Frequently asked questions

Do you take insurance?

We accept a single monthly membership fee for all appointments that you may or may not need for the month, no insurance involved.  Even if you do have insurance, though, you can still see us, as many folks have difficult seeing their primary care doctors in a reasonable amount of time (and FOR a reasonable amount of time).  We encourage you to have insurance for accidents and surgeries, but to get your regular care with us.  You will find our monthly membership fee worth it for the quality of care we provide and your savings in co-pays and medications.

What does my membership fee cover?

A lot!  Any appointments you need, physicals or acute needs, phone calls (with our wonderful MAs, office manager, or providers), after-hours access to your provider for urgent issues; longer appointment times (30 min to an hour) to address multiple complaints; a comfortable office environment; many procedures and point-of-care labs, and more!  For our giant list of benefits of membership, go HERE.

What if I have Medicaid or Medicare?

We have seen so many patients struggle to find a provider under these programs, and we would really like to be able to be your doctor. However, given current legislation, we cannot accept Medicaid patients, even if you pay out of pocket for our membership fee, as it can be argued that is breaking the law. As for Medicare, we treat it just like any other insurance - sometimes it’s less expensive to get labs, imaging, or medications through our office. Sometimes our providers can send those orders to other pharmacies and facilities to have them covered by Medicare. We still require the monthly membership fee, that Medicare does not cover. Medicare beneficiaries will be asked to sign a waiver that they understand this process, and that they will not submit the membership invoice to Medicare for reimbursement.

How far are you scheduling out? Can I get in right away?

We have appointments for urgent issues today; physicals and more routine follow-ups can be booked within a week or two.

Can I get a refill on my medication?

Sure, if you’re a patient of ours we can usually get your refills to you in 24 hours.  Give us time to make sure you’re not due for any important labs, run it by the doctor, and we’ll get right back to you.  Try to get that accomplished with a typical medical practice!

Can I talk to the doctor?

Probably - let us know what it’s about, maybe we can figure it out for you right now, or we’ll try to find a time that works for you and the doc.

How much is this membership fee?

There is a $100 enrollment fee (one time), then a monthly fee based on your age. Read more about our memberships here. If you are a prior patient of ours, then we will require a higher enrollment fee each time you re-enroll, as that is not the way we want our doctor/patient relationship to work. We can care for you best if you stay our patient, and we wind up in difficult situations if it is unclear whether you are our patient at a certain time or not.

What is Direct Primary Care?

It’s the next generation of healthcare that makes both patients and doctors a lot happier - please click HERE for more details

Can I just sign up for a month, get the care I want, and then discontinue my membership?

If you’re sure you wouldn’t benefit from having a provider who knows you in the future!  In all seriousness, this is not the way our practice is supposed to work.  No matter your stage in life, you’re likely to have a rash that you’re worried about all of a sudden, or a burning medical question that you just can’t trust Google with, and it’s nice to have a doctor like us for that.  We ask you to sign a contract to stay for at least 30 days, so plan to pay at least 2 months of membership, plus the enrollment fee - which, you’re right, is cheaper than a lot of urgent care one-time-cash-fees.  Our hope is that you’ll fall in love with this kind of medicine, the way we have, and stay with us.  If you cancel and re-enroll, you’ll have to pay twice the enrollment fee ($200)($300 if you do it again), or be put on a waiting list, if we don’t have open slots for you.  After two times of un-enrollment, we will ask you not to enroll again.

Do I have to pay a membership fee on months that I’m not seen?

Yes. That’s the only way our office can operate with so few patients.  You are paying not just for the times you need the doctor, but also for the doctor to be available just in case you need them, in person or on the phone.  We welcome visits just to check in, and encourage you in your health, including for help with weight loss, anxiety, or depression.

Why would I want to sign up if I already have health insurance?

Because a lot of primary care covered by health insurance is inadequate.  Providers are rushed, pushed to see more patients than they can reasonably care for.  We recommend saving your health insurance for big expenses, surgeries, and accidents, in a similar way that you use your car insurance.  Let PRFM take care of your oil changes and other routine and expected needs.

Do I need to have health insurance, or will PRFM take care of everything I need?

Although many of our patients don’t have any health insurance, we highly recommend it.  Look for a high deductible plan and hope to never need to use it.  We can take care of 80-90% of your medical needs.  But for that small percentage that we can’t help with, you need health insurance.

Can I get immunizations at your office?

Yes, we are contracted with Vaxcare to provide many vaccines, for both adults and kids. Vaxcare can often bill insurance, and our cash prices are less than or equal to those at the El Paso County Health Department per the prices listed on their web site, plus we don’t have to charge administration fees. Let us know which vaccines you are interested in, as there are some we have to specially order. We also love the Health Department though - they are a great resource, and we have had great personal experiences getting our own vaccines there.

How do I care for my new ear piercings?

Do not touch your ears without washing your hands first for 2 weeks. Leave your initial studs in for at least 6 weeks, and once you remove them do not use them again - they are a wider diameter of stud meant for establishing new holes, and will likely traumatize the healed skin if you try to re-insert them. Clean them with soap and water or sterile saline twice a day on both side of the ear for the first 10-15 days. Avoid swimming and hot tubs for AT LEAST 48 hr after getting them pierced. Contact us with any concerns for infection, including increased pain, swelling, redness, or discharge.

What are the benefits of ear piercing at your facility?

We offer ear piercing with a medical grade device, done by a provider with a single-use device, and in a clean and safe clinical environment. We charge $100 for both ears, including standard medical plastic stud earrings, for members. Additional cost for non members and for numbing topical cream. You can get a discount on your future medical-grade earrings with code PRFMDPC at this link, as well.

What paperwork will I need to fill out when I sign up?

You can see our new patient enrollment agreement here and here. The easiest way to sign up is here on our web site - you’ll get the chance to input your health information and preferences, so that you can review it all with the doctor at your first appointment. We will also email you the new patient paperwork when you sign up, keep an eye out.

Do you take walk-in appointments?

No.  You are welcome to walk in to learn more about us and sign up for membership, but we probably will not be able to see you immediately unless we happen to have no other patients waiting.  Refills should be called in ahead of time.  All appointments, blood draws, and injections need to be arranged ahead of time.  This helps us avoid long wait times - as much as we have a comfortable waiting area, we don’t want you to waste your time there.

Do you do pain management?

No.  We are family medicine trained and will help our established patients manage their pain, and try to decrease their reliance on dangerous medications, but we are not a good option for managing chronic opioids/narcotics.

Can I fill all of my prescriptions in your office?

We order common non-controlled medications at wholesale prices as a convenience for our patients. As a result we’re able to offer better pricing on medication however, some medications are less expensive through your pharmacy. We have no controlled substances on site.

Do you treat ADD/ADHD?

Yes.  But again, have none of these medications available on site.

What happens if I need a doctor at night or on the weekend? Or if I’m out of town?  Do you cover urgent cares?

Please call our after-hours number before you go to the ER or urgent care!  Our membership fee does not cover any other clinics.  Sometimes urgent medical concerns can be improved with some reassurance of bad things to watch for, and we can see you the next day just fine.  Sometimes we can discuss your symptoms with you and call out medications to wherever you are, out of town or not.  Sometimes you really need to be seen after hours, and we can meet you at the office for stitches or an abscess for an extra $100 fee (still much cheaper than the ER or urgent care!).  Sometimes you really need to go to the ER right away.  We can help you figure out what to do if you call or text us.  And even better, a lot of ER visits can be prevented with good preventive care - we like to prevent strokes and heart attacks, for example, with blood pressure and cholesterol medications. 

Do you see un-immunized kids?

Absolutely!  Don’t get us wrong - we love vaccines.  But if you don’t immunize them, it’s probably safer for the medically fragile kids that get seen by pediatricians to have you in our waiting room instead of in theirs.  We may encourage you to consider vaccination, and discuss it with you sometimes, but having your child seen regularly by a physician is more important to us than their vaccination status.

I would prefer to have a male/female provider.

Great, we have both!

Are there women’s health issues that you can help with?

Yes.  We perform pelvic exams for rashes, bumps, discharge or other symptoms; we collect pap smears to screen for cervical cancer.  We can help with losing control of your bladder, pain with sex, breast concerns, and all sorts of other common difficulties.  If you need a gynecologist, we can help you find one of those, too, but we might be able to start you feeling better after seeing us first.

I’m gay/transgender/non-binary/homeless/addicted/atheist/paleo/brown/a veteran/ an immigrant/disabled/a survivor/ anything else that sets you apart.  Will you see me?

Absolutely!  We love being family doctors, which means we see EVERYone.  And if you happen to somehow have or be something we haven’t seen before, we will be all that much more excited to have the chance to care for you.  Please give us that chance.

What extra out-of-pocket expenses do you have that I'll have to pay for?

Medicines, labs, pathology, and imaging are all extra - at reduced prices from what you’ll see at a typical doctor’s office, and we will be able to tell you the price ahead of time.  Price transparency, and set pricing, is something we feel strongly about, we are not trying to hide expenses from you.

Do you have allergy testing and allergy shots?

Yes, we happen to be trained in allergy testing and allergy treatments.  We offer skin testing for airborne allergens, and if you are interested in allergy shots, we charge $1300 for one year of complete treatment - way less expensive than with an allergist.  If all you need is testing and treatment for your allergies with pills and nasal sprays, it would be much less expensive than that.

 What do you have at your office?

We have two providers, a number of medical assistants, and 4 exam rooms.  We draw labs in our office so you don't have to go to a separate lab, and offer very reasonable prices for all our bloodwork.  We can tell you what everything will cost before we do it, and take your finances into consideration of our plan for your best health.  We have many medications available for you in our clinic, and can often prevent you from even having to go to a pharmacy, as well as saving you a lot of money compared with the pharmacy.  We do female health exams like pap smears, spirometry testing for breathing and asthma, EKGs for your heart, and more.  We try to be a very comprehensive family medicine clinic.

Are there any pediatric doctors?

Both of our providers at Pine Ridge Family Medicine have extensive training and experience caring for children of all ages, plus children of their own. However, neither is a pediatrician.

What are your office hours?

Monday through Thursday 9-5, Fridays 9-12.

Do you do cosmetic procedures?

Yes.  We have liquid nitrogen on hand to take care of skin tags and warts.  We remove moles and cysts, and you pay only for things that cost us money, like medicine and pathology review (if needed).  We inject spider veins with sclerotherapy.  We offer Botox and Dysport for fine lines and wrinkles.  Contact us for more information!