HOW DOES OUR MEMBERSHIP MODEL WORK?
AUTHENTIC Internal Medicine is a membership-based, direct primary care “concierge” model.
AUTHENTIC membership is $3500 per year. Member’s children ages 18-25 can be added for an additional $1500 per adult child. New patients pay a one-time $250 registration fee. Please be advised that renewing patients pay a 3% fee charged for credit card payments. Payments are made annually by check, ACH direct debit, or credit card.
Membership ensures that there are no additional charges for office visits, virtual care, or any other communication with your doctor. This means there are no co-pays.
The membership model allows us to limit the number of patients in our panels, so appointments are easier to schedule including same day/next day availability for urgent matters. Patients appreciate that we are accessible between office visits for quick questions or advice, and we appreciate the opportunity to get to know our patients without feeling rushed.
To get started, review the frequently asked questions (FAQ) page. Next, click on the LET’S CONNECT page and leave your contact information. We will set up a “Meet and Greet” to be sure our practice is the right fit for you.
SERVICES INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL FEE
Annual wellness physical examination, labs included
Comprehensive review of your medical history
Management of chronic conditions
Women’s Health Care including breast exams and pap smears
Electrocardiogram (ECGs) Testing
Anxiety and Depression Screening
Cognitive Screening
Convenience of in-office lab draws and vaccine administration (billed directly to your insurance by the Northwestern Medicine lab or Vaxcare, respectively)
Timely visits to address illness either in-person or virtual (when feasible and advisable) via our secure, HIPAA-compliant platform
Point of Care (POC) testing completed same day in our office with immediately available results such as rapid strep, rapid flu, rapid covid, glucose, pregnancy and urinalysis
Timely communication to address questions or concerns between visits via our secure HIPAA-compliant platform and/or My Chart portal
Coordination of medical care with your specialists
Coordination of medical care with your hospital team
Access to our extensive referral network at Northwestern Medicine
Optional Services
InBody 970
Both being overweight and underweight are associated with increased health risks. Overweight and obese individuals are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, fatty liver disease, and some cancers. Underweight individuals are at increased risk of electrolyte and water imbalances, bone loss and falls. Given the rise in use of highly effective anti-obesity medications (AOMs), physician experts are warning against focusing solely on the number on the bathroom scale as the measure of health*. Far more important is how much muscle we maintain on our bodies and how much - and where - our body fat is stored. Knowing what percent of your total body weight is composed of muscle, fat, and water is key.
Body fat percentages normally increase with age, and women have naturally higher body fat percentages than men. There are also racial and ethnic differences. What is more important than defining “normal” percentages is the ability to track changes in these percentages over time. We also use these percentages to safely monitor the effect of anti-obesity medications and lifestyle interventions in patients. Maintaining strength is essential for healthy aging.
The InBody 970 is the state-of-the-art body composition tool we use in our practice. The test only takes only 70 seconds, and patients do the analysis quarterly to track progress. We strongly recommend the analysis for our patients taking anti-obesity medications or who are following food as medicine/lifestyle regimens with the intent to lose weight.
The use of the InBody 970 is an optional “add-on” benefit. By not including this service in membership we are able to keep our annual fees down for patients who do not want or need it. The add on cost for use of InBody is $200 annually. Simply let us know if you are interested.
*JAMA Intern Med. 2024;184(4):341-342
