Frequently Asked Questions
Feeling confused...? Need a little more detail...?
Check out our responses below to see if this will give you the information you need. If not, please feel free to give us a call, and we'll help you out without making you wait (or pretend to talk to a chat bot).
Questions from Individuals
What does my monthly membership cover?
Open access to your personal medical provider. Serious, on-demand health care. Call, text, or email for a same-day office visit. We’ll get back to you right away. See our List of Services for more details.
Is direct primary care the same as concierge medicine?
No, DPC memberships are cheaper and less exclusive. Concierge medicine typically costs $200 to $300 per month for access to the doctor and may require a retainer. You also may need to have insurance that can be billed.
Do I have to be a DPC member to receive care at one of your clinics?
No, but our pricing is structured to make monthly payments the logical choice. If you have an issue that you think can be taken care of in a single visit, we charge $250 for a 30-minute consultation. At this rate, you would get roughly four visits for four issues (could be the same concern) over the course of a year versus full access to care over that same year. We think the membership is the way to go, but you do have the option.
Are there any age restrictions at your clinic?
Nope. We see all ages. We practice family medicine, and that includes everyone.
How do I get and pay for medications?
Caveat emptor (buyer beware). Online and discount pharmacies are not what they claim to be. However, with a little bit of detective work and using our discounts, we can beat those prices 90% of the time, and patients can usually pick up their medication same day. We can almost always save you more money, especially over the course of the year. We can typically order a 90-day supply of common medications for $5 to $20. Coupons can be issued via text, on-the-fly. You pay in cash at the pharmacy when you pick them up. - For reference, if you take 4-5 medications every day, they are ~7% of total healthcare spend (at DAC rates). If you take medicine infrequently, this cost can be a very small portion of the total. As you might have guessed, insurance companies can make it difficult to obtain the more expensive medications, but we can usually find you a reasonable substitute at a far lower cost.
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Do you keep any medications in your clinics, on site?
We do keep some injectable medications and those that we may need to administer on the spot in our clinics. You pay us for those, if we charge for them. We do not stock most medicines at clinical sites due to the need to rotate stock as those medications expire. Using our discount programs, we have access to a full formulary of all the medications that we could possibly need and never have to worry about wasting medication or paying for someone to manage inventory in multiple clinics. There are over 450 pharmacies in the Denver area. There are likely several close to where you live. We can also arrange to have medications delivered, if needed (for a fee).
What if I need a really expensive medication?
That’s what the healthsharing plans are for. Make sure you pick a plan that will cover the medication you need. Make sure you read up on pre-existing conditions and/or make sure you have enough medication to get you through the waiting period, if needed. Daily Apple Clinic may be able to offer possible solutions. Please give us a call to see what we can do to help.
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How does the pricing for labs and imaging work?
We have personally negotiated pricing with the best local labs and imaging centers to source the lowest prices possible. They are 80-90% less for labs and about 50% less for imaging than you would get walking in off the street. We’ll tell you exactly what anything costs before we order it. You choose the services you want to pay for. We built both a map with information on the imaging facilities in our area and a quick side-by-side price comparison chart to help you decide where you would like to go. We can show this to you when you become a member with us.
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What if I need to go to a specialty clinic?
We have access to very fast (~4 hours) second opinions for most specialties at around $50 for the consult. On average, this will save you around $500. You can try that first if you like, and we have also negotiated pricing with approximately 130 of the very best referring partners in the Denver area (32 different specialties). Our prices are typically about half of what you would get by asking them directly. We have also created a locator map that has facility name, address (with Google map link), Google ratings and number of reviews, their phone number, a link to their website and their cash pay policies. We are able to filter by specialty, so it's quick and easy to find someone. We can show this to you when you become a member with us.
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What if I need medical attention when I’m not at home?
Just call or text us. We can also usually call in prescriptions to a pharmacy as needed.
Does the Daily Apple Clinic DPC membership include any inpatient hospital care?
No, that’s why you would need a healthsharing membership or supplemental catastrophic coverage. We can help you avoid urgent care and emergency department visits, but if you need to be admitted to a hospital, you'll probably want to have a financial plan in place to cover those expenses. Make sure you read the fine print in the membership guidelines carefully to understand exactly what benefits are being offered.
Can I choose my own doctor or provider?
Absolutely. Some folks prefer to stay with one provider. Others like the option of being able to change anytime they like. We offer both options.
Why should I pay for a membership if I’m young and pretty healthy?
The short answer is: To stay that way. We provide an annual exam and a full set of standard labs as part of your membership. Also, as you get older, you'll realize that good habits formed when you were younger really do pay off later. We help you stay focused on maintaining those healthy habits, so you can stay strong and productive right up until the end. Of course, if you ever need us, we’re just a phone call away. And, when you really do need someone, a phone number that someone actually answers can be a very nice thing to have.
What if I need to cancel my membership?
No worries. We just ask for 30 days’ notice to make sure you have any needed medications or referrals and to send over any documentation to your new provider.
Do you accept insurance? Medicare, Medicaid, any major carriers?
No, we do not.
What do I do about my existing insurance? Can I cancel it?
You’ll obviously have to check with your carrier and ask about your specific policy, but you can typically cancel your health insurance at any time. However, if you want to buy a new (cheaper) insurance policy, you are usually not able to enroll in a new plan until the next Open Enrollment Period. In Colorado this occurs between November and mid-January each year. Again, we do think it’s important to be covered for catastrophic events. As we say in DPC-land, you don’t use auto insurance for routine maintenance - only when you crash the car. Why should health insurance be any different? Please ask us about our ideas and solutions to cover those types of catastrophic events, all of which we make ZERO dollars on. Happy to show you how to save money there.
How do I know if Daily Apple Clinic and DPC care is right for me and my family?
Answer these questions: Has your current insurance been keeping money you could have saved? Are you pulling your hair out dealing with insurance companies? Do you feel like they have been completely honest with you? Would you like a simple, straightforward, cost-effective health solution that can help you live your best life? Would you rather deal with people who are ethical and transparent, or with people who hide fees and their profit motive behind 150 to 200-page contracts? (Yep, that's average. Ours is 5 pages.) We think you get the idea here. We’re convinced it’s right for just about everyone. Please check out our video page for more details.
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How do I get the employer rate?
Give us your CEO's (or CFO's) name and phone number, and we'll see if we can set up a plan at your workplace. For every 10 adults you help sign up, we'll give you a one-year membership. You'll be doing everyone a favor. Seriously.
Questions from Employers
How do I integrate direct primary care into my business?
Direct primary care benefits both you and your employees. DPC can be used as an add-on to your current insurance plan, or we can help you save money by changing to a more cost-conscious solution to protect your employees from catastrophic loss. Please gather info here and then give us a call.
Why would I need Daily Apple Clinic DPC if we already have health insurance?
To save money and receive better care. The Daily Apple Clinic DPC membership covers around 90% of all of your employees’ healthcare needs, but it’s not insurance. Insurance or a healthsharing plan is almost always a good idea to cover unpredictable, catastrophic events, specialty care and higher-cost, less-common care (imaging, colonoscopy, true emergency care, maternity care, etc.). Our primary goal in helping businesses is to enable you save money by keeping your employees healthier and more engaged at work while offering the most cost-effective health plans available. We’re ready to show you how to do that when you’re ready to dive into the details.
What if our business health plan is self-funded?
Here's a study showing proven savings enjoyed by self-funded businesses that have switched to the DPC model. Businesses are able to reduce monthly fixed spending, stop-loss premiums, downstream claims, financial risks, and hiring and retention costs. No need to manage a complex plan with cash flow challenges anymore. Let’s talk.
Can I offer Daily Apple Clinic’s DPC services to my employees as a standalone benefit?
Of course.
Do you have any enrollment periods?
Nope. When your employees sign up, everyone pays a $75 enrollment fee to pay for up-front costs. Once they are signed up and the first month is paid, we make sure every employee receives an annual physical and labs within 30 days. This also gives us a chance to connect with each person and get to know them, so we can serve them better. We then touch base with you every month to update your employee enrollment list and eligibility. You and your employees can exit the membership at any time with 30 day’s notice. If an employee drops out and wants to sign up again in the future, they will need to pay an extra $200 fee. Transparent.
If an employee leaves the company, will they have COBRA coverage?
Depends. If they have your group insurance (20 or more employees), they can purchase it. Otherwise, they don’t need it. They simply continue to pay for the memberships they have, if desired. DAC membership rates may change slightly if they lose your employer discount. We can switch them to an individual plan, if needed. But, no penalties and no new “shock” premiums that are four or five times what they paid when they were working. With DAC DPC they get cost-effective, continued care.
You keep talking about healthsharing memberships. Can you tell me more about them?
Yes, we have a whole page on them here. Members of healthsharing communities are far more satisfied with those products and services than the folks who use traditional insurance. We think they are an excellent option to insurance. The people in these pools typically live healthier lifestyles, which drives down prices and costs. It is also an active rather than passive arrangement that incentivizes engagement. That awareness and attention tends to create a more responsible consumer. The healthsharing memberships we have selected are specifically designed to be used with DPC memberships.
Are there any drawbacks to healthsharing memberships?
Yes. These programs are not subject to the regulatory requirements or consumer protections of any particular state's insurance code or statutes. Since they are not health insurance plans, you do not technically have health insurance coverage and the guarantees afforded by law under those plans. Specifically, they are not required to cover pre-existing conditions and/or may not pay for those expenses until after a waiting period. They may also require lifestyle behaviors, such as avoiding tobacco, extramarital sex, alcohol abuse, etc. (but many do not).
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What if I do have pre-existing conditions?
Don't worry, we have you covered. You can hold on to any existing policies until you are at the end of the healthshare waiting period, purchase one of the higher end plans (Care+ Series) through Planstin, buy a CHM Gold plan or find a suitable insurance product on the state insurance exchange. Plenty of options.
How does my business pay for the DPC membership?
ACH debit. We always give you a heads up prior to withdrawing funds each month. We do accept credit cards, but that will cost an extra 3.0% of the amount paid. We recommend ACH.