Writer / Melissa Gibson
This spring, Hope Healthcare Services (formally Kingsway Care Center) will embrace an emerging trend in primary care.
The non-profit plans to open its doors to patients that may or may not maintain medical insurance but want to reap the benefits of low costs and doctor-patient relationships.
Patients enrolled in the Direct Primary Care option will pay a monthly fee based on their age, a $20 co-pay per visit and significant discounts on labs, imaging and other procedures.
Costs directly to the patient can always be personally billed to their insurance company for reimbursement.
Hope Healthcare began as a ministry through Kingsway Christian Church, and while the church remains a generous supporter, Director John Mollaun said there were a lot of misconceptions under the Kingsway name, prompting a change.
“Many thought they needed to be members of Kingsway to be a patient or would show up at the church to volunteer,” Mollaun said. “We are a multi-church body of Christ effort. So, the name change in 2015 was really just a reflection of what we already were.”
That original track, now called Community Care, services any individual with no health insurance of any kind and living outside of Marion County.
Patients pay a minimal fee for medical and dental needs, benefit from the expertise of more than 100 professional volunteers and enjoy a Christ-centered environment where prayer and counseling are common.
While the Community Care track will remain an option, the facility will now accept community members in the Direct Primary Care program. The benefits of a close relationship with your primary doctor are hard to measure.
Many have experienced the 10-week wait for an appointment, long waits in the waiting room and short time slots per patient.
“Most physicians see between 2,000 and 3,000 patients,” Mollaun said. “Under this plan, the physician is seeing 600 to 1,000 patients. Patients get faster appointments, longer visits, increased access to the doctor and our biggest motivation — an increase in the ministry.”
A typical appointment under the Direct Primary Care plan would be approximately 45 minutes and Mollaun says he has seen first-hand how increased time with the patient reveals other areas of need.
Not only does Hope Healthcare aim to treat the patient’s body, mind and spirit, but Mollaun says “just listening is a tremendous ministry.”
Another benefit with a second program option on the horizon is the facility’s ability to serve areas previously overlooked.
There are currently over 19,000 adults in Hendricks County that do not have health insurance.
The desire is in partnership with Hope Healthcare. Some organizations, including small businesses, churches, ministries and not for profits, will be able to provide some coverage to their employees, which will boost workplace retention and employee satisfaction.
“We want the community to know that we’re not doing away with what we’ve always done,” Mollaun said. “We have a great building in a tremendous location and a population where there is a need for uninsured medical care.
“I truly believe in this,” he added. “People want that relationship with someone. We are Christians first, and then we’re doctors and dentists and office assistants. This new program really fits with our ministry.”
Hope Healthcare Services is currently seeking a full-time staff physician and subscribing patients for the Direct Primary Care program.
You can find a Q-and-A section on their website with updated information regarding the new program availability as well as a list of upcoming open houses for community members and potential patients.
Mollaun is available for corporate visits and further discussion regarding primary care. He can be reached at 317-272-0708.
The facility is located at 107 Park Place Blvd. For open house dates and more, visit myhopehealth.org.
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