Baxter Family Medicine
A Direct Primary Care Clinic
Accessible - Affordable - Transparent
Healthcare
Meet Dr. Kevin Baxter
Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine
Board Certified Family Medicine
Board Certified Hospice and Palliative Care
I am a Family Medicine Physician who has been practicing in Astoria, OR since 2003. I was in private practice for 12 years before joining the Columbia Memorial Hospital Primary Care team for five years. My years with CMH provided many professional growth opportunities that, over time, required more and more time spent in administrative duties and less time in the clinic. I found myself missing what I enjoy the most about medicine; direct patient care.
I am returning to private practice and joining a nationwide movement in primary care called Direct Primary Care (DPC). This model is designed to decrease the overall cost to the patient and improve the quality of care provided, the patient's access to care, and the overall healthcare experience.
In the past 17 years, the time needed to build a meaningful Patient-Physician relationship has been undermined and overtaken by insurance authorization demands, documentation requirements, and mandated quality metrics leaving less time for patient care. Much to my dismay, as time passed, I found myself treating my computer more than treating my patients.
Direct Primary Care will eliminate the numerous distractions demanding my time and attention, and allow time to focus on the most important part of medicine: YOU.
When I am not practicing medicine, I binge Netflix like the rest of you! I also spend my time with my beautiful wife riding the Harley, working on our "hobby farm", gardening, hiking, kayaking, and spending time with our two daughters, son-in-law, grandchildren, and our four dogs. My wife and I love living on the North Coast of Oregon and plan on staying here indefinitely.
What is Direct Primary Care?
DPC is a healthcare model for delivering Primary Care. It has been around since the early 2000's, but started gaining traction over the last few years. It is now a rapidly growing movement in Primary Care.
Each DPC is set up differently, here are the specifics about ours:
-
Patients pay a low monthly membership fee to cover most services provided in the office.
-
DPC practices do not bill insurance. While this is unusual, it removes insurance administrators from the medical decision-making. We deliver healthcare based on the needs of the patient, not the requirements of the insurance. We work for you, the patient, not the insurance company.
-
With membership, our patients receive UNLIMITED APPOINTMENTS without extra charge. There will never be a charge for a co-pay.
-
We offer in-person, telephone, and virtual visits, whichever is most appropriate for the patient's needs.
-
Appointments are 30 - 60 minutes long, giving our patients more time with the doctor. No more long waits for a 7-minute appointment.
-
Guaranteed SAME-DAY or NEXT-DAY appointments. If our patients call before noon, we will see them that same day; if they call after noon we will see them that day if possible or the next business day. We offer access to your doctor when you need it. You will no longer have to wait weeks for an appointment. While there may be times when it is appropriate, we will strive to keep our patients out of the urgent care and emergency departments. Your best care is with your primary care physician who knows you and your health the best.
-
Patients can e-mail or text the doctor and/or the clinic directly. Patients' questions and concerns can frequently be addressed via digital communication with their doctor, helping to decrease the need to rearrange their schedules to come to the clinic.
-
We offer access to discounted imaging studies and DEEPLY discounted lab work. When our patients utilize our negotiated discounts, they know the cost of any imaging study or lab work at the time it is ordered, not weeks or months later when the bill is received and contains surprising details of the patient's final cost.
-
To further provide our patients' convenience and cost-saving opportunities, we also dispense generic medication at cost. Refills for prescriptions we have dispensed are as easy as scanning the QR code on the bottle, the refill request is immediately received in our system. Too busy to pick up a refill? We will mail our patients refills to them. Please note: We do not stock or dispense any controlled substances.
-
For many patients, by utilizing our negotiated discounts rather than running it through their insurance/deductible, the savings in lab, medication, and imaging costs may pay for 12-months of membership fees.
-
DPC practices focus only on Primary Care, so patients are encouraged to keep additional insurance for emergency or specialty care — most patients have a high-deductible health plan for these needs.
The video below, created by our DPC friends in Kansas City, gives a great description of Direct Primary Care.
* A membership with Baxter Family Medicine is not insurance.
* We provide the scope of primary care services specified in our services list and in our Membership Agreement.
* It is the responsibility of the patient to pay for all services not specified in the Membership Agreement.
* No insurance billing is allowed by the practice, patient, or third party for the primary care services received as part of the Membership Agreement.
* The Department of Consumer and Business Services will issue a certification to this practice.
* You may contact consumer advocates at the Department of Consumer and Business Services at (888) 977-9894; dcbs.insmail@state.or.us; or https://dfr.oregon.gov/Pages/index.aspx
Why Direct Primary Care?
Truly Personal Care
At Baxter Family Medicine we focus on patients — not just illnesses and conditions. Our unique and personalized approach to medical care means we are partners in your quest for long-term health. We understand there are many parts of you that make you whole. We concentrate on addressing all the factors of your life that can impact your health and help you make positive changes to improve your health and vitality.
Better Health Outcomes
Patients achieve superior health outcomes with Direct Primary Care's innovative service delivery. DPCs provide better access to your physician, empower an authentic therapeutic relationship, and provides comprehensive patient care.
Accessibility
Enjoy exceptional access to healthcare with same day and next day appointment availability. Patients enjoy full access with unlimited office, virtual, and telephone visits, as well as direct communication with clinic staff and the doctor via email and text, providing unparalleled access to care, no matter your location.
Low Monthly Membership Fee
Affordable, transparent costs based on a monthly membership fee. Patients pay the physician directly. No third parties (insurance) or Fee for Service billing to inflate costs. The monthly DPC membership fee is similar to the average monthly cell phone bill. The daily cost is less than a fancy schmancy beverage from your favorite coffee shop.
Additional Cost Savings
Discounted generic medications, durable medical supplies, laboratory studies and imaging will be available to members. Durable medical supplies and wholesale generic medications dispensed from the clinic will be available to the patient at wholesale cost plus 15%. Every effort will be made to procure wholesale imaging and wholesale laboratory studies.
Low Patient Volumes
Traditional Primary Care Physicians typically care for 2500-3000 patients. To maintain our commitment to provide personalized care, optimized health outcomes and maximum accessibility with same day or next day appointments, we will limit the clinic to no more than 600 total patients.
Services Included in Monthly Membership Fee
-
Unlimited Office Visits
-
30-60 Minute Appointments
-
Same Day or Next Day Appointments
-
Emails, Text Communication
-
Phone and Virtual Visits
-
Call-Doctor-From-Vacation Visits
-
House Calls - if appropriate
-
Nursing Home Visits
-
Yearly Comprehensive Visit
-
Well-Woman Visit
-
Sports Physicals
-
Camp Physicals
-
Merchant Mariner Physicals
-
CDL/DOT Physicals
-
In-Office Sutures
-
In-Office Splinting
-
Nebulizer Treatments
-
Skin Biopsies*
-
Cryotherapy (Wart or Mole Treatment)
-
Abcess incision/drainage*
-
Cyst Excision*
-
Laceration Repair
-
Skin Tag/Mole Removal*
-
Ear Lavage (Earwax removal)
-
Toenail Removal
-
EKG
-
Spirometry
-
Blood Pressure Monitoring
-
Diabetic Monitoring*
-
Basic Hearing/Vision Screening
-
Pap Smears*
-
Joint Injections
-
Trigger Point Injections
-
Basic Wound Care
-
Blood Draws*
-
Genuine Compassion
*The procedure is included in the membership; however, the patient is responsible for the additional outside pathology or laboratory fees.
Membership Pricing
Individual 19-34 years old
$75
per month
Individual 35-64 years old
$100
per month
Individual 65+ years old
$120
per month
Couple* 19-34 years old
$135
per month
Couple* 35-64 years old
$180
per month
Couple* 65+ years old
$215
per month
Individual Child
0-18 years old
$25
per month
with enrolled parent or guardian
or
$50 w/o enrolled parent or guardian
*Couples = spouse or domestic partner
Enrollment Fee: $100 per person or $200 per household
Re-enrollment Fee: $200 per person or $400 per household
(if within 1 year from date of cancellation)
Cancellation and Refund of Fees Policy:
Patients can cancel their membership at any time with a 30-day written notice. Fees paid by the patient will be refunded on a prorated basis within 30 days of the date of cancellation.
Additional Fees:
Late payment fee: $25 per member
Collections fee: $25
Credit card processing fee: $2
No show/late cancellation fee: $25
In office lab and prescription costs will be at wholesale cost to patient.
CONTACT
US
VISIT
US
10 Pier 1, Suite 301
Astoria OR 97103
Monday - Thursday: 8:30am- 3:30pm
Lunch: 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Friday: 8:30am - 12:30pm
Saturday - Sunday: CLOSED