Health Share Plan Membership Helps Reduce Patients' Out-of-Pocket Costs

GRAND BLANC, MI--(Marketwired - Mar 31, 2014) - Years before Congress passed the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Dr. Roland Tindle, D.O., president and CEO of Complete Care Center in Grand Blanc, created a program to help uninsured patients receive affordable health care services.

"We realized that an increasing number of our patients had no health insurance and were delaying medical care," said Dr. Tindle. "When they finally sought treatment, their conditions were more complex and the costs even greater."

To ensure patients easier access to affordable health care, Complete Care Center introduced Health Share Plan (HSP), www.HealthSharePlan.com. It's a monthly membership program that offers uninsured patients lower cost office visits along with lab tests, x-rays and other services at heavily discounted pricing.

 Because HSP was initially developed to cover uninsured patients, Dr. Tindle was uncertain how the membership program would be impacted with the passage and implementation of the Affordable Care Act. 

"Our Business Manager Theresa McIntosh became an expert at researching the ACA and various insurance plans," said Dr. Tindle. "She helped us stay ahead of the curve. As a result, we learned that our membership program, with a few modifications, could bridge the gap in patient's health care costs, and work hand-in-hand with ACA-compliant insurance."

In 2009, Flint resident Ralph Susalla was uninsured and signed up for HSP membership to help reduce his medical costs.

"Dr. Tindle had the vision to bring in a variety of services under one roof. I'm surprised more doctors haven't come up with their own plans," said Susalla who estimated he visits Complete Care Center once a month for blood draws and monitoring. "It's convenient; services are good; and I like Dr. Tindle. It's a very comprehensive program."

Today, Susalla has insurance coverage through an ACA plan to cover major hospital stays and maintains his HSP membership.

A longtime patient of Complete Care Center, Lisa McMahon was an HSP member before she received HMO insurance coverage through her employer. When McMahon needed recent surgery, she was referred to a primary care physician through the HMO.

"Unfortunately, I had complications following surgery and wasn't getting the help I needed from the hospital and my new primary care physician was too busy to see me," said McMahon. "I decided to go back to Complete Care Center. As soon as I walked in the door, they knew me well enough to know something was wrong. After a couple of x-rays, I was started on treatment immediately. They saved my life."

It appears that McMahon's experience is not uncommon. According to the 2014 Survey of Physician Appointment Wait Times released by Merritt Hawkins, a leading physician search and consulting firm, the average wait time to schedule an appointment with a family physician in the Detroit area is 16 days.

"We see patients all the time who are unable to get a timely appointment with their regular physician," said Dr. Tindle. "We can see anyone the same day, either by appointment or walk in."

To ensure easy access to medical care and to bridge the gap in health care costs, McMahon maintains her HMO coverage and is once again an HSP member.

"It's a small fee and is nothing compared to the quality of care I receive," added McMahon. "The sign at Complete Care Center says 'health care with a heart' and that is so true."

To meet the needs of patients now eligible for ACA health insurance, HSP membership offers two programs -- Basic and Comprehensive memberships, with services available through Complete Care Center, located at 8401 Holly Road in Grand Blanc. 

Basic membership is available for $49 per month with co-pays as low as $15 per office visit and includes up to two lab tests from our in-house panel, an EKG and x-ray if needed.

Comprehensive membership is available for $80 month per month with a low co-pay of $15 per visit for any multiple-issue office visits. Patients also receive 100% coverage for all services other than prescription medication, labs and sub-specialty visits such as ultrasound, podiatry and other outside services at heavily discounted pricing.

"There are still a lot of unknowns with the ACA and, undoubtedly more changes coming, but our goal continues to be to give patients easy and affordable access to the health care services they deserve and need," said Dr. Tindle.

For more information, visit www.HealthSharePlan.com.

About Complete Care Center

Complete Care Center provides total family health care and emergency treatment services to children and adults of all ages. Founded in 1993, Complete Care Center has become one of the largest medical practices in Genesee and Oakland counties. The Center's physicians, nurse practitioners, medical specialists and support staff provide a full range of diagnostic and health care services, including a full-service lab. Complete Care Center prides itself on open lines of communication between patients and physicians and convenient access through extended hours, which are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on holidays. For more information, visit www.CompleteCareCenter.net or call 810-695-8011.