FAQs
No, it’s not! We strongly recommend having insurance to safeguard against catastrophic health events or unexpected major medical expenses.
Yes! We look forward to taking care of you after our opening in June 2024.
You can join now by contacting Link Family Medicine to enroll in the membership program and having your medical records transferred to Link Family Medicine.
Monthly membership fees won’t be collected until June 1st, 2024 when the practice opens and begins seeing patients. .
When you pre enroll you get the opportunity to have a 25% discount for the first 3 months!
The tranquil and hygge inspired location of Link Family Medicine is 515 S. Almon St. Unit A, Moscow, ID 83843
Whether you have insurance coverage through your employer or through an individual plan, joining a Direct Primary Care practice remains a prudent choice. Even in the past when most individuals had insurance deductibles of $2,000 or less annually, over 90% of patients rarely reached those deductibles, leading them to bear the majority of their healthcare expenses out of their own pockets. A Direct Primary Care family physician can effectively address around 80-90% of common medical issues that individuals face for an annual fee which is usually a fraction of your deductible
That’s an excellent question. While it seems logical that Health Savings Account (HSA) funds should be eligible for paying your Direct Primary Care (DPC) doctor, there isn’t a specific provision in the tax code that explicitly allows for it. There are bills currently under consideration in the U.S. Congress to address this omission. Until such legislation is passed, we recommend consulting with your accountant or tax preparer for guidance on this matter.
Absolutely! Link Family Medicine looks forward to taking care of you!
Please note however your membership fee or any other charges will not be reimbursed by the government and we request that you do no submit any claims for your services obtained by Link Family Medicine.
Hospitalization, labs, imaging studies, medications and supplies will still be covered (if these are typically covered under insurance your plan).
Link Family medicine values your service to our great country and believes VA benefits and Tricare are one of the best medical coverages you can have!
With that great coverage comes red tape and significant burden on physicians to comply with VA benefits and Tricare.
Link Family Medicine does not contract with the government and would not be participating as your “PCP”.
Your membership fee or any other charges may not be reimbursed by the government.
Referrals to specialists, labs, imaging studies, medications and supplies may not be obtained if ordered by Link Family Medicine due to not being identified by VA or Tricare as a patients PCP.
It is recommended that you have a contracted participating medical provider identified as your PCP by Tricare or the VA to offer you these services.
If hospitalization becomes necessary, your insurance will be billed through the conventional process. This is precisely the purpose of insurance, and it’s why we strongly advise having it. While Link Family Medicine can address approximately 80-90% of most patients’ healthcare needs, there may be occasions when you require specialized care that goes beyond the scope of our expertise.
Yes, Link Family Medicine does not regularly prescribe long-term opioids or benzodiazepine medications. We use these medications cautiously, sparingly, and strictly in accordance with established guidelines. Our approach primarily centers on evidence-based treatments and avoids practices and medications that lack solid scientific support. It’s important to note that Link Family Medicine does not issue prescriptions for medical marijuana.
Vacation is good for all of us, including your physician!
Prior to any vacation where your physician will likely be planned to be “off grid” and unable to have direct communication expect an email and Facebook post to be sent well in advance describing the planned time away.
You will be able to schedule any appointments promptly before or after that vacation.
Currently a covering physician from another DPC clinic in the area to field any acute concerns while your physician is on vacation is planned.
If your physician at Link Family Medicine is out unexpectedly coverage from a local area DPC physician will plan to be arranged.
Link Family Medicine hopes to create an environment where all patients feel welcome and strives to meet their patients’ often complex health care needs.
Link Family Medicine appreciates the diversity of human beings and does not discriminate based on race, age, religion, ability, marital status, sexual orientation, sex or gender identity.
During their appointment a Link Family Medicine member can pick any open parking spot in the Moscow Ale House parking lot across from the clinic to park for free.
You can also park on South Almon Street if you can find a spot!
ACUPUNCTURE
Defined as a system of integrated medicine that involves breaking the skin or tissue with needles used to alleviate pain and treat various physical mental and emotional conditions.
Many things including pain management, medical conditions, women’s health conditions, geriatric issues, psychiatric conditions.
Such conditions (but not limited to) that can be treated by acupuncture are migraine, low back pain, arthritis, TMJ, carpal tunnel, complex regional pain syndrome, GERD, IBS, asthma, hay fever, hypertension, chronic fatigue syndrome, menstrual irregularity, heavy bleeding, lack of menstrual bleeding, sexual dysfunctions, urinary or bowel dysfunctions, insomnia, depression, panic disorders, smoking cessation, anxiety disorders, nausea associated with chemotherapy.
For Link Family Medicine members the price is $40 a session. For non-members it is $80. Ear acupuncture for members is $10 and $20 for non-members.
After obtaining a history as well as performing a pertinent physical examination which this information will formulate a treatment. The treatment includes placement of needles at various spots. Typically, there is a form of discomfort with placement of the needles though the aim is not to cause pain. People sometimes describe the discomfort as warmth, coolness, electricity, tightness, relaxation. Everyone is different and everyone experiences acupuncture differently.
Typically treatment sessions last anywhere between 30-60 minutes. This would include the placement of the needles, duration of treatment and then removal of needles. Historically the needles are left in place for body acupuncture for approximately 25-35 minutes.
It is recommended that you are seen frequently such as every 2-3 days for treatment over a 3-4 week period. Patients are encouraged to have atleast make 2 sessions a week if they are able to.
This does vary from patient to patient. Sometimes only 1-2 treatment sessions are necessary. Most people though will find benefit by 6 sessions. Link Family Medicine recommends at least 6 sessions before deciding if acupuncture is working or not.
It is requested that you wear loose fitting clothing. You can always bring a change of clothes and change in the exam room. Shorts can be provided if desired. For women it is recommended to bring something to put your hair up such as a hair tie. Additionally, wearing something that can expose your shoulders and upper back such as a tank top can also be helpful in allowing placement of needles in that area. Men should expect to undress from the waist up.
It is recommended that you eat a light meal beforehand so that you have something in your stomach for the treatment.. Do not over caffeinate yourself. You can take your medications as regularly prescribed. If you are on pain medications you could consider not taking those to see how well the acupuncture works for your discomfort. This is not absolutely necessary.
It is recommended afterwards that you do not engage in any excessive exercise overeating or drinking excess alcohol. You may feel sleepy for the rest of the day and this is normal. Recommendations that you go home and rest if this is the case.
Acupuncture is quite low risk. The biggest risk would be potentially causing a pneumothorax where the needle is accidentally inserted into the lung cavity. This occurs in less than 1 in 10,000 acupuncture treatment sessions. Great care is used to make sure that needles are placed in a safe location.
Additionally patients can experience lightheadedness. Typically this goes away within 10-15 minutes after close monitoring.
Lastly there is potential for “healing crisis” where symptoms worsen before they get better. This typically occurs after the first session and can last up to 24-48 hours. Then improvement and greater resolution of symptoms occurs. This is likened to a junk drawer at home. To organize this drawer you sometimes need to make a bigger mess before you make the mess go away.
Infection risk is quite low as well as Link Family Medicine uses sterile technique and sterile one-time use only needles with every session.
Historically this is not typically an issue but after discussion with the patient on a case by case basis about risks and benefits.
ASP needles for auricular acupuncture and Seirin needles for body acupuncture.
This is the application of needles into the body and then attaching electrical current to the needles. This can increase the stimulation and offer better treatment. Depending on the patient’s symptoms, conditions and overall treatment plan sometimes this is used and sometimes not.
This is a technique that focuses on using Western medication, corticosteroid or lidocaine, diluted in saline solution and injected through a hypodermic needle into acupuncture points. This is truly an East meets West treatment. The injections typically are tolerated quite well. The injections can be done many times. They are typically done once to twice a week.
This is a tough question to answer. There are many different theories. One theory that Link Family Medicine ascribes to would be the idea that peripheral points on the body (acupuncture points) can stimulate the central nervous system areas (located in the brain) to regulate the system of the body that is not functioning normally.
A loose analogy would be one of a computer. We have all experienced at some point a computer that is not working properly. When the computer stops responding to keyboard strokes or mouse movements we do not simply fix or replace the keyboard or mouse as those are typically not at fault. Usually it has something to do with the central processing unit. We may restart the computer versus exiting out of certain programs to see if this helps the computer run more smoothly (ie Ctrl + Alt + Del).
In this analogy the brain is the central processing unit and the peripheral body such as the arms, hands, or legs are like the mouse or screen or keyboard. Acupuncture is sort of a Ctrl + Alt + Del for the body and brain. We typically do not hard restart human bodies as this would be unethical.
The key to acupuncture is repetitive stimulation of the peripheral sites to help reset the central nervous system.
Like anything in medicine there are risks and benefits involved in any intervention. The risk of acupuncture is so low and the potential benefit is so great that Link Family Medicine offers it to many patients. If it does not work then it does not work. Interestingly, studies have shown that whether or not you believe it is going to work benefit can still occur.
Auricular acupuncture uses small needles in certain parts of the ear to bring about change within the whole body. These needles typically stay in for approximately 3-7 days. Sometimes they fall out sooner and sometimes later. The biggest risk of auricular acupuncture is infection but your ear is cleaned thoroughly before placing the needles. There is also risk of feeling dizzy as well as discomfort while the needles are in. You can remove the needles with the aid of a tweezer if you do not want to have them stay in after they are placed. Unlike body acupuncture ear acupuncture can cause slight pain during insertion but a large majority of people tolerate the procedure quite well. The benefit of ear acupuncture is that you can get continued stimulation and not need as many repeated treatments since the needle stay in longer than body acupuncture needles.
Yes, Link Family Medicine prescribes traditional Chinese medicines known as herbal formulas. If you are interested you can discuss this with a herbal medicine consultation. You do not need to have a herbal formula if you are doing acupuncture and vice versa. It is needed that you fill out a 10 page traditional Chinese medicine health history prior to having Dr. Bouchard prescribe you herbal formulas.
Typically for 1-2 week supply of her herbs it is about $20-$50. It depends on the type of herbs used and the amount used as well as the length of treatment. Link Family Medicine partners with Golden Cabinet herbs in Portland. Link Family Medicine does not obtain any monetary reimbursement when we prescribes herbs. Golden Cabinet herbs will contact you and gladly ship the herbs after Link Family Medicine contacts them via email with your information and prescribed herbal formula.
Yes. As with any medication there is risk but historically they are well tolerated with minimal side effects. The herbal company that Link Family Medicine partners with (Golden Cabinet Herbal Pharmacy) accepts nothing less than the best, most authentic products that are sourced to assure that all custom formulas are prepared with accuracy and precision. Herbal formulas typically use plant matter and sometimes minerals or animal products. Most herbal formulas range from 2 to upwards of 20 ingredients. These different ingredients intended to be blended together to help correct any deficiencies or access conditions within the body. The formulas are granules that are mixed with water and ingested.
Dr. Bouchard was taught through the Academy of Pain Research in San Francisco. This is the oldest acupuncture course for medical physicians in the United States. He is also attended and graduated from a herbal medicine course through Academy of Pain Research. He has spent approximately 1.5 years obtaining knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine through various courses taught by the Academy of Pain Research in San Francisco, CA and has been practicing acupuncture since 2017. He looks forward to exploring traditional Chinese medicine as an alternative form to help patients improve their health.
BUSINESS
Offering the employee benefit of direct primary care can help you retain your employees and keep them healthy!
Direct primary care can reduce the need for ER visits, urgent care visits and hospitalizations and the lower health care cost for your employees.
Link Family Membership keeps it simple for a business to have primary care at affordable rates. With same day or next day and telehealth visits available to help get your employees back to work and feeling better.
Contact us to discuss the healthcare needs of your business.
Link Family Medicine looks forward to developing a plan that is right for your business.
We can be reached at 208 550 3060 or [email protected]
Employee membership fee rates are $100 a month per employee and or dependent (if allowed by employer).
Payment is invoiced monthly directly to the employer.
There are discounts for employers who enroll more than 3 members.
Once a business plan is in place Link Family Medicine makes the step of joining easy for employees by giving your business access to a custom sign up webpage.
A business has the option to direct their employees to the custom webpage and/or an employer can also chose a delegate who will have administrative access to add and delete employees directly using our website.
Once an employee is added Link Family Medicine will reach out to them to comfirm their membership!
If desired by an employer dependents (spouse, children) can be added to an employee membership.
Rates are $100 for adults 18 years and older and $50 for children less than 18 years of age.
There is no family rate for employees.
No, membership is not insurance. It does not meet the requirements for insurance coverage if required by the government. for your business.
Link Family Medicine membership affords your employees with affordable access to a primary care physician.