It’s one of the first questions most people ask and the answer is simple. Foothills Family Care has chosen to opt out of accepting traditional insurance for several reasons.
• To be able to spend more time caring for patients
• To remove the barriers to providing quality, affordable healthcare imposed on doctors by insurance companies
Even though we don’t take insurance, you should still keep your insurance for things like specialists, prescriptions, hospitalizations and emergencies.

We’ve done the research: About 75% of our families will save money in Direct Primary Care and will know their costs up front; no more surprise bills from insurance.

Yes, we encourage traditional health insurance plans to protect yourself from large, unanticipated costs associated with serious illnesses or accident. Remember that a “catastrophic” or high deductible plan is significantly less expensive than a PPO-type plan which covers everything. Pairing a high-deductible plan with a Direct Pay Model for primary care can save you money throughout the year.

Limiting the number of times you can come in would put limits on your care. The goal is for our patients to enjoy the unlimited access that Direct Primary Care offers. You can call and speak to your doctor. You can email us. You can have Skype visits with us. In addition, you may find that you are more motivated to address important health issues, because you have no limitations and won’t be worried about unforeseen costs.
Like a health club membership, Foothills Family Care and our services are at your disposal whenever you need, even at times that you cannot predict. You will use our services in a way that makes sense for you and those ways may change over time. The member fee was set up to accommodate different types of patients, with needs that vary and change, in a fair and equitable way.

At Foothills Family Care, a limit is placed on the number of patients enrolled, so that all can be given timely and complete care. This allows your doctor to give their full attention to addressing all medical concerns at a very relaxed pace.

The DPC model of care allows the two people most invested in your health –you and your doctor– to be in control of your primary health care. By removing the barriers put up by insurance companies, you and your doctor will be able to realize significant benefits from the DPC model in the form of:

• No surprises. You never have to worry about what a visit to the doctor will cost you. And you can actually visit the doctor when you need to because you won’t be plagued by those out-of-pocket payments that never quite fulfill the high deductible of your insurance policy.
• Your doctor is not forced to churn patients through his office in order to satisfy the insurance driven fee-for-services model. Therefore, more time can be spent properly assessing and treating the needs of each patient.
• Removing the insurance middleman opens up new ways of ‘visiting’ the doctor. Your doctor is now able to communicate with you by phone, email, and online using HIPAA compliant services when appropriate. These methods are more convenient for you and can cut down on lost hours at work.

Once you’re accepted as a patient, you can start taking advantage of the services immediately. We encourage a short one on one meeting with Dr Carroll to determine if the practice is a good fit for both parties. We accept enrollments year round and you can enroll online in the comfort of your own home.

Payments can be made by electronic funds transfer or by credit card, through a secured program called Hint Health. An account with Hint Health is established at the time you join Foothills Family Care.

We understand that circumstances do come up. After the 3 month minimum requirement, you can cancel your membership with a 30-day notice.

When your medical needs extend beyond the scope of primary care, we will refer you to an appropriate specialist. We will provide that specialist with relevant portions of your medical record needed to optimize your care. Please note that your Foothills Family Care DPC fee does not cover outside specialty care. We encourage you to check with your insurance carrier to ensure your specialist will be covered by your policy.

Much of our in-office lab work (strep screens, urinalysis, urine pregnancy tests, etc.) is included at no extra cost. Services provided by specialists, hospitalization expenses, outside labs, prescriptions, etc. are not included and should be billed directly to your insurance company.

We use a HIPAA-compliant, encrypted email system called Twine. It is free for patients to sign up. You can expect a reply usually within 48 hours, although during weekends, holidays or vacations, it may take longer. If you do not receive a response during the expected time, assume the message was not received. If that happens, please call the practice with your question or request. Please understand that medical advice can only be provided to registered patients.