Why I Don’t Accept Insurance

When medical practices bill health insurance companies directly, the doctor is required to become a participating provider. The doctor must sign a contract allowing the insurance company to determine which services and tests it will cover and how much it will reimburse, despite the real cost.

Insurance companies generally do not prioritize preventive or wellness services. They often restrict the number of annual check-ups or preventive screenings a patient can have. They also dictate the treatment options available to patients and frequently deny coverage for certain tests or procedures.

As a participating provider, I would be bound to accept the fees set by the insurance company and tests authorized by them, even if they are not reasonable or applicable to my patient.

Why are more and more doctors not accepting insurance?

Our healthcare system is broken, especially for high-support practices such as mine. Today, the actual cost for doctors to provide services continues to rise dramatically while the percentage of reasonable fees that insurance payments cover is declining. Yet health insurance companies’ profits and top executives’ salaries continue rising to record levels. That is not right.

My practice focuses on the most personal care possible, and our office has more than double the nurses and staff than normal. This assures my patients get the best care and services, but it is much more expensive.

I would not want it any other way, nor would my patients.

Most doctors handle the new economic realities of insurance in one of two ways.

The first and most common way is they keep their office visits very brief, with a 15-minute appointment being the norm. However, a lot of that time is taken up by reviewing patient records and writing visit notes. This can give the patient less than ten minutes of face time with their doctor. That is not right. Doctors need more time to do their jobs.

The other way is the result of most primary care medical practices not being financially self-sufficient, so they merge with large hospital groups. The hospital’s expensive, high-tech surgical and diagnostic procedures are priced to keep their clinics financially afloat. And they become dedicated providers of patient referrals for procedures and surgeries.

Unfortunately, I cannot be a participating provider for insurance networks that don’t support the time-intensive, well-researched, integrative care that I do. I will not spend just 15 minutes with my patients. They need more and expect more than today’s traditional care model. As do I.

Adapting to Insurance Challenges: How Doctors Respond

I have a national reputation for diagnosing and treating women’s health conditions that most doctors simply cannot. These include PCOS,endometriosis, state-of-the-art minimally invasive surgeries, and medical weight loss, to name just a few.

My practice’s comprehensive and effective healthcare approach is the best for my patients. The loyalty of my patients, who have stayed with me for so many years, speaks volumes. Equally telling is that I now have the privilege of caring for not just them but also their daughters and, in some cases, even their granddaughters.

My patients’ words, notes, and reviews on various websites show me daily that our practice is the best approach to women’s healthcare.

How much does Dr. Aliabadi’s care cost?

To find out what it costs to see Dr. Aliabadi, we invite you to contact us to discuss pricing. Please request an appointment online or call us at (844) 863-6700, and we can provide you with the information you need.

We also offer financing options and are always open to trying to make it workable for you to get the care you need with us.

Also, some insurance plans will reimburse some of our fees under your plan’s “out-of-network” benefits. They also generally cover lab work, surgery center, and/or hospital expenses when they are provided by in-network providers.