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24/7 BRIDGEVILLE 724-260-5179 Belle Vernon 724 518-3072

Concierge Medicine

Concierge medicine is a type of medical practice where doctors offer premium services such as 24/7 access to a doctor, same-day appointments, comprehensive treatment plans, individualized care, and free visits should you require more intensive treatment. At South Hills Recovery Project, we charge a monthly fee of $175 per month whether you are seen monthly, biweekly or weekly. We strive to design a treatment plan that is evidenced-based, effective, and flexible to fit your specific circumstances. Our patients have access to skilled counselors, psychiatric services, and 24/7 phone support. Our patients enjoy the treatment that is compassionate, responsive and puts them first. This model of care allows us to offer immediate appointments for new patients, and flexible scheduling for existing patients. We can spend as much time with our patients as needed to address their concerns. From our hundreds of testimonials from our patients, this type of medical treatment provides exceptional results.

The Two Main Reasons We Don’t Accept Insurance as Payment Upfront:

  • The first important reason is that insurance companies, by deciding for you as a patient which treatments you will be reimbursed for, interject themselves between a doctor and patient. For our patients, we want you to have full access to the vast array of safe, effective treatments available. We want the doctor and patient to decide, based on your health needs, what combination of different treatments will optimize your overall mental wellness and recovery.
  • The second reason is that for services the insurance company does cover which may be provided by physicians, the physician is often reimbursed by insurance companies at a much lower rate than what is fair market value for the service being rendered. This second reason is significant in that you may be able to have insurance partially cover services received by us. We will either hand you or mail you a receipt at the end of each month or visit which you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. As with going to an out-of-network provider, you will often get some reimbursement from the insurance company, but it is possible for certain services and treatments you will not get any. Reimbursement also depends on which insurance carrier you have as well as your plan with that insurance company.
  • Clinics that accept insurance reimbursement for services typically ask for a co-payment for services at the time of the visit. To compensate for the low reimbursement rates paid by insurance companies, many clinics mandate weekly visits at the beginning of treatment. Co-pays may be $50 per visit which means you will pay out-of-pocket $200 per month.
  • We believe that medication-assisted treatment using Suboxone for Opiate Use Disorder was intended to be delivered in the doctor’s office. The stated intention of the DATA 2000 law which allowed doctors to prescribe Suboxone in their offices was to allow for easier access to treatment for opiate addiction, to decrease stigma associated with receiving care from designated drug and alcohol clinics, and to increase the right of patients to chose how they want to be treated. In our experience, many patients who suffer from Opiate Use Disorder have related mental health issues which are best addressed by psychiatrists who are involved in your treatment within the clinic from the beginning. Insurance companies have to lead the push to assign the psychiatrist to the role of medication manager. At South Hills Recovery Project, you will receive both an addiction evaluation and a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation by our most experienced psychiatrist. An psychiatrist with extensive experience in the treatment of addiction will direct and monitor the care you receive from beginning to end. This allows us to identify and treat mental health problems that may arise during your treatment very quickly, prevent mental health problems from worsening your addiction and keeping you on a path towards optimal mental health.
  • When a practice is established on a foundation of insurance filing and payments, staff must be paid to do that work. The more staff a practice employs the more layers of people that stand between the physician and his patients.

In addition, to pay that staff, the physician must schedule far more patients in tighter time slots each day to make ends meet. Sadly, that takes his time from his patients and many physicians find it unsatisfying. Anyone who goes into a vocation to help people heal wants to have the time to make that happen. By electing to stay outside of that billing/paying/employing cycle, we have drastically reduced the necessity to tightly schedule patients. This gives us time with each one as needed, and much more direct contact with you and your family.

When you call, we’re the ones who answer the call. If you’re met with a voicemail, it’s because we’re currently with a patient. When that session has ended, we’ll call you back. Instead of having to leave a detailed explanation of your problem with a stranger in the office, you can talk directly to your physician about your circumstances and needs. And you can get answers within a few minutes or an hour, rather than waiting till the end of the day.

By having this very personal contact and access, we become a part of your family healing team. We come to be acquainted with your individual experiences and reactions, and can more effectively respond therapeutically We know other psychiatrists personally who are engaged in the new healthcare services and are exhausted by the overload of patients they’re required to see daily. Their patients aren’t really receiving the best care these physicians can give because the physicians tend to be exhausted, drained, and short on time