Managing Diabetes in Detroit

Managing Diabetes in Detroit

This week, I had a wonderful interview with Dr. Cleamon Moorer. We talked about how folks can manage their diabetes in Detroit. Diabetes care can be difficult and expensive, especially if you’re uninsured. If you’re uninsured and trying to access diabetes care, patients can face the following costs:

• $150 for a primary care visit

• $150 to check hemoglobin a1c

• $150 to check blood sugar via a comprehensive metabolic panel

• $300 for insulin at the pharmacy

• $10 for Metformin (Glucophage) at the pharmacy

At our Plum Health office, we dramatically lower the cost of these vital services to help our diabetic patients manage their blood sugar.

• $49 to $69 monthly for as many primary care visits as it takes to manage your diabetes

• $6 to check hemoglobin a1c

• $6 to check blood sugar via a comprehensive metabolic panel

• $0 for insulin at our Plum Health clinic as we get several free samples from industry

• $0.30 to $0.60 for Metformin (Glucophage) at our Plum Health clinic

What makes this pricing difference even more important is that folks with diabetes need to check their hemoglobin a1c every 3 to 6 months to ensure that they are managing their diabetes effectively.

Interview with Dr. Cleamon Moorer

As it is diabetes awareness month, Dr. Cleamon Moorer came by our Plum Health DPC clinic to talk about our direct primary care model, health care access, and diabetes care resources in Detroit. Here’s our interview:

In Season 1, Episode 17 of The Home Health Care Today Show, Dr. Paul Thomas, MD., of Plum Health, DPC visits the show to discuss National Diabetes Month, the value of Direct Primary Care, and Plum Health DPC's affordable subscription-based model to effectively close the gap to access quality healthcare for adults and children in Detroit. The show's goal is to inform, inspire, influence, and educate Metropolitan Detroiters on the importance of Diabetes awareness, treatments, and best practices for living healthier lives. Hosted by Dr. Cleamon Moorer Sponsored by: American Advantage Home Care, Inc.

February Update

Hey everybody! It's February 2nd and time for an update about our services and a little bit of an overview about what we do. January was our first full month of operation in a brick-and-mortar space and we were able to have 20 new members join the practice! We are currently located at 1759 West 21st Street, Detroit, MI.

What makes them want to join? First it's our dedication to great service. When you make an appointment, you typically get 1 hour of uninterrupted time with me, Dr. Paul Thomas. We talk about your medical history, review any records that you bring, perform a physical exam, draw any blood samples if necessary and give any medications if necessary.

The great thing about our Direct Primary Care model is that we get these labs at-cost and the medications at whole-sale prices. Our lipid panel is about $7 and our Comprehensive Metabolic Panel is about $4. Our current price for Azithromycin or a "Z-pak" is $1.15. We sell Lisinopril for about $0.40/month. Yes, you read that correctly! Forty cents for a one month supply of Lisinopril. 

I give Flu shots for $10.53, Hepatitis A vaccine for $68.42, Tetanus Diphtheria and Acellular Pertussis (TDaP) vaccine for $47.47. Our price for Metformin is $0.40/month if you take 1 pill each day and $0.80/month if you take 2 pills each day. I recently dispensed Augmentin for a skin infection for $4.82. 

If you're interested in this type of care: more time with your doctor, clear and consistent pricing, the ability to have easier communication with your doctor via text and email, you should sign up for our services.

You can either call 313.444.5630 to set up an appointment or enroll on our website, here.

Thank you for watching and reading, and have a great day!

- Paul Thomas, MD