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Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is membership based primary care?

    • Membership based primary care (also known as direct primary care or concierge care), is a growing medical practice model that is focused on the doctor-patient relationship. Your doctor will contracts directly with you to provide convenient, comprehensive and efficient primary healthcare and coordination. By providing primary care services for a directly paid fee, patients get direct access to their doctor without unpredictable copays or deductibles. With direct access to the doctor, patients can contact their doctor by phone, email, or video chat. This model offers unhurried office visits and access to discounts on other services all regardless of insurance.​​

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  • What sets Ikigai Family Physician apart from other practices?

    • Direct Access. We have cut the red tape of bureaucracy. The restrictions that typically leave doctors in a traditional healthcare setting buried in paperwork and regulation are lifted through direct care, allowing us to spend time where it really counts: with patients. By removing any interference with the sanctity of the doctor-patient relationship, we have returned family practice medicine to its root values of clinical excellence and compassionate caring of every patient.

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  • Will I benefit from Ikigai Family Medicine if I don’t require frequent medical attention?

    • Yes. Our practice is dedicated to getting to know you as a person and patient. Whether we only see you once a year or every month, we believe that the value of the doctor-patient relationship is something everyone can benefit from to maintain good health and prevent disease or to just be here when you need us. We hope to change the culture from reactive to proactive medicine. We can give you access and time with your doctor that is relaxed and easygoing and overtime we will get to know you in a way that is invaluable to your care in the future.​​

  • Is membership insurance?

    • No, it is not insurance.  The monthly membership fee is your payment for ongoing primary care services offered by your doctor. We recommend that patients maintain health insurance for care that may be needed beyond what we offer (specialty care, ER or hospitalization, surgery, etc.). Membership based primary care couples nicely with a high deductible “catastrophic” policy. Many patients prefer to participate in a Health Share Program rather than traditional insurance.

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  • What is a Health Share? 

    • A Health Share is an alternative to traditional health insurance that allows members to contribute to each other's medical expenses. There are no policies, premiums, network restrictions, or enrollment periods. There are specific membership requirements, restrictions on eligibility of shared expenses, an initial unshareable amount that members must pay before the sharing process begins, and waiting periods before certain types of medical expenses. 

    • Essential membership monthly rates start at $82 for individuals​

    • See the member guidelines for details of eligibility for sharing requests

    • Zion Healthshare enrollment

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  • Do you take my insurance?

    • We accept patients with any type of insurance or with no insurance. We will ask for your insurance information and bill your insurance for covered services. Many of our services are not covered by insurance, and those are all covered with the membership fee, so you will not get any additional bills from us, even if your insurance sends you an explanation of benefits outlining additional costs. ​​

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  • Are my service charges tax deductible?

    • In most cases yes. You may need to consult with your accountant or attorney, but recent executive government policy changes have cleared up the gray area for Direct Primary Care coverage as a "medical expense". For more information visit www.dpcfrontier.com.

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  • Can I use my Flex Spending (FSA) or Health Savings Account (HSA) card?

    • Yes! Check with your FSA/HSA employer to make sure, but recent executive government policy changes have cleared up the gray area with membership fees vs. a fee for a specific service. For more information visit www.dpcfrontier.com.​​

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  • Are there any additional costs beyond the membership fee?

    • Our membership fee covers most primary care services, however there may be additional costs for labs, medications, specialist consultations, which will be communicated to you.​​

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  • What forms of payment do you take?

    • Cash, Checks or Automatic Bank Transfer are the preferred methods of payment. Credit Cards/FSA/HSA are accepted, but there will be an additional 4% convenience fee for card processing. ​​​​

  • What happens if I need to be hospitalized or see a specialist?

    • Your care is of most importance to us and at times it may be necessary and very important for you to see a specialist or be hospitalized. In this case, we will work closely with your specialist or hospital doctor to coordinate your care. 

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  • Do you see children in your practice?

    • Yes! We are a family medicine practice and are trained to care for patients of all ages. Dr. Riniker can do video visits and home visits and has same day or next day access. We do not currently provide routine vaccinations for young children, but we will work with you to arrange recommended vaccines.

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  • What if I need medical care while I’m traveling?

    • This is one of the benefits of being a patient of Ikigai Family Medicine —because we know you well, we can usually care for you even when you’re away from home. Many illnesses can be diagnosed and treated by communication by phone, secure patient portal, or video chat. If necessary and appropriate, we can call prescriptions into the pharmacy nearest you.​​

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  • What is your service area for home visits?

    • The service area includes the communities of Rio Rancho, Corrales, Bernalillo, and Albuquerque. The boundaries are 550 to the north, 423 to the south, the Rio Grande to the east, Unser to the West. Home visits outside of these areas will be charged travel time. 

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  • Will I have access to my medical records?

    • Your medical records are kept in a secure electronic file and are your property. If you need copies, just let us know. A patient portal is also available where some records can be accessed by the patient at anytime. You can sign up for the patient portal here: PHR Login

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  • Is there a contract? How long is the contract?

    • If you decide to become a member then on your first visit, we will go over and sign the contract for yourself (and your family members, if applicable). The contract operates on a quarterly billing basis; however, you may choose to pay every 6 or 12 months, or monthly payments can be arranged. There are no long-term contracts, so you may terminate your membership at any time. If you decide to leave Ikigai Family Physician, or if your payments lapse, the fee to re-enroll is $200.

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  • What is your policy on controlled substances?

    • The rate of deaths in our country, state and community from overdoses are growing exponentially. Out of respect for our patients, their families and our community, chronic controlled substances will not be prescribed. We believe that controlled substances, both narcotics (like Oxycodone or Oxycontin, etc.) and benzodiazepines (such as clonazepam and Xanax, etc.), have a limited role in primary care and therefore Dr. Riniker prescribes them rarely and only very sparingly. We are happy to work with you on non-narcotic options for your pain and to manage your other medical conditions. We do not treat anxiety with benzodiazepines, but are happy to offer first line therapies including other medications and techniques that are more successful in treating anxiety. No controlled substances are kept in the office.

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  • If I enroll as a patient of Ikigai Family Medicine, when does billing begin?

    • At your first visit, both your enrollment fee and your first monthly membership fee will be due at time of service. Following that, you can choose to pay monthly, quarterly, 6 months at a time or annually. Members who pay annually upfront will not be required to pay a registration fee. Membership fees are otherwise due on the 1st of each month. Please note that medical care will not be provided through email, video chat or phone prior to an initial face to face appointment and exam. 

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  • How will I know if Ikigai Family Physician is right for me?

    • Come get to know us with a free 15-minute meet and greet. We can answer your questions about our practice and Direct Primary Care in relation to your healthcare situation. Please note that medical decision-making care will not be provided as part of the meet and greet. 

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  • This sounds great, but can I afford it?

    • You are worth it! Your health and peace of mind knowing that you have access to a board certified physician who knows you, your health goals, and cares about you as a person and can help you navigate your journey in health and is only a phone call away when you need help is hard to put a price tag on. Some people spend $5 a day on coffee every day on their way to work, some folks spend $90 a month on video streaming services. With a direct primary care membership, you have no copays or surprise bills after office visits. 

    • Dr. Riniker believes that heath care is a human right and each individual deserves access to a highly trained and caring family physician. Her aspiration is to provide care to anyone who need it regardless of ability to pay. She hopes to do this by building community so that those with resources to share can help out those in time of need. If you and your family would benefit from being a patient at Ikigai Family Physician, but need financial assistance, or if you are a patient of Dr. Riniker's and share her vision and would like to sponsor another patient, please contact us. 

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