From the Trussville Tribune staff reports
BIRMINGHAM – What if you actually looked forward to healthcare visits with your doctor? What if you could contract directly with your doctor for basic medical care? Imagine being able to text your doctor, set unlimited monthly appointments, and feel like your doctor personally knows you and your family– all for an affordable flat-rate fee. Doctor Ankrehah Trimble Johnson of Brownstone Total Family Healthcare hopes to provide the service you have been waiting for with Direct Primary Care. You could think of it like a membership to a doctor’s office that costs about the same as a simple cellphone bill.
Health insurance premiums in Alabama are getting higher and higher. According to a recent report on insurance costs nationwide, average premiums for health insurance exchange plans sold in Alabama have increased 223 percent since 2013. Direct primary care isn’t a replacement for insurance but it is an option.
In the traditional model, a doctor may see 50 patients a day but a Direct Primary Care doctor may see 10 – 15 patients in a day. “I believe I will be able to provide better service to my patients. The unlimited visits allow patients to see me whenever they need to come – not just when they can afford it,” Dr. Johnson said. “We will also try to help patients save money on labs, imaging and medications,” she added.
Patient Lynn Taul sees the benefit and wants to sign up, “The main reason I am choosing Direct Primary Care is summed up in one word, Relationship,” Taul said. “Your Doctor knows you and what you need. You are not a number in a chart. You have direct access to the Doctor and that saves time and money,” he added. Taul is so excited that, he now plans to offer the option to his employees.
Dr. Johnson hopes direct primary care will have benefits that reach far beyond her office. Better care could lead to fewer emergency room visits and reduced hospitalizations. The cost is just $70 for one adult. The service starts in February but you can sign up now. For more information or to sign up for the service call 205-202-5650.
Dr. Johnson is the owner of Brownstone Total Family Healthcare. Creator of the Wifeology conference for Working Wives. Former Medical Director at Arlington Rehab Center with a special interest in HIV/AIDS Prevention. Dr. Ankrehah Trimble Johnson, DO, aka “Dr. Kre” is a Board Certified Family Medicine Physician.
Dr. Kre shares her medical expertise via her popular Facebook Live series entitled Dr. Kre & Me that brings community awareness about common medical diseases. Dr. Kre earned her Doctor of Osteopathy Degree from Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences and completed her residency at St. Vincent’s East Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. She currently practices in Birmingham, Alabama at her own private practice, Brownstone Total Family Healthcare.