CARDIOLOGY, PRIMARY CARE AND NUTRITION

FAQs

You can find the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions below. If you would like more information, please call the office at 941-235-9231.

How does our practice differ from the typical traditional practice?

The goal of this practice is to achieve optimum health and wellness for our patients. Our focus is on preventing — and even reversing — lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, peripheral vascular disease and autoimmune diseases.

We will take the time to understand your health and wellness needs. Then we will do only those tests beneficial in finalizing a treatment plan. This multifaceted treatment plan will utilize general medical care, cardiac care, nutritional education, and coaching, along with social support, to achieve the best state of wellbeing possible.

You will see and feel the difference immediately when you visit us at Jami Dulaney, MD. Our reception area is relaxing and comfortable. You will experience very short if any wait times to see me. You are the priority during your visit. You are here to address all of your health questions and concerns. You will never feel rushed. You will be evaluated and treated by me the physician and not an allied health practitioner. Because my practice is limited to just a few hundred, not thousands, of patients, I really get to know my patients so I can take a more proactive role in your health and wellness – and be there when you need me.

My goal is to provide you and your family with an experience that will not just meet, but exceed, your expectations for a doctor’s office.

What is Personalized Membership Care?

Personalized Membership medicine is an exciting and rapidly growing model to provide Primary and Cardiac specialty care without the interference of health insurance companies reimbursement requirements. Instead, our patients pay us directly through a convenient and affordable flat monthly fee for services outside of health insurance coverage.

This allows us to keep our practice small and provide you with highly connected, personalized, and preventive care when you need it. It’s like having your doctor available at the touch of a button. Our focus on ensuring a strong and satisfying doctor-patient partnership is the key to helping you stay healthy.

In fact, it’s the way I’ve always wanted and expected to practice medicine.

What does membership include?

Your membership includes an annual comprehensive physical exam that incorporates screening and diagnostic tests, and focuses on nutrition, fitness and exercise, lifestyle management, mental wellness, stress management, and chronic disease management. The result is a customized wellness plan to guide you in achieving and maintaining optimum health and disease prevention.

We are available to discuss urgent concerns nights and weekends when needed. We are working hard to create a practice where you can reach us when you need us, without having to jump through many hoops.

You will enjoy greater convenience and peace of mind. You may also find a reduced need for visits to specialists and the emergency department.

See all the services you will receive.

Who does this membership plan work best for?

People of all ages benefit from the value-added services we offer at our practice.

It works especially well for:

  • Patients desiring easy and direct communication with their doctor
  • Patients who want a doctor to address the root cause of illness, not just treat the symptoms
  • Those wishing to embark on a journey to attempt to reverse lifestyle diseases such as coronary artery disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease and diabetes.
  • Those wishing to work with a physician to reduce or eliminate as many medications as possible
  • Those who want to invest in and take an active part in improving their health and staying well
  • Those with high insurance premiums, high-deductible health plans or no insurance
  • Self-insured businesses seeking to provide their employees with affordable health care support and improved wellbeing, while simultaneously reducing everyone’s healthcare spending

What happens if I’m admitted to the emergency room or hospital?

I am on staff at Fawcett Memorial Hospital and Bayfront Port Charlotte Hospital in Port Charlotte, Florida. I will be available or have excellent coverage in my absence 24 hours daily. I will consult with any necessary consultants needed to provide you the highest quality of care. If you are out of state I can communicate with those providing direct care to provide the necessary information to assure continuity of care.

Do you make home visits or nursing home visits?

Yes, I do. I appreciate that it is often difficult, and even expensive to get to the doctor’s office. I will see patients in their home or nursing facility, rehab facility or ALF in medically appropriate situations, and on a case-by-case basis.

What if I need specialty care?

I will act as both your Cardiologist and Primary care physician if you choose. This allows me to handle most of your healthcare needs. However, if you do need to see another specialist we will help you find the right doctor and coordinate your care. If you choose to keep your Primary Care physician we will coordinate closely with them.

What if I need urgent care?

If you have a life-threatening emergency, call 911 immediately. A family member or caregiver can call us later so we can be in contact with the emergency room.

For urgent problems that are not emergencies, you can contact me when you need to. Often, I can diagnose and treat your need without a visit to the ER. In fact, membership medicine has been shown to result in fewer ER visits for members because we can discuss your medical needs any time of the day or night. And you know you can see us the next day! My goal is to follow you closely to avoid admissions to the hospital for complications of lifestyle diseases that can be treated as an outpatient.

What if I need medical attention while I’m away from home?

You can speak with me wherever you are and I will help with any medical conditions that can be done by “virtual visit”. If you have a condition that requires in-person evaluation and treatment, I will direct you to appropriate nearby care, and coordinate follow-up when you return home.

What if my doctor is on vacation?

As a member of our practice, you are never alone. Even when out of town, I will still be available by phone for your urgent needs. I will post vacations if the office is closed on the website. Otherwise, my office staff will be glad to help direct you to another trusted physician if onsite care is needed.

Do you bill insurance plans?

We have chosen not to contract with private healthcare insurance plans. Our practice is unencumbered by the constraints and limited reimbursement from private insurance plans so that we may better serve and care for our patients.

Our model results in significant savings: money, paperwork and time. The membership fee allows us to keep our overhead low and our practice small, and work for our patients, not the insurance company!

Because we work without private health insurance constraints, it is possible our regular fees for labs and other services may be less than other medical offices. And, you may be able to submit some or all of those expenses, if any, to your insurance as we will be out-of-network but some private plans do reimburse for certain out-of-network expenses. Check your private healthcare insurance plan for out-of-network coverages.

Can you see me if I have Medicare?

Absolutely. I am a participating provider with Medicare and we will bill Medicare on your behalf, as required by law, for services covered by Medicare. Our membership fee offering is designed to be outside of Medicare and other plan coverage.

Our practice is well suited to handle the more complex medical issues often associated with older patients. We can spend the time necessary to manage chronic disease through the use of nutrition and medication when needed. It is our goal to help you stabilize and reverse these conditions.

Do I still need to have health insurance?

Yes, you do. My medical practice is NOT a health insurance program. It is very important to maintain insurance (and/or Medicare) to cover outside testing and specialists, as well as expensive, unusual and unpredictable events such as surgery, emergency care and hospitalization, and other forms of medically necessary care.

The current insurance-based system makes primary care MORE expensive and difficult, and less effective too. Our practice does the opposite. We can spend more time together and focus proactively on your individual health needs to maintain and improve your health. I want you to see me as often as you need to, because my goal is healthy and happy members!

What if I have an HMO insurance plan?

If you have an HMO and are interested in joining Dr. Dulaney’s practice please call us at 941-235-9231 to discuss how membership may work for you.

How much is the membership fee?

Please visit our pricing section for details. We have discounts for families, and there are no long-term contracts required. You can pay annually or monthly.

Can joining Dr. Dulaney’s practice actually save me money?

We expect many patients will save money at our practice. We can better manage the risks of the majority of your health issues and concerns through our smaller practice and more connected care model. Through nutritional education and support we can reduce your medication cost burden as well as your valuable time spent in doctors’ office waiting rooms.

Studies show this model of care reduces the need for unnecessary medications, more expensive testing, and unnecessary referrals to specialists. It is more likely to prevent unnecessary emergency room visits and hospitalizations. This can result in saving you money and providing you better care.

Studies show that direct primary care can lead to:

  • Less use of medications
  • Fewer specialty referrals
  • Fewer emergency and hospital visits
  • Savings on labs and imaging
  • Less need for expensive test ordering

For patients not on Medicare:

Many find they can lower the cost of their total medical care by combining a high deductible health plan with a membership practice. Doing so makes joining this practice quite beneficial. My type of practice is also a good fit for those who have no insurance.

You won’t have any hidden costs or bills that come to you after-the-fact from the office or insurance company. And by switching to a higher deductible, lower premium plan, we can actually help many of our patients save money.

We also have negotiated deep discounts with local labs radiology providers for our patients who choose to pay cash for these services.

Will I still benefit from membership even if I don’t expect to need frequent medical attention?

Absolutely. Besides acute care and chronic disease management, the focus at our practice is on screenings and risk assessments, and lifestyle modifications. We want to identify risk factors and prevent disease before it starts, concentrating our efforts on your long-term health and wellness. We listen carefully to you to understand how your life, work and family may be affecting your health. Together we create a personalized plan to achieve and maintain your optimal health and goals. Advanced diagnostic tests can help us identify risk factors and health issues before they cause disease, saving you money, time, suffering and higher costs in the long run. Unlike the traditional practice environment, we have the time to deliver this type of comprehensive and detailed care.

Is there a limit to how many patients can join Dr. Dulaney’s practice?

Yes. One of the most important aspects of personalized membership medicine is limiting the practice size to be able to devote more time and energy to each patient. Therefore, once we have reached our ideal practice size, we will establish a waiting list.

What if I want to cancel my membership?

You are welcome to cancel your membership at any time as long as you have been a member for a minimum of 6 months and give us 30 day notice. No refunds will be made for those paying annually.

HOW DO I BECOME A MEMBER?

Please see our Join Us page for more information.

Please remember that space is limited and we accept members on a first-come, first-served basis. Once we fill all available slots, we will add your name to our waiting list, so we encourage you to act quickly.

I am ready to join.

I’m still not sure. Can we sit down and talk?

Sure! Call, email, or visit our Contact Us page. We are happy to also arrange a complimentary non-medical consultation with Dr. Jami Dulaney before joining our practice.