Answers to FAQs
What is concierge medicine?
Concierge medicine (also known as membership-based medicine, retainer-based medicine, and boutique medicine) is a membership model of healthcare that provides personalized primary healthcare to patients who pay a monthly retainer. Included in the membership are additional services to promote health including a comprehensive annual exam with laboratory testing and consultations with collaborating wellness professionals at reduced rates. Concierge practices that are in-network for insurance companies also handle the billing submissions for traditionally covered services.
Why do doctors prefer concierge medicine?
A concierge model's structure allows physicians to reduce their patient volume and in turn allows them to spend more time on patient care and less time on the administrative and billing tasks that take away from patient care.
How do patients benefit from joining a concierge medicine practice?
Concierge practice members experience personalized care that emphasizes a holistic approach to wellness, same/next day appointments, non-existent wait times, relaxed office visits and overall direct access to your health care providers when you need them because they are seeing fewer patients.
How much does Bryn Mawr PPC membership cost?
- Age 45 and above: $225/month
- Age 18 to 44: $185/month
*15% discount offered to up to two additional household members
* membership can be paid annually, biannually or quarterly
Is concierge medicine covered by HSA/FSA plans?
By law, all usual and customary fees for routine care expenses can be applied to HSA/FSA plans, including annual blood work, EKGs and consultative visits with wellness professionals. An itemized bill will be supplied to any patient that would like to submit their expenses for reimbursement - this generally amounts to ~$500/year. Membership fees for enhanced access and personalized care are not eligible for reimbursement.
Do patients in a concierge practice still neeed insurance? Does Bryn Mawr Personalized Primary Care accept insurance?
Yes and yes! It is important to have insurance, since health insurance can cover emergency room visits, prescriptions, specialist consultations and lab tests, hospitalizations, and other medical expenses. We accept Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans and most commercial insurance plans. Because concierge practices must bill commercial payors and Medicare for covered services and ensure patient's membership fees only cover non-covered services, claims will be submitted to your insurance company and co-pays must be collected during office visits just at they always have.
Can Bryn Mawr Personalized Primary Care access records from Penn, Main Line Health and other health systems?
Yes, our electronic record system utilizes Carequality. Carequality enables practices with the Outside Care integration to receive data and share data with other EHRs. In addition, EpicCare Link is an enhanced read-only application offering community providers such as Bryn Mawr PPC secure, remote access to view their patients' medical records contained in EPIC.
Which electronic record is used?
After an exhaustive search we have elected to use an integrated system that combines Elation, Hint and Spruce. All three work together to facilitate record keeping, optimize patient communications and simplify billing. Elation is an HIPAA compliant ONC certified EHR specifically designed for primary care providers. The following links can be very helpful for patients joining the practice who are new to these tools:
- Elation Patient Passport Guide - Frequently Asked Questions (for Patients)
- Using the Spruce App as a Patient
Can Bryn Mawr Personalized Primary Care members still see specialists at Penn and Main Line Health?
Of course - our patients can see the same specialists and use the same lab and radiology services they have previously, as determined by their insurance network. Although we are no longer employed by Main Line Health, we are proud to maintain our affiliation as members of the Main Line Health Physician Partner Network, effective March 15, 2025.
More information on MLHPP is available at this link: Main Line Health Physician Partners
Where is Bryn Mawr Personalized Primary Care located?
- We are located at 937 East Haverford Road in Bryn Mawr, PA, on the first floor in Suite 100.
- Ample parking is available.
What hours is the practice open?
- The office is open
Monday - Thursday: 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Friday: 8:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. - Physicians are available to their patients for urgent matters 24/7 via direct messaging through the Spruce App.
What does the Bryn Mawr PPC membership include?
For an overview of included membership services, please review our Membership page.
What is not included in my Bryn Mawr PPC membership?
- BMPPC membership is not an insurance plan and is not a substitute for health insurance or other health plan coverage. Members are advised to obtain or keep in full force such health insurance policies or plans that will cover members for general healthcare costs.
- Members are welcomed and encouraged to schedule appointments and reach out to their BMPPC physician as often as needed throughout the year. All additional BMPPC appointments outside of the membership included comprehensive annual exam and the included 5 virtual care/telemedicine visits per year, will be billed to member's insurance. Traditional E/M insurance billing codes, office co-pays, and/or co-insurance payments will apply to these additional visits. Per request, the BMPPC fee-for-service schedule is available for review.
- Members may need the care of emergency rooms, urgent care centers, outside laboratory testing, pathology studies, prescribed medications, radiologic imaging, specialist consultations or treatment, surgery, vaccinations, hospitalizations, or other healthcare services that are outside the scope of the BMPPC membership and are not included in the membership fee.
- The expectation is that patient-initiated physician contact outside of normal business hours is for urgent concerns only that cannot wait until the next business day. 24/7 physician access for routine matters is not included in the membership. If a member experiences a true medical emergency, please go to the nearest emergency room.
- While BMPPC is affiliated with Main Line Health, the practice does not have hospital admitting or rounding privileges. If emergency care and/or hospital admission is indicated, BMPPC will be in communication with the member's hospital providers to ensure continuity of care, at any healthcare facility (MLH or outside MLH).
