit/debit card. Any additional charges for incidentals such as prescription medications, laboratory studies, or durable medical equipment, etc. can be made by automatic bank draft, credit/debit card, or check at the time of service. For safety reasons, no cash will be accepted or stored in the office.
If you cancel your membership or your payments lapse, the cost to re-register is $375.

Question 9

What is your policy on controlled substances?

Accepted Answer

No controlled substances are stored in our in-office pharmacy.
Additionally, Dr. Kuhfahl does not routinely prescribe controlled substances, such as benzodiazepines for anxiety/sleep and narcotics/opioids for chronic pain. These medications require additional oversight and monitoring that are best managed by a larger practice, such as a Psychiatrist or Pain Management specialist. However, she is happy to work with you on other options to manage your pain and other medical conditions including non-controlled substance medications, stress/anxiety management, sleep hygiene, etc.

Question 10

What if I need medical care while I'm traveling?

Accepted Answer

One of the benefits of being a member of Delta Health and Wellness is being able to receive medical care when you're away from home through secure telecommunications. If necessary, we can even order prescriptions at your nearest pharmacy.

Question 11

Still have questions?

Accepted Answer

Just ask! Your health and satisfaction are important to us.

FAQ