Frequently Asked Questions:

What health insurance plans does SHDPC accept?

Seaside Healing Direct Primary Care (SHDPC) accepts various health insurance plans, including Florida Blue, Aetna, Cigna, United Healthcare, and original Medicare.

We’re happy to welcome both! Patients can either join our DPC membership or use their health insurance — whichever fits their needs. You’ll receive quality care either way.

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a new model in which patients pay their primary care doctor directly rather than through their insurance company. Patients pay a simple, flat, affordable membership fee straight to the doctor instead of paying insurance company premiums and co-pays.

The DPC model refocuses the patient/physician relationship. Seaside Healing Direct Primary Care (SHDPC) has a limited number of patients in our practice, so the physician can devote more attention to each individual patient.

Your membership fee covers all primary care services, including office visits, minor office procedures, EKGs, diagnostic and wellness exams, phone calls, telehealth visits, and arrangements to see specialists with direct doctor-to-doctor communication.

Absolutely. Joining SHDPC can significantly reduce your healthcare expenses. Studies indicate that pairing a DPC membership with a high-deductible health plan can lead to average savings of 20% to 30%. For uninsured patients, the cost of a single urgent care or emergency room visit can nearly cover an entire year’s membership with a DPC practice. By focusing on preventive care and offering comprehensive services in the office, DPC practices minimize the need for unnecessary medications, expensive tests, and specialist referrals. This proactive approach enhances your well-being and prevents avoidable emergency room visits and hospitalizations, resulting in substantial financial savings. (Mechley AR. Direct Primary Care: A Successful Financial Model for the Clinical Practice of Lifestyle Medicine. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2021 Apr 15;15(5):557-562. doi: 10.1177/15598276211006624. PMID: 34646107; PMCID: PMC8504342.)

Yes. Maintaining insurance and/or Medicare is crucial to cover expensive, unusual, and unpredictable events such as surgery, emergency room care, hospitalization, labs, and x-rays. Your membership fee with our practice covers your everyday preventative primary care.

The DPC model allows patients to visit their physician as often as necessary, all included under the membership fee

SHDPC is not accepting new patients for pharmaceutical treatments involving opioids for Chronic Pain. In accordance with the updated opioid prescribing guidelines mandated in Florida as of July 1, 2018 , SHDPC emphasizes patient safety and the utilization of effective, non-opioid alternatives. Patients currently managing chronic pain with narcotics are encouraged to consult specialized pain treatment centers for comprehensive care. 

At this time, we are not conducting hospital visits. However, we will contact the hospitalist responsible for your care directly to discuss your case and share any necessary information that might help enhance your treatment. We understand that hospital admissions for serious medical issues can be overwhelming and often bewildering for patients and their families. As your healthcare advocates, we are here to support you and keep open lines of communication with you and your loved ones.

In most cases, we can diagnose and treat your needs without a visit to the ER or Urgent Care. If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately.

You can cancel your membership at any time with 30 days advance notice.