Why We Do Not Accept Insurance Assignment
Many of our valued clients have inquired about our decision to not engage in direct billing with insurance providers. We appreciate your concerns regarding the financial implications of this choice and would like to provide you with a comprehensive explanation of our reasoning:
- Preservation of Our Care Philosophy: When medical clinics choose to bill insurance companies directly, they are typically required to become participating providers. This entails signing contracts that grant insurance companies the authority to dictate which services can be offered and at what rates. Insurance companies tend to focus primarily on conventional healthcare models that often prioritize pharmaceutical interventions and surgical procedures. Our commitment lies in the functional medicine approach, which seeks to address the root causes of symptoms through personalized nutritional and lifestyle recommendations.
- Fee Structure Limitations: Participating providers are obligated to accept the fee schedules established by insurance companies, regardless of whether these fees are reasonable or relevant to our practice. In most cases, these predetermined fees only cover the minimal cost of care, which we believe compromises the quality of service. Doctors accepting insurance as participating providers often must absorb substantial write-offs, sometimes up to fifty percent or more of their fees for service. This situation has become increasingly challenging over time, as the costs associated with providing high-quality care have continued to rise while insurance reimbursements have dwindled.
- Impact on Quality of Care: Many practitioners in insurance networks manage the constraints of participating provider agreements by keeping their office visits brief to accommodate a higher patient volume. Unfortunately, this approach compromises the quality of care and the opportunity for thorough patient evaluation and personalized treatment. In the current healthcare landscape, primary care clinics often struggle to remain financially self-sustaining and may need to seek support from larger institutions, such as hospitals, which rely on expensive high-tech procedures to offset costs.
- Alignment with Our Core Values: Interestingly, some clients have reported dissatisfaction with the brevity of office visits at other medical practices while also expressing frustration over our decision not to accept insurance. We have found that remaining within insurance networks compromises our ability to provide the time-intensive, meticulously researched, and expert care that you receive at Renew Health and Wellness.
In conclusion, our choice to refrain from participating in insurance billing stems from our unwavering commitment to delivering the highest quality of care, rooted in the functional medicine model. While we understand the financial considerations our clients face, we believe that this approach allows us to maintain the level of service and personalized attention that sets Renew Health and Wellness apart. We deeply appreciate your trust in our care and are dedicated to continuing our mission of helping you achieve optimal health and well-being.