What if you suddenly lost your job and health benefits? This was Sharon’s reality before becoming a member of our Colorado Springs PeakMed community. For six weeks she suffered in pain due to a back injury and was low on medication needed to manage her asthma and hypertension. She began rationing her high blood pressure pills because she couldn’t afford to see the doctor or pay for her prescriptions.
“I thought, oh my god, what am I going to do with my hypertension?” said Sharon. “I knew I was getting low on medications. I had no medical insurance. I was trying to stretch out my medicine. I was taking my pills every other day to stay alive.”
It’s criminal how much pharmacies charge
Dr. Alison Fry is a physician at PeakMed and Sharon’s care provider. She said Sharon’s experience of rationing or skipping meds due to no insurance, or the high cost of medications is all too common. “Seniors and people of limited income face this reality daily. Not taking their medication regularly can worsen their disease outcomes,” said Fry.
Asked about the high price of medication, Dr. Fry says its criminal to see how much pharmacies charge. “PeakMed is able to offer medications very inexpensively, which can make the difference between a patient taking a medication or not.” PeakMed has a pharmacy conveniently located in each LifeCenter. Sharon only paid $26 for a 3-month supply of her blood pressure medications.
Patients receive extended visits with their doctor
PeakMed practices direct primary care and does not require or accept health insurance. Patients pay a fixed monthly membership and receive unlimited visits. “The typical 10-15-minute visit at regular medical offices barely allows the physician to scratch the surface of taking care of these patients,” said Fry. “That is one of the key reasons I chose to leave traditional practice and join PeakMed.” Doctors at PeakMed only see 8-10 patients per day for about 30-minutes at a time. In traditional practice, doctors may see 30-patients in a day.
“Longer patient times definitely helps us to address lifestyle modifications for weight loss and chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Lifestyle change is often the key to preventing and controlling chronic disease. Primary care plays a major role in chronic disease management and prevention,” said Fry.
When Sharon found PeakMed, she got her dignity back. Also, for the first time in her life, had a doctor that cared about her whole self. Not only did Dr. Fry get Sharon back on track with her medication, but she also worked on lifestyle changes that helped her lose 8-pounds in one week. Sharon says she’s living healthier, eating better, and feeling good. “I absolutely believe that PeakMed is helping society as a whole. They set the example for the rest of the world to follow.”