FAQs

GoodMed is a family concierge medical practice, a model of health care that is immediate, thorough, comprehensive, specific, easily affordable, and very personal. Both providers are naturopathic primary care doctors, and as such our focus is on treating the root cause, and working toward true prevention. We strive to provide the best of medicine.

The terms are often used interchangeably, and essentially refer to the same thing. Direct primary care clinics don’t accept insurance, rather they choose to work directly with the patient, providing wholesale labs and prescription prices along the way. Direct primary care is a healthcare model focused on putting the patient first. That means treating them when they need it, never rushing patients through appointments, and being proactive with healthcare treatment plans. The doctor-patient relationship is just as the name suggests – direct.

Nope! We happily practice out side of the insurance juggernaut. It is estimated that 40% of dollars spent in primary care get gobbled up by the insurance billing process. Couldn’t we put that money to better use? We think so.

The most important aspect of our care centers on a direct, personal relationship between you and your doctor. We have given up insurance payments in order to save our patients from the arbitrary, intrusive decisions that inevitably follow with third-party payors. Furthermore, this direct fee-for-services arrangement frees us from the typical contractual agreements that prevent physicians from offering wholesale prices on laboratory tests, imaging, and medications.

Yes. We recommend that our clients continue to carry both a major medical plan and a health savings account, thereby ensuring financial help should hospitalization or referral to a specialist be necessary. We will be happy to refer you to insurance representatives who can help you customize an insurance plan to your specific needs.

Yes. We love kids and are happy to accept the children (birth through 19 years of age) of our enrolled clients or independently. Included is access to full-schedule vaccination on site for all children (for free, of course!).

At GoodMed our only concern is about taking the best care of our patients, as we are responsible to no one else. We are returning family practice to its roots, grounded in accessibility, convenience, and affordability, while continuing to explore innovative ways to challenge the status quo for better outcomes. Our member patients enjoy 100% unfettered access to their doctor, providing care when and where it is needed (without having to ask for permission from insurance!).

GoodMed also separates from the crowd as the both providers are naturopathic physicians. They bring an integrative approach to assessment, evaluation, and treatment, leading to highly effective and individualized care. Plans typically include diet, lifestyle, and exercise counseling, non-pharmaceutical treatment options if appropriate, and pharmaceutical if needed. Included in membership is access to wholesale medication, supplements, labs, and imaging. Not having insurance companies looking over our shoulders gives us ultimate freedom to do what is best for our patients. We work for you.

Please schedule a visit to discuss your needs for health care, a visit that will be free and unconditional. It’s the only reasonable way to begin what, we trust, will be a long, productive, altogether healthy friendship.

At GoodMed, we maintain strict standards of privacy. We are never obligated to provide any third party with a copy of your records, unless you specifically ask that we do so.

Our care doesn’t stop at our clinic’s door or at the state line – yet another freedom enjoyed by all as a result of GoodMed’s independence from the restrictions of third-party payment. Because we know you well, we can direct your care when you’re sick away from home. With the ease of communication today through telemedicine, many illnesses can be diagnosed and treated with a simple conversation by phone or webcam. We’ll also locate the nearest pharmacy and order the medications most appropriate for you if necessary.

Absolutely! Because illness and injury do not respect regular office hours, you may call your physicians any day, at any hour. We also invite you to arrange for home visits, schedules permitting. If you prefer, you may also use our secure patient portal iphone app to e-mail your physician. It’s how we do custom healthcare.

This is the scenario in which health insurance is needed, for an insurable event. However, in providing excellent care with unfettered access, we aim to prevent or reduce hospitalizations and specialty referrals. In certain circumstances where those types of care are required, we will certainly continue to serve you during your hospital stay or to work closely with any specialist. In some cases, depending on the level of care and the sorts of expertise required, we may rely on those specialized caregivers to manage your treatment.

Unfortunately, no. Your retainer is not yet defined as a “medical expense” in most states and as such is not deductible. The American Academy of Private Physicians, however, is lobbying hard to win rightful deductibility for these expenses. In the meantime, consult with your tax consultant to clarify tax consequences in your particular circumstances. Stay tuned for updates.

Yes. You need only sign a one-time waiver declaring that neither you nor your doctor will directly bill Medicare for our services. Medicare may still cover any laboratory testing, imaging, medications, or hospitalizations prescribed by our office.

We are also very fortunate to work with the industry leaders in health insurance in Washington who are able to build custom healthcare insurance plans. They are able to develop very eloquent plans that remove much of the waste and inefficiency from a typical, bloated policy. We have been able to save young families nearly $1000/month and many businesses 30-50% while providing a higher level of care. If you are interested in talking to a health insurance expert, you may contact Karol Munsinger with Financial Designs Inc at (425) 392-6586 or at kmuns@att.net for questions on individual and/or group quotes.

Some of our members utilize medical cost sharing organizations to help reduce the risks associated with expensive medical care. Although it is not insurance, it can help with the costs of medical care and typically at a lower monthly cost and can provide an exemption from the ACA fine. There are a few that are in operation, we are most familiar with Liberty Healthshare due to their endorsement of direct primary care. Learn more here.

Of course! Congrats on being healthy. Curious enough, it has been our experience that those who have this same question when they enroll, seem to use us as a resource and health partner most frequently. You may be surprised by what we can help with that didn’t register as something to warrant a doctors visit through the insurance system. When the hurdles to obtain care are removed, being even more proactive is that much easier. We would argue that everyone benefits from a service tailored directly to them. That’s why we offer custom healthcare. Our practice is devoted to the maintenance of your good health, to the enhancements of your daily experience that only physical well-being can bring.

In wellness and active treatment alike, GoodMed’s greatest asset is time. Large amounts of precious time given to you as you wish. Every visit, for whatever reason, will be easy-going in its thoroughness, relaxed in answering your questions and addressing the need of the moment. Then, as the months and years go by, we’ll build a comprehensive, intimate knowledge of your health.

Actually, quite a bit, and we are happy to have pharmaceuticals as one of our tools. As our name suggests, our goal is to provide good medicine, in fact it is to provide the best medicine (BestMed just sounded a little arrogant), no matter what the situation. In some situations, pharmaceutical medication may not be our first choice of therapies, but sometimes it is. It is all about giving the best recommendation based on current evidence and meeting the patient’s needs and goals at the same time. The best part about seeing a Naturopathic Physician is that there are many treatment options, particularly for chronic conditions. For instance, there are a number of valid ways, in addition to medication, to address elevated blood pressure. Because we have the time, we will take it to explain each option in detail. After you have the information, if medication still makes the most sense for you, we can do it (and happily dispense it from our own inventory for your convenience and cost savings!). You can find more about our medication policy here.