My Subscription
What is a medical home?
Premium Medical Home is our name for the way good internists have practiced medicine for decades. It describes the experience we seek to provide: a premium relationship and communication with your personal physician, expert clinician care, and an office environment where you feel at home. A “medical home” is not a building, an office, or a care center; instead, it describes the program of convenience, comfort, and continuity of care that we want our patients to have when they walk through our door. Our commitment is to focus on the best interest of the patient.
Who is Premium Medical Home?
Currently, Premium Medical Home is comprised of the internal medicine practices of Allan R. Kelly, M.D., FACP, Robert H. Kelly, M.D., FACP, their staff, and you, the patient.
Premium Medical Home does not describe a change in how physicians treat the medical needs of patients. It describes the enhanced access to communication services and their clinicians now available to subscribers. Our practices are devoted to the Premium Medical Home model for the benefit of subscribers.
What is a PHM subscription?
As a PMH Subscriber, you will receive these services:
- Comfort, convenience, and continuity of care benefits not covered by private or government insurance
- PMH Personal Health Hotline connecting you and your PMH clinician through email interaction, text message communication, and cell phone access
- Prescription refills at your convenience, wherever you are—at home or on the road
- Private quarterly medical news written by PMH physicians for PMH subscribers only
- Extension of the same convenient subscription services to your out-of-town guests, without additional charge
- Continuity of Care across different levels of service—home, facilities, hospitals, other specialists
I want to subscribe! What do I do now?
Contact us for information on becoming a PMH subscriber, and we can assist with mailing you the forms or obtaining online service.
What happens if I choose to discontinue my PMH subscription?
If you choose to discontinue your Premium Medical Home subscription and see a different physician, a copy of your recent visit and current Annual Wellness Report will be sent to that new physician at your request. We welcome communication with your new physician and will speak with that physician should they give us a call. There are no refunds of your PMH subscription fee.
If I choose to go to a different physician and not be a patient any longer, what is my next step?
We understand that circumstances change, and choosing the physician who best meets your needs is an important decision. If you decide to continue your care elsewhere, please contact our office, and we will help coordinate the transfer of your medical records to your new physician. We are grateful for the opportunity to have been part of your care and wish you continued health moving forward.
Payment
How can I pay my PHM subscription fee?
Once you have contacted the office and scheduled your first appointment, you can pay your PMH Subscription fee before or after the first appointment. You may call and pay by credit card over the phone, visit our offices to pay, or mail in your payment along with your subscription form. Your subscription will renew annually and be billed on your anniversary date. Your enhanced communication with your PMH physician begins the moment you subscribe.
Does my PHM subscription cover medical or health care costs?
No. The Premium Medical Home subscription is not a substitute for insurance or Medicare, nor do PMH services include usual and customary care of illness. Your Premium Medical Home subscription is directed towards increasing your comfort and convenience as a patient and enhancing communication with your PMH clinician.
Services
What is the best way to get a prescription refill, and is there a charge?
Most prescription refill needs should be addressed during an office appointment. As a PMH Subscriber, you may call your clinician for same-day prescription refill needs, and a call or fax will be made to the pharmacy of your choice. You can also call your pharmacy; your request there will generate an electronic inquiry to your doctor.
Can I call about another member of my family who is visiting me?
Premium Medical Home recognizes the importance of family, and we think that individuals can benefit when other members of their family see the same physician.
As a PMH subscriber, you may call with questions or even, when appropriate, schedule an appointment for an out-of-town guest facing a medical question or problem.
Is email communication with PHM subscribers kept private and confidential?
Emails and texts are inherently less private than direct, phone, or written communication. Your emails are read personally by your physician, and email responses are fully encrypted. An email is not always the best way for your physician to respond since the information may not be instantly available.
Philosophy and Practice
Why is the PHM subscription based on a subscription model?
Premium Medical Home offers something different: a new level of service and patient-centered care. The subscription means that you can have the confidence and freedom to call your clinician directly, knowing the convenience costs have already been paid by your subscription. It is not covered by insurance, but it is valuable.
Do PHM subscription programs exist elsewhere?
Premium Medical Home represents an independent effort to improve internal medical practice for our patients. The subscription allows our practices to continue in a way that honors the tradition of internal medicine and the experience of care it provides to patients and their families that welcomes the innovative and enhanced communications that are part of the 21st century.
What was the reason for creating the Premium Medical Home subscription?
To improve internal medicine practice for the benefit of our patients and to promote innovation in primary care.
I’ve heard the term “Medical home” before. What exactly does this term mean?
The American Academy of Family Physicians defines the patient-centered medical home as one that integrates patients as active participants in their own health and well-being:
Patients are cared for by a physician who coordinates all aspects of preventive, acute, and chronic needs of patients using the best available evidence and technology. These relationships offer patients comfort, convenience, and optimal health throughout their lifetimes.
The American Academy of Pediatrics states:
A medical home is not a building, house, or hospital but rather an approach to providing comprehensive primary care. A medical home is defined as primary care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate, and culturally effective.
Why do some people say there is a crisis in primary care?
Because innovation has not been encouraged, fewer physicians choose primary care: compared to other specialties, the pay is low, the hours are longer, and the responsibility is broad and continuous. This combination makes it hard to recruit young clinicians. The shortage in primary care leads to long waiting times, closed practices, or difficulty reaching your own clinician. Innovation is needed and can overcome the crisis in primary care. We can do better.
How are PHM subscription services different from a vip or concierge practice?
Physicians around the country have developed concierge practices or executive physical programs. But frequently, such programs seem overpriced and unavailable to many people.Premium Medical Home offers what a concierge or VIP service offers: a smaller medical practice with more time for each patient. But PMH goes further: We offer your clinician’s care across the broad experience of the patient, from the office to the emergency room, the hospital, rehabilitation facilities, and back to the office. We are here for annual checkups and physicals, ER visits, hospital visits, long-term care, home care, and to coordinate care for different consultations. With the PMH subscription, we offer enhanced communication and convenience that will improve your and your family’s experience. You don’t need to be wealthy to be a VIP. This is a premium worth paying for.
How is PHM different from an executive physical?
Your Premium Medical Home provides preventive care and physical examination, often covered by insurance. We focus on avoiding both under-treatment and over-treatment. We base our annual checkups on experience and generally accepted guidelines for preventive care, such as those of the American Cancer Society or the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
After an executive physical, you walk away with a report, but who will be your physician if you need follow-up care or if you get sick? PMH provides you care throughout the year, not just for the day or two you might spend at an executive physical.
