About Custom Clinic HQ
How does Custom Clinic HQ work?
Step 1: You email us about your medication(s) and any questions you might have.
Step 2: We contact you to let you know if we can help you and you specific situation.
Step 3: We set up an appointment via phone or Skype after you fill out the intake form.
Step 4: Appointment completed, prescription is sent to the pharmacy and you are a member!
Why Does Custom Clinic Work?
Custom Clinic HQ is designed for people who feel their health is important and want to work with health professionals that serve as guides. I believe that our current healthcare system is not working for most people such as:
– the self employed
– entrepreneurs
– folks working 2 and 3 jobs
– students
– people traveling in the United States
After interviewing and speaking to lots of people and looking at my own situation as a contractor and entrepreneur, I designed Custom Clinic HQ to give people not only want people want but what people need.
We need access to a good health care providers that are not trying to push people towards medications and surgery. We need providers that are looking out for the financial interests of patients. We need providers that are open minded and willing to work with patients and encourage diet and exercise as first line therapies. We need providers that are not forced to treat patients according to health insurance guidelines and reimbursement schedules.
Custom Clinic HQ offers Primary Care and Urgent Care services. The Primary Care Founders plan is a membership that gives access to a provider with 4 visits a year and one (1) prescription management a year. Once you are a member you will have access to a provider and information to help you take control of your health.
The Urgent Care is designed to offer convenient visits with treatment to help you get out of discomfort and pain. In addition we offer information on how to prevent and treat issues without pharmaceuticals.
I don’t like doctors. How is Custom Clinic HQ different than going to the doctor’s office?
I understand and generally don’t like doctors as well. We try and make the visit as painless as possible. We rely on the information you provide us with a written electronic intake form. We are ready for your visit once we have all of the information needed and the visit is usually concise and thorough because of the information you were able to give us at your convenience.
How much does Custom Clinic HQ cost?
Our first service is a Primary Care Founders membership plan cost $33 per month and is billed quarterly at $99 per quarter. At this time the set up fee is being waived for new members. The Founders are early adopters and will be able to help shape the direction of the practice and the Founders will be rewarded with a locked in membership price of $33 per month for a long as the membership is active.
The Urgent Care services range from $60 to $129 for a single visit. We do not charge you until we have a completed brief history and feel we can help you. So there is no risk in checking to see if you can be helped.
I’m spending way too much money on health insurance and medicine, how can you help me?
Custom Clinic HQ is designed as a membership based practice without the greedy middleman of a health insurance company taking the money from both the patient and the doctor. When the doctor and patient have a direct relationship the costs automatically go down!
Why did you create Custom Clinic HQ?
I created Custom Clinic HQ after hearing numerous complaints from people about their primary care experience. People were telling me how their doctor’s were making them come in every 1-2 months for visits to get their prescriptions even though they were stable patients with the same medication for years.
I had experienced “upselling” almost every time I went to the clinic where I received care. I got tired of having to take time off from work to drive for 30 minutes and then wait for another 30 minutes in the waiting room even though I was on time for my appointment. I would receive a bill a few months later and find the clinic had done a bait and switch. I went in for a “low level” office visit that did not need the involvement of a doctor and usually some excuse was made where a doctor came in just to “check” or “review” a bit of pointless information and Walla!! My simple non doctor office visit was now an expensive office visit. Sometimes I was charged a doctor’s visit even though I never saw a doctor but the doctor was supposedly making the decision making. These are games the billing departments of a doctor’s office will play because insurance has created a midieval guantlet before getting paid.
The final straw that broke the camel’s back was a letter from Covered California. When I first obtained health insurance for me and my son in 2014, it was $640 per month for a Gold plan. The next year in 2015 the plan increased to $704 and I tried to go down to silver or bronze but the Covered California computer system was so onerous and confusing that my change to a lower plan was not enacted. This year 2016 (plan starting January 2017) the plan increased to $850 per month! I decided to cancel my plan and look for alternatives.
Most of us are in the same boat. We need access to a good health provider and we want to pay our fair share without feeling like we are being fleeced or paying for the health insurance executives second yacht.
I designed Custom Clinic HQ to help people have access to a provider, get their medications for less and have access to high quality nutrition and supplements so that people can learn how to use nutrition first and hopefully avoid the use of pharmaceuticals.
Why did you create a non narcotic practice?
During my 20 years of practice I have seen the issues that prescription drugs cause. Fortunately many of these problems can be resolved with changes in how Physician’s think about narcotics and how Physicians write prescriptions. There are plenty of places where someone can go for narcotics and Custom Clinic HQ is not designed to prescribe narcotics.
What is your professional training?
I am a board certified Family Medicine and Sports Medicine physician. I graduated from UCLA medical school and then went to Traditional Chinese Medicine school for 2 years and finished a 2 year Chinese Medicine apprenticeship. I practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine for a number of years before returning to a Family Medicine Residency and extra specialized training in a Sports Medicine fellowship. My philosophy of care revolves around health promotion through diet, optimizing digestion and exercise first and pharmaceuticals and surgery only when needed after a careful and conscious decision has been made.
Why did you study Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)?
I felt the education at UCLA medical school was excellent but lacking in prevention of disease, lacking in nutritional education and lacking in the respect of the human body as an intelligent organism with the ability to heal itself if given the supportive environment.
Studying Traditional Chinese Medicine gave me a holistic perspective that I was searching for and allowed me to see many types of diseases and illnesses that were managed and cured with diet, nutrition, exercise and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
I think of medicine as a language with specific concepts and customs. Allopathic medicine (the dominant medicine in the United States) is wonderful for trauma, heroic procedures and life saving medications given in the ICU and Emergency Department. Allopathic medicine tends to be weak when trying to treat chronic disease or health problems that don’t fit in a neat little box.
Holistic, Integrative or Functional Medicine is broad but based on the idea that the body has a wisdom that wants to return to normal and we can learn to support that wisdom.
I feel the best medicine combines both and people will often need both medicines at different times throughout their life.
Who should sign up for Custom Clinic HQ?
If you are looking to maintain and improve your health, save time and money, then Custom Clinic HQ is for you. If you value convenience and knowing that you are not wasting your time sitting in a waiting room or in traffic trying to get to a doctor’s appointment then Custom Clinic HQ is for you. If you want to work with a provider that acts a guide for your health then Custom Clinic HQ is for you.
Who should not sign up for Custom Clinic HQ?
Custom Clinic HQ is not for people with serious medical conditions that require frequent and in person physician visits. There are medical conditions where a provider needs to examine you frequently to help create a medical plan for you.
People who are looking to “game’ the system or misuse the Custom Clinic HQ service should not sign up.
What medications do you prescribe?
We prescribe almost all medications (except controlled substances and psychiatric medications) and try and find economical generic equivalents that can be mailed to you. Please email us to check if we can find your medication(s) for less.
What medications do you not prescribe?
I do not prescribe narcotics (ie Vicodin, Percocet, Morphine, Oxycodone) nor controlled substances such as benzodiazepines, SOMA, sleep prescriptions like Ambien and psychiatric medications.
Why doesn’t Custom Clinic HQ prescribe opiates?
Custom Clinic HQ doesn’t prescribe opiates because they have a high risk of being abused or used improperly. Abuse and/or improper use of opiates can place your health and safety at risk. It can produce the same effects as those produced by heroin abuse. It can damage your brain, liver, respiratory system, digestive system, nervous system, and immune system to name a few.
Why does Custom Clinic HQ not prescribe narcotics?
Like opiates, narcotics have a high risk of being abused and used improperly. This is the main reason Custom Clinic HQ doesn’t prescribe narcotics. Using narcotics in a way not prescribed by your doctor can lead to sleepiness, nausea, vomiting, labored breathing, and reduced heart rate among others. Overdose can lead to serious medical complications such as coma, brain damage, and death.
How do I know if you can help me get my medication for less than I am paying now?
What modes of payment do you accept?
Most major credit cards.
I’m healthy and never see a doctor, why should I sign up?
Custom Clinic HQ can help guide you in maintaining your health. There may also be a time where the unexpected happens like bronchitis, a bladder infection or diarrhea after traveling and medical help is required.
What is gamification of the system?
Gamification is equivalent to trying to get over or take advantage of a system that is based on people being honest and straightforward in their interactions. When people try and cheat a system for self gain they are hurting others.
Services
What are the services offered by Custom Clinic HQ?
Primary Care Founders plan is $33 per month which includes a total of 4 doctors visits per year, and one (1) prescription management.
Urgent Care Services are $60 to $129 for a single visit.
Are there plans to expand or offer more services in the future?
Yes. Custom Clinic HQ is starting with a Primary Care Founders plan and Urgent Care. There are more Urgent Care visits being added monthly. Functional Medicine consultations will be available during the summer.
How many visits to the doctor do I get?
The Basic service offers 4 doctors visit a year. I encourage people to use the doctor’s visit for their own special circumstances. Most people like to save a doctor’s visit for a sick day where a doctor’s note is needed for work or school. The other doctor’s visits can be used to help you with your medications, advice on lifestyle changes, lab reviews, discussions on diet, supplements and exercise.
What are the ways we can have a visit?
Custom Clinic HQ is a telemedicine/telehealth practice. I use phone, Skype and email for office visits.
Do I need special equipment to communicate with you?
All you need is a email a phone and perhaps Skype. There is no special equipment but for some conditions we could use your temperature and blood pressure measurements.
Getting Started
How do I get started?
Once you decide to become a member, you will pay a membership fee and then receive a welcome email detailing the next steps. Once the intake form is completed, we will schedule an appointment to review your information and send your prescription(s) to the appropriate pharmacy. We understand that this is a new service and there will also be a call to help you understand how to use Custom Clinic HQ and the services that are available.
What is the first appointment like?
We review the intake form that you fill out so we can focus in on your concerns and reason for the visit. The first appointment reviews and confirms your information and then we order the medication that is needed.
Other Concerns
Do you require health insurance?
No. In fact we do not take health insurance and this is one of the reasons we can offer a membership of high value for an affordable costs.
If I don’t have health insurance, how can Custom Clinic HQ help me?
You likely don’t have health insurance for several reasons. We are a membership so health insurance is not a requirement.
If I am too busy to go to the doctor or pharmacy, how can Custom Clinic HQ help me?
You will find that we save you time and money. You save time not having to take off from work to drive to the doctor’s office, pay for parking, wait in the waiting room, waiting in the exam room, drive to the pharmacy, wait in line and then repeat the whole process in a couple of months.
When you become a Custom Clinic HQ member we can work together via email, phone and Skype. If needed we can help find generic medications that can be mailed to you. For most common generic medications we can help you get a 6 month supply for approximately $80.
Imagine how much time you saved not having to leave work and how much money you save while getting the care you need.
What do I do if I need to show you something on my skin?
Simply send an email with photos of your rash. We can help you with the best views to help us see your rash. In the near future you will be able to upload pictures directly into the website.
What if I am on medication(s) and want to get off?
I can work with you to help you get off your medication depending on the medication and your health goals. Unfortunately not everyone can stop using pharmaceuticals but most people can make lifestyle changes that will help with overall health and well being. Please contact me and we will figure out a plan.
