Questions and Answers
Q: What is HealthAccessRI?
A: HealthAccessRI is a collection of independent doctors and medical practices. HealthAccessRI participating practices charge you a monthly membership fee, usually $25 or $30 per month. Then the cost for each office visit is very low, usually $5 or $10. Each HealthAccessRI practice operates their own program and sets their own prices. A HealthAccessRI medical home costs less than a cell phone, broadband internet or cable TV.
Q: Who might be interested in HealthAccessRI?
A: 1. Individuals and families without health insurance.
2. People with health savings accounts.
3. People with high-deductible (major medical) health insurance plans.
4. Employers looking for an affordable employee benefit.
5. Immigrants without documents.
Q: What do the terms "per member per month" payment and "reduced fee for service" mean?
A: "Per member per month" payment means that each patient pays a monthly fee to be a member in their doctor's practice. With their membership, patients pay a significantly reduced fee for each office visit, usually just $5 - $10. Doctors, in exchange, provide complete primary care services. Patients are given a medical home and treated like any other patient in the practice. This is a private contract between doctor and patient for office-based primary care services only. Prescription drugs, emergency room visits, hospitalization, specialists, labs, x-rays, and physical therapy are not included. HMOs and other health insurance plans are not involved and HealthAccessRI plans are not health insurance.
Q: What services are included?
A: Primary care practices provide complete primary care medical services to their HealthAccessRI patients. Complete primary care means yearly physical exams, well child care with immunizations, school and sports physical exams, family planning, sick visits, unlimited visits for ongling medical problems and 24 hour telephone coverage. In fact, primary care offices treat the majority of people's health issues without referrals to specialists or expensive tests.
Q: Are local labs, radiology facilities, specialists or others offering discounts to HealthAccessRI patients?
A: Yes. Please see the Other Services page of our website for an up-to-date list of facilities that discount services to HealthAccessRI patients.
Q: Is this health insurance?
A: No. HealthAccessRI doctors provide members with complete primary care services. Other services, such as prescription drugs, emergency room visits, hospitalization, specialists, labs, x-rays, and physical therapy are not included. HealthAccessRI plans are great in combination with high deductible major medical insurance and health savings accounts, or can be used on their own, as a gateway to health care for people who don’t have health insurance yet. HealthAccessRI is not affiliated with or sponsored by any HMO or managed care organization.
Q: Is it affordable?
A: Traditional Family Doctor office visits ("usual and customary fees") could cost as much as $150 for a new patient visit with follow up visits costing up to $100. And specialist visits cost even more. A visit to an orthopedist for a routine ankle sprain might cost $200-$300 or more. But HealthAccessRI patients usually pay only $5 or $10 for each office visit. By becoming members of HealthAccessRI practices, HealthAccessRI patients will save hundreds - and perhaps thousands - of dollars on the cost of doctors office visits. A HealthAccessRI medical home costs less than a cell phone, broadband internet or cable TV.
Q: Is this “Boutique” or “Concierge” medicine?
A: No. “Boutique” or “Concierge” medicine is a service offered by some physicians who charge $1500 - $10,000 per year per person, accept only 50 to 600 patients per doctor, and provide many services, like limos for patients, that most people don’t want and don’t really need. Typical HealthAccessRI practices charge a fraction of that, but provide full primary care services – 24 hour coverage, and your own personal physician who knows you, your family, and your community. HealthAccessRI practices are committed to providing access to quality primary care for all Rhode Islanders.
Q: How do I pay for services outside my doctor’s office?
A: There are 3 pieces to the health care payment puzzle. HealthAccessRI provides you with affordable primary care. The second piece is low cost, high deductible standard indemnity insurance to protect against catastrophic expenses. While these plans are not presently available in Rhode Island, we hope this will change in the near future as more HealthAccessRI patients create a demand. The final piece is a savings account, such as a Health Savings Account (though it could be a personal savings account) from which money is drawn to pay for medical expenses that are not primary care but are below the deductible of a major medical insurance plan.
Q: How do I find a participating doctor?
A: Just see the Find a Doctor page of this website. There you may either browse all participating practices or search our Practice Finder database of practices. You may even compare all practices at a glance using our Practice Service-Cost comparison.