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WHY HYGEIA DOES NOT ACCEPT INSURANCE

I am often asked why I have adopted an insurance-free model for Hygeia. I have chosen this route because the more standard model of reimbursement is tightly coupled to the more standard style of medicine, which is not practiced here. It has always been my desire to work for the patient, to treat the person in front of me rather than a diagnosis, or the billable ICD-9/ICD-10 code. For those of you who are not familiar with the medical reimbursement system, the time that a provider spends with a patient is reduced to a series of numeric codes which are then used by the insurance company to determine reimbursement. The administrative burden of coding is incredibly cumbersome, and I find the act of minimizing a complex human interaction to a series of numbers to be highly insulting — both to the provider's expertise and to the patient's unique narrative. Every patient who walks through my door has a history which has created their current health status. Add to this history the individual's current strengths, limits, and challenges, and we begin to understand the complexity of what it takes to create or preserve health.

As a self-employed physician my boss is my patient and my obligation is to provide education and guidance to help reduce the burden of suffering and create health. By stepping outside of the current constructs of the medical industrial complex the doctor-patient relationship is simplified. This allows us to meet, get to know each other, and work together to create solutions. I have over 20 years of experience in the field of medicine; you have a lifetime of knowledge of your body. I believe that with the freedom to combine our skill sets with the single-minded goal of helping you to achieve your optimal health, we can work wonders.

I do understand that many of you pay handsomely for your health insurance and would prefer to use it when possible and many of the services I provide are reimbursable through the insurance system. Following your visit, we will provide you with a statement which is coded based upon the time you spent with me, the type of visit (preventative or problem oriented), and the symptoms which were addressed. This can be submitted to your insurer for reimbursement based upon the conditions of your insurance plan.

— Robyn Jacobs