Picture this: It’s Monday morning and you’re trying to keep a scratchy throat at bay. After a couple rounds of over-the-counter medications, the situation isn’t improving. You finally decide to ring your primary care physician only to discover you have two options: schedule an appointment five months out or take your chances at an urgent care sitting for hours next to other patients that are battling their own bugs and viruses.

It’s a common, albeit aggravating scenario. Our nation’s collective frustration with healthcare isn’t just relegated to timely care, though. Hidden treatment costs, insurance coverage (or lack thereof), and an increasingly overburdened medical workforce is making what should be a basic human right — access to good health care — a privilege.

In fact, according to an analysis of the Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Expenditures Survey, the average American household spent almost $5,000 per person on health care in 2018. That’s a 101% increase from the roughly $2,500 per person that Americans spent about 34 years ago in 1984 (prices have been adjusted for inflation).

360MD is changing that. Conveniently located in downtown Austin, this fully integrative practice is upending the traditional model of medicine and insurance to benefit the person who matters most: you.

What is direct primary care?

Led by board-certified physician Dr. Carol Ann Linebarger, 360MD embraces the Direct Primary Care (DPC) model, where patients have ready access to their doctor via phone, text, or email seven days a week, 365 days a year.

Some benefits of 360MD’s DPC model include:

• Guaranteed same or next-day appointments: In a typical fee-for-service practice, a doctor sees 20-30 patients per day, allowing five to 15 minutes per patient. At 360MD, all patients’ initial appointments are 60 minutes and follow-ups are at least 30 minutes long — patients never feel rushed.
• Frequent and direct communication: 360MD communicates directly through phone, text, email and Healthie, a tech-forward app. There’s no confusing portal to navigate or front office to get through to speak to a doctor.
• Affordability: Patients pay a low monthly membership fee regardless of their insurance status. That gives them access to all premium services including office visits with no copays, guaranteed same or next day appointments, and direct access to their doctor. Patients can cancel anytime; there’s no long-term commitment or buy-in.
• Transparency: At 360 MD, patients know exactly what they’ll be paying for upfront — no hidden fees. Not only are primary care services offered for one low monthly fee, 360MD has agreements with testing and other services that provide up to 90% discounts.

What you can expect at 360MD

Along with routine office visits — including well-child checks, sick visits, gynecological care, annual exams, and physicals for school, sports, and camps — 360MD offers chronic disease management, laceration repair, basic wound care, in-office testing, as well as skin biopsies and mole removal.

The clinic is expertly equipped to treat both acute and chronic illnesses, ranging from strep throat and pneumonia to diabetes and heart disease.

Pampering and beauty enhancements

360MD understands that every person’s beauty is uniquely their own. That’s why they work closely with patients to provide customized aesthetic treatments that deliver smooth, fresh-faced skin, and a renewed sense of self-confidence. Medical grade facials, micro-needling, and laser treatments are just a few of the top-tier treatments performed by an aesthetician with over 20 years of experience.

Using her professional training with injectables to impart improvements to facial contour and anti-aging, Dr. Linebarger’s artistic style lends itself to subtle changes that appear natural and highly personalized. Some of the popular treatments offered at 360MD include Botox, hyaluronic fillers, and micro-needling.

Concierge services

In line with their whole-body ethos, 360MD also offers supplementary services geared toward making you feel your best. Hormone replacement therapy that takes into account your preferences, age, weight, and lab values to determine precisely the right dosing schedule; IV infusions for hydration, metabolism, energy, and immune support; and functional medicine consultations that work to understand the “how” and “why” of a patient’s illness, enabling 360MD to address the root causes of dysfunction while guiding your body toward self-healing and regeneration.

As a licensed M.D. (medical doctor), Dr. Linebarger has spent nearly two decades studying human health and wellness, including several years dedicated to medical school, a residency in family practice, and functional medicine. She combines her foundation as a Western medicine trained physician with integrative and holistic approaches to provide a unique service that captures the best of both worlds for her patients.

360MD location at 511 W. 15th Street is easily accessible and offers plenty of free parking onsite. For more information, visit 360mdaustin.com or call 512-582-2388.

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