CMC Plus FAQs

You will experience the difference when you visit us. There is little, if any, waiting time. We will take the time to address your medical concerns and answer your questions, and your office visits will never feel rushed. 

Because our practice is limited to just a few hundred, not thousands, of patients, we will be there when you need us. We have the time to truly know you and your health goals, allowing us to take a more active role in prevention and wellness.

Our goal is to provide you with an experience that will exceed your expectations for primary medical care.

Membership medicine is a healthcare model that prioritizes wellness, disease prevention, and personalized care through a membership fee structure.

How it works:

Rather than depending on insurance reimbursements for each visit (which incentivizes high-volume, time-limited care), we charge a membership fee. This allows us to:

• See fewer patients, so we have genuine time with each person
• Focus on prevention and wellness, not just treating illness
• Build strong doctor-patient relationships — the foundation of effective medicine
• Practice medicine the way we always envisioned: thoughtfully, comprehensively, and without bureaucratic constraints

Result: A primary care experience that is personal, accessible, and focused on helping you achieve and maintain optimal health.

Your CMC Plus membership includes:

1. Annual comprehensive wellness exam
   • Advanced screening and diagnostic assessment
   • Personalized lifestyle guidance
   • Creation of your individualized wellness plan with follow-up schedule
2. Extended and flexible office visits
   • Longer appointment times with unhurried conversation
   • Direct communication with your physician for medical concerns
3. Year-round communication and support
   • Email, text, and secure messaging for non-urgent inquiries
   • After-hours phone calls for urgent concerns (evenings and weekends)
   • Virtual visits when appropriate
   • Direct pathway to your physician without unnecessary administrative barriers
4. Care coordination and specialist management
   • Identification of appropriate specialists for referrals
   • Follow-up coordination after specialist care
   • Advocacy and communication support throughout your care journey
5. Preventive health management
   • Proactive identification and management of health risks
   • Chronic disease monitoring and management
   • Medication optimization
   • Advanced diagnostic testing when medically appropriate
   • Health education and prevention programs

Result: A customized wellness plan with comprehensive, ongoing support, resulting in a more connected and effective form of primary care.

Absolutely. This model is especially valuable for health-conscious patients who want to optimize their health.

Many patients in traditional practices would benefit from more frequent physician contact, but don’t seek it because of waiting times, rushed appointments, and hassle. At CMC Plus, those barriers are reduced. Because communication is easy — a call, text, or email — patients are more likely to address concerns early, before they become serious problems.

We listen carefully to understand how your life, work, and family situations affect your health — physically, mentally, and emotionally. Beyond managing acute illness, our focus is on:

• Early disease detection — Advanced diagnostic testing can identify risk factors and disease before symptoms appear, saving you time, money, suffering, and healthcare costs over the long term
• Prevention — We work with you to identify and prevent disease through lifestyle optimization
• Wellness — We help you build sustainable healthy habits and achieve your optimal health

Unlike traditional practices, we have the time to deliver this type of comprehensive, detailed, preventive care. 

As internists, we specialize in comprehensive primary care for adults (18 and up). The membership model is especially well-suited for:

• Patients who value direct communication — You want to easily reach your doctor without barriers or phone trees
• Health-conscious individuals — You want to take an active role in improving and maintaining your health
• Busy professionals — You don’t have time to spend half your day in a waiting room

Yes. This is one of the greatest benefits of membership.

Illness and injury don’t respect office hours. When you need urgent medical care, you can call us directly. Because we know you well and have your medical information readily available, we can often diagnose and treat your concern without an emergency room visit — saving you time, money, and stress.

For truly emergent situations (such as chest pain, severe trauma, or difficulty breathing), please call 911 or go to the emergency room immediately. We will be available to help coordinate your care when appropriate.

Research on membership medicine shows that patients have significantly fewer ER and urgent care visits because they can reach their physician when they need to.

Hospitalization can be stressful and confusing for patients and families. You will have a team of doctors taking care of you in the hospital, and since you will be able to notify us directly, we can communicate with those doctors on your behalf and review the plan of care with you. We will stay in close touch with you and your family and help coordinate follow up visits quickly and seamlessly. 

When specialist care is needed:

• We help you find the right specialist for your specific condition
• We may provide relevant diagnostic tests before your specialist visit
• We coordinate your ongoing care, helping to ensure consistency and prevent fragmented care
• We remain your primary point of contact, so you feel supported throughout specialist involvement

This coordination model helps ensure that specialists enhance — not fragment — your primary care experience.

You can speak with us wherever you are, and we will help you explore your options and coordinate the care you need. 

As a member of CMC Plus, you are never alone. Even when out of town, we will still be available directly by phone for your urgent needs. If your doctor is not available, we will have another trusted physician available to assist you for any urgent matters or to be seen in the office. This ensures continuity of care and that you always have physician support when needed.

Yes, we accept most major insurance plans. 

Membership is not an insurance plan, so you will use your health insurance coverage just as you always have. Your office visits, labs, imaging, and specialist care will still be billed to your insurance as they are now. If you are a Medicare beneficiary, your Medicare coverage continues unchanged. 

Absolutely. We are participating providers with Medicare and will bill Medicare on your behalf.

Our practice is well suited to handle the more complex medical issues and medication management often associated with older patients. We can spend the time necessary to manage chronic disease and the use of medications and work together to optimize your health and wellness.

Yes, you do. Our medical practice is not an insurance provider, and it is very important to maintain a medical insurance policy (and/or Medicare) to cover outside testing and specialists, as well as expensive, unusual, and unpredictable events such as surgery, emergency care and hospitalization.  

Your Membership fees are for non-covered services so may not be submitted to your health plan for reimbursement. 

Yes, it can for many of our patients. We expect many patients will have fewer out-of-pocket medical costs. We can better manage the risks of the majority of your health issues and concerns because of our smaller practice and more connected care model.

Also, studies have shown that a large number of procedures, imaging studies (such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI’s), labs, and surgeries are performed unnecessarily. With proper monitoring, we will make sure you get the tests that are appropriate and medically necessary. Not only is this a cost savings issue, but a better health issue too.

Please visit our Fees page for details.

Yes. One of the most important aspects of personalized medicine is limiting the practice size to be able to devote more time and energy to each patient. Therefore, once we have reached our ideal practice size, we will establish a waiting list.

You may cancel your membership any time after the first three months, with thirty days’ notice.  If you prepaid your membership fee for the year you will be reimbursed for the remaining months.

Please note: If you cancel your membership and decide to rejoin the practice at a later date, you may be placed on a waiting list pending membership availability. You would also be subject to any price increases that have occurred since you originally joined the practice.

Yes, if you are not an established patient of ours, we ask that we meet in-person (or virtually) to be sure our practice is a good fit for you. You may use our Contact form to request a meeting.

Yes! Family members or friends may want to provide a loved one the gift of membership. It’s a great way to provide support and peace of mind and ensure personalized attention for their well-being.

You can apply online now or Contact Us.