How Do I Shop For Medical Care as a Sedera Member?
Sedera Members may come from all walks of life, but they are joined together as a Medical Cost Sharing Community. As Members, they support each other and help share the burden of eligible medical costs according to the Member Guidelines.
Members are actively engaged in their healthcare decisions and commit to shopping for great care at value-driven pricing. They do this not only to have the best health and financial outcomes for themselves but also to help ensure there are more funds available for the Community to share for eligible Needs. Plus, they have the peace of mind that comes from knowing all Members have committed to the same Membership Principles that form the ethical basis for the Community.
How do I find a doctor or provider?
Sedera Members are free from provider network restrictions that dictate doctor or other healthcare provider choices. Instead, Members have the freedom to select their providers based on personal preference, value, cost, and convenience. With this freedom comes the responsibility of finding providers that are a good fit for the Member’s needs, and at a reasonable price, which helps keep more dollars in the Community for sharing Needs.
But Members are not alone in navigating their healthcare. Sedera’s Member Services team is on hand to help. Plus, there are multiple resources to help find just the right provider for you and any family members included in your Membership.
Medical Concierge Services
If you’re new to the cash pay way to pay for healthcare, it can feel very different, maybe even a little awkward to present yourself as a cash pay patient to a new provider. That’s why we help Sedera Members learn how to be their own advocates as cash pay patients.
The question is, how do you find providers that are, what we like to call, “cash-pay-friendly,” so that the process of scheduling and paying for care is as simple as possible? We can help with that!
Sedera’s Medical Concierge Service is free to Members and is a great resource to help you find local, cash pay friendly providers. Medical Concierge also provides comparison cash pay pricing for the type of care that you need. This lets you make a better-informed choice about your provider and can ease the process of presenting as a new, cash pay patient.
It’s easy to submit a Member Concierge request through your Member Portal. Once received, a Member Advisor will conduct expert research and send back results within 2-4 business days. They may reach out to you for more information to ensure they have what they need to find the best results for you. You can help by putting in as much information as you are comfortable sharing about the care you need when you first submit the request.
Direct Primary Care
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an option that many Sedera Members add to their membership. DPC is a membership-based model of primary care for a reasonably priced monthly fee. DPC doctors generally don’t accept insurance, are cash pay only, and provide increased access to personalized care at a lower cost.
Sedera Members with a DPC membership receive a discount on their Monthly Contribution because we believe that having increased access to primary care can result in better health outcomes for our Members.
An easy way to find a DPC in your area is to use Sedera’s Direct Primary Care finder map. It has Direct Primary Care and Virtual Primary Care options, and you can search by location or practice.
If you are going to add a DPC to your Sedera Membership, be sure to let Member Services know so that they can apply the Monthly Contribution discount. It is important to note that not all DPCs are approved by Sedera as qualifying for the discount. Generally, a DPC practice offering services that are considered alternative and unshareable with the Community has a lower chance of being approved.
Using Savvos — The nation’s largest cash pay marketplace
Sedera partnered with Savvos to give our Members an organized, streamlined, and effective way to shop for healthcare. Our Members are cash pay patients and Savvos is the largest cash pay marketplace in the nation for affordable cash prices for shoppable medical care. This includes imaging, outpatient surgery, labs, and more.
Members can log in to their own Savvos portal and are empowered with a remarkably comprehensive way to shop for providers. We think Savvos is a game changer when it comes to finding reasonable and transparent cash pay prices for non-emergent care, scheduling procedures, and simplifying payment. Plus, Savvos has an experienced Member Support team who will assist you through the entire shopping experience.
More ways to find cash-pay-friendly healthcare
We mean it when we say that we provide extensive tools and resources to our Members to help them shop for the best care, at the best value-driven pricing. Sedera’s Cash Pay Marketplace includes the DPC finder and these additional shopping resources.
The RX marketplace which provides discounted prescriptions
Surgery, procedures, and medical tourism opportunities
Sedera Medical Cost Sharing is not health insurance, and it doesn’t work like health insurance. Instead, it’s a free market solution to paying for medical care with the support of the sharing Community for large and unexpected medical expenses.
Medical cost sharing does require learning how to be a savvy healthcare shopper. That’s why Sedera provides all the resources Members need to be actively engaged in their healthcare decisions and find great care as cash pay patients.
Plus, we’re always looking for new resources and new ways to increase access to affordable healthcare options for our Members. When more people shop for medical services within a free market, affordability and access to care will improve! And remember, you can always reach out to Member Services. We’re available to answer any questions and provide assistance every step of the way.
