Both Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and Medical Doctors (MD) require rigorous study in the field of medicine. Most people go to medical schools that offer MDs, but DO degrees are growing in popularity.
An MD is a traditional medicine degree, whereas a DO takes a holistic, mind-body-spirit approach to care. In the U.S., the same licensing boards give licenses to both types of doctors, and they must meet the same standards for practicing medicine.
The main difference between DOs and MDs comes down to the philosophy of care. DOs practice an osteopathic approach to care, while MDs practice an allopathic approach to care.
An allopathic approach focuses on contemporary, research-based medicine, and it often uses medications or surgery to treat and manage different conditions. An osteopathic approach to care focuses on the whole body. DOs often focus on preventative care.
According to the American Medical Association (AMA), a person pursuing a DO degree should expect to participate in an additional 200 hours or more of hands-on training on the musculoskeletal system. On the other hand, the allopathic focus of an MD means that they take a scientific approach to diagnose and treat individual medical conditions.
Although the two are distinct fields, there are many similarities between a PA and a Both jobs can be found completing similar tasks in the same medical setting, even alongside each other, so it’s difficult to differentiate between the two career choices. While both are excellent careers for a medical professional to pursue, here are the key distinctions to help you decide which is the better option for you.
Check out our enrollment page to see which plan is best for you and enroll there.
We keep our system simple and do not take any type of insurance. You are still able to use our services to supplement. We can print you a Superbill to submit for reimbursement.
Use your best judgment! If you think you are having a true emergency call 911. However, if it is a situation that you are unsure if you should go to the ER or not please give us a call so we can help problem-solve with you. Karis is available with extended hours for urgent care.
The purpose of our business is to change how society views medical services.
We want to foster a more connected relationship between patient and provider. If you only wait until you are “broken” you miss the chance of preventing these big medical visits from happening in the first place. Karis is committed to creating healthier lives and visiting frequently with your doctor is the first step in that vision.
o Karis strives to give quality care to our patients. We are always growing and researching the best technology. We have invested in the best lab equipment, x-ray imaging, and blood testing equipment currently available and we are always looking for new cutting-edge technology to make our healthcare better. If there is something we are not able to do in our mobile office, we will connect you with a lab that can.
o Do you like saving money on medical expenses?
o Do you like seeing great providers without limitations due to where you live?
o Do you like connecting with a healthcare provider outside of the working hours when doctors are typically unavailable?
Then Karis is definitely right for you!
No! You can connect with your doctor as frequently as you need to in order to keep you in the healthiest condition possible.
Please see our pricing page to check out our full range of services that we offer during a standard visit.
A lot of DPC providers will use the “car insurance” analogy to describe how we view our services with typical insurance. Most car insurance plans only exist to cover the unexpected or unplanned- they do not cover routine maintenance (i.e. gas, oil changes, new tires, and tire rotations) to keep your car in as good of shape as possible. With this analogy, Karis is providing day-to-day and preventative care. We need these routine checkups to prevent the “big” things from happening. Then your catastrophic care insurance will cover things like the car accident.
You are also paying to have more time and access to your provider. You are receiving quality affordable preventative care to detect the big catastrophic events. The average person pays $400 per month for their insurance or an average of $1,000 per month for a family plan. On top of that, you have a deductible to pay for an average of $5,000 per year. As well as co-pays. You can get preventative regular care but with us, you will have more money left at the end of the year!
For now, we still recommend having a catastrophic care insurance plan to cover true emergency situations. The great thing about subscribing with Karis is that our low costs allow you to use the money you have saved to cover the catastrophic insurance deductible, and still have some leftover to invest in a health savings account. The following are links to Zion and Samaritan which may help meet your catastrophic insurance needs:
https://samaritanministries.org/classicbasic
At this point in time, no, you cannot, unfortunately. However, you can use your health savings account for lab work fees done here as well as imaging or referrals you may need to pay for outside of your subscription. There is legislation currently being advanced on a federal level that would allow DPC to be paid for with HSA funds. We are actively working with lawmakers to make this change in the future.
The great thing about Karis is that we can see patients via telemedicine without an in-person visit from our mobile direct primary care units. We can also call in referrals and prescriptions via telemedicine.
Yes! Karis offers a variety of plans that include children, as well as services like immunizations and wellness checkups. We also will do Sports Physicals.
We are different because we are not brick-and-mortar buildings, and therefore not limited by space. That means, if we are growing with amazing patients, then we just add another vehicle and provider to the rotation and existing patients won’t be disrupted by long wait times. Karis is also different because our mobile units can come directly to businesses, and soon will be able to meet patients conveniently at their homes. Finally, Karis stands out from other direct primary care because we use telehealth, which allows you to choose a provider that works for your health, not just the one that is closest to your home.
Karis Medical does not take insurance or bill insurance. What makes Karis unique is that we work outside of the traditional healthcare system to provide direct, personal service at transparent and affordable rates. This means cutting out the middleman of insurance and dealing directly with our patients. If you wanted to try to submit to your insurance we will give you a superbill to attempt on your own.
Please read this cookie policy (“cookie policy”, “policy”) carefully before using KarisMedicalServices.com website (“website”, “service”) operated by Karis Medical Services (“us”, ‘we”, “our”).
What are cookies?
Cookies are simple text files that are stored on your computer or mobile device by a website’s server. Each cookie is unique to your web browser. It will contain some anonymous information such as a unique identifier, website’s domain name, and some digits and numbers.
What types of cookies do we use?
Necessary cookies
Necessary cookies allow us to offer you the best possible experience when accessing and navigating through our website and using its features. For example, these cookies let us recognize that you have created an account and have logged into that account.
Functionality cookies
Functionality cookies let us operate the site in accordance with the choices you make. For example, we will recognize your username and remember how you customized the site during future visits.
Analytical cookies
These cookies enable us and third-party services to collect aggregated data for statistical purposes on how our visitors use the website. These cookies do not contain personal information such as names and email addresses and are used to help us improve your user experience of the website.
How to delete cookies?
If you want to restrict or block the cookies that are set by our website, you can do so through your browser setting. Alternatively, you can visit www.internetcookies.com, which contains comprehensive information on how to do this on a wide variety of browsers and devices. You will find general information about cookies and details on how to delete cookies from your device.
Contacting us
If you have any questions about this policy or our use of cookies, please contact us.
Approach to patient care
Medical Model
This medical model requires PAs to have the same basic science prerequisite understanding as Physicians. The use of the medical model is why it is often more difficult to get accepted into, and succeed in PA school. NPs on the other hand focus on the effect that care has on the patient. Both medical professionals apply the methods and intentions of each model, though much of their work depends on their dominant approach.
Patient’s Care
An NP will focus on patients’ care, primarily discussing how they feel about it. On the other hand, a PA will delve into the depths of physical science to developing working diagnoses and determine care plans using the medical model.
Specialization
One of the main differences between a nurse practitioner and a physician assistant lies in the time they spend training in specializations. An NP’s training is limited to either primary or acute focused.
For a broader approach to medical care, PAs use their skills to take on a wide range of patients which include all specialties. Career movement can be easier for a PA, as there is no need to gain further education to specialize in a new area with each change.
Independence
For a PA, the relationship between a PA and their collaborative physician is used for licensing, which prevents a PA from pursuing independent practice currently; however, once working in a clinical setting, a PA can often have a significant independence. Most PAs have minimal direct contact with the MD while caring for patients on a day-to-day basis.
Education and training requirements
Both PA’s and NP’s are required to have a minimum of a master’s degree from an accredited medical school or center of medicine. PAs typically complete their bachelor’s degrees, earn their master’s degree, complete clinical hours and complete the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and are required at regular intervals to recertify their board certifications just like Physicians.
It is important to point out that Physician Assistants train in the Medical Model taking the same didactic classes that medical students do, often with other medical students. These course involve Anatomy and Physiology which includes study of cadavers.
However, NPs typically earn their Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing, gain professional experience as a nurse, complete their master’s degree and clinical training, and pass a certifying exam before practicing. They are not required to take any board recertification throughout their
practice
Notice of Privacy Practices
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES HOW HEALTH INFORMATION ABOUT YOU MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED AND
HOW YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION. PLEASE REVIEW IT CAREFULLY. THE PRIVACY OF
YOUR HEALTH INFORMATION IS IMPORTANT TO US.
OUR LEGAL DUTY We are required by applicable federal and state law to maintain the privacy of your health information. We are also required to give you this Notice about our privacy practices, our legal duties, and your rights concerning your health information. We must follow the privacy practices that are described in this Notice while it is in effect. This Notice takes effect August 1, 2022, and will remain in effect until we replace it. We reserve the right to change our privacy practices and the terms of this Notice at any time, provided such changes are permitted by applicable law. We reserve the right to make the changes in our privacy practices and the new terms of our Notice effective for all health information that we maintain, including health information we created or received before we made the changes. Before we make a significant change in our privacy practices, we will change this Notice and make the new Notice available upon request. You may request a copy of our Notice at any time. For information about our privacy practices, or for additional copies of this Notice, please contact us using the information listed at the end of the Notice.
USES AND DISCLOSURES OF HEALTH INFORMATION We use and disclose health information about you for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations. For example:
Treatment: We may use or disclose your health information to a physician or other healthcare provider providing treatment to you.
Payment: We may use and disclose your health information to obtain payment for services we provide to you.
Healthcare Operations: We may use and disclose your health information in connection with our healthcare operations. Healthcare operations include quality assessment and improvement activities, reviewing the competence or qualifications of healthcare professionals, evaluating practitioner and provider performance, conducting training programs, accreditation, certification, licensing or credentialing activities.
Your Authorization: In addition to our use of your health information for treatment, payment or healthcare operations, you may give us written authorization to use your health information or to disclose it to anyone for any purpose. If you give us an authorization, you may revoke it in writing at any time. Your revocation will not affect any use or disclosures permitted by your authorization while it was in effect. Unless you give us a written authorization, we cannot use or disclose your health information for any reason except those described in this Notice.
To Your Family and Friends: We must disclose your health information to you as described in the Patient Rights section of this Notice. We may disclose your health information to a family member, friend, or other person to the extent necessary to help with your healthcare or with payment for your healthcare; but only if you agree that we may do so.
Persons Involved In Care: We may use or disclose health information to notify or assist in the notification of (including identifying or locating) a family member, your personal representative or another person responsible for your care, of your location, your general condition, or death. If you are present, then prior to use or disclosure of your health information, we will provide you with an opportunity to object to such uses or disclosures. In the event of your incapacity or emergency circumstances, we will disclose health information based on a determination using our professional judgment disclosing only health information that is directly relevant to the person’s involvement in your healthcare. We will also use our professional judgment and our experience with common practice to make reasonable inferences of your best interest in allowing a person to pick up filled prescriptions, medical supplies, x-rays, or other similar forms of health information.
Marketing Health-Related Services: We will not use your health information for marketing communications without your written authorization.
Required by Law: We may use or disclose your health information when we are required to do so by law.
Abuse or Neglect: We may disclose your health information to appropriate authorities if we reasonably believe that you are a possible victim of abuse, neglect, domestic violence, or the possible victim of other crimes. We may disclose your health information to the extent necessary to avert a serious threat to your health or safety or the health or safety of others.
National Security: We may disclose to military authorities the health information of Armed Forces personnel under certain circumstances. We may disclose to authorized federal officials health information required for lawful intelligence, counterintelligence, and other national security activities. We may disclose to correctional institution or law enforcement official having lawful custody of protected health information of inmate or patient under certain circumstances.
Appointment Reminders: We may use or disclose your health information to provide you with appointment reminders (such as voicemail messages, postcards, or letters).
PATIENT RIGHTS
Access: You have the right to look at or get copies of your health information, with limited exceptions. You may request that we provide copies in a format other than photocopies. We will use the format you request unless we cannot practically do so. (You must make a request in writing to obtain access to your health information. We may charge you a reasonable cost-based fee for expenses such as copies and staff time. You may also request access by sending us a letter to PO Box 411, Forsyth, MT 59327. If you KARISMEDICALSERVICES.COM INFO@KARISMEDICALSERVICES.COM request copies we will charge you $0 for each page, $15 per hour for staff time to locate and copy your health information, and postage if you want the copies mailed to you. If you request an alternative format, we will charge a cost-base fee for providing your health information in that format. If you prefer, we will prepare a summary or an explanation of your health information for a fee. )
Restriction: You have the right to request that we place additional restrictions on our use or disclosure of your health information. We are not required to agree to these additional restrictions, but if we do, we will abide by our agreement, except in an emergency.
Alternative Communication: You have the right to request that we communicate with you about your health information by alternative means or to alternative locations. {You must make your request in writing.} Your request must specify the alternative means or location, and provide satisfactory explanation how payments will be handled under the alternative means or location you request.
Amendment: You have the right to request that we amend your health information. Your request must be in writing, and it must explain why the information should be amended. We may deny your request under certain circumstances.
Electronic Notice: If you receive this Notice on our website or by electronic mail (e-mail), you are entitled to receive this Notice in written form.
QUESTIONS AND COMPLAINTS If you want more information about our privacy practices or have questions or concerns, please contact us at the address or phone number provided on the website.
If you are concerned that we may have violated your privacy rights, you disagree with a decision we made about access to your health information, or in response to a request you made to amend or restrict the use or disclosure of your health information, or to have us communicate with you by alternative means or at alternative locations, you may complain to us using the contact information listed on the website. You also may submit a written complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We will provide you with the address to file your complaint with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services upon request.
We support your right to the privacy of your health information. We will not retaliate in any way if you choose to file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
KARISMEDICALSERVICES.COM
INFO@KARISMEDICALSERVICES.COM