HOW DOES OUR MEMBERSHIP MODEL WORK?
AUTHENTIC INTERNAL MEDICINE charges an annual membership fee.
Membership ensures that there are no additional charges for office visits, virtual care, or any other communication with your doctor. There are no co-pays.
To get started, click on the LET’S CONNECT page and leave your contact information, or call our office directly. We will then set up a “Meet and Greet” appointment to be sure our practice is the right fit.
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
MyRisk® Hereditary Cancer Test
Galleri®
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
We offer Myriad MyRisk genetic testing for patients with increased risk of hereditary cancer.
These risks include:
Any personal history of breast, ovarian, rectal or pancreatic cancer at any age or uterine cancer at age 64 or younger.
Any blood relative (parent, sibling, half-sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, aunt/uncle, niece/nephew) with breast cancer at age 49 or younger or ovarian cancer at any age.
A parent, sibling or child diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at any age, or colon, rectal or endometrial cancer at age 49 or younger.
The MyRisk cancer test is a powerful tool that evaluates genes associated with 11 different hereditary cancers. It is a simple office blood test. The results provide in-depth information for patients that is clear to understand with access to genetic experts for further interpretation. If you are found to have a gene associated with an increased risk, you can formulate a plan with your physician to prevent cancer or diagnose it an earlier stage. After a careful discussion with your physician, you can decide if this test is a good option for you. This optional testing is covered by most insurance companies. If the test is not covered, the consumer price is about $250.00.
MyRisk Hereditary Cancer Test
Galleri
There are currently only 5 cancers that have recommended screening tests: breast, colon, cervical, prostate and lung.
Galleri is a multicancer early detection test (MCED). It is a blood test that screens for a signal shared by 50+ cancers on cell-free DNA. These signals can be present at a very early stage, which helps increase cancer detection, early treatment and hopefully improved outcomes. If the cancer signal is detected, Galleri predicts the tissue type or organ associated with the signal with 88% accuracy. This helps guide the work up through labs and imaging. The test is not recommended for patients with symptoms of cancer.
Galleri does not detect all cancers and all cancers cannot be detected in the blood. The test screens for active cancer and does not predict your risk for future cancer. The test is recommended for adults with an elevated risk for cancer and those age 50 or older.
This test does not replace current recommended screening tests. It is a tool for early detection for many cancers we have no screening for. Although low, there can be false positive test results meaning you test positive but there is no cancer found. For further information, talk with your physician to determine if this is an appropriate test for you. Galleri is currently not covered by insurance. This optional test is $1000.00.