Monty Suther, co-founder of the Family and Business Alliance Group (FABA), knows that health care can be a simple, inexpensive process outside the traditional realm of insurance. The FABA Concierge Wellness Plan, nearly two years in the making, is a healthcare sharing model that pools both traditional primary care providers with holistic providers such as chiropractors, massage therapists, naturopathic doctors, dentists and other practitioners to offer hassle-free, discounted wellness services.

“The Concierge Wellness Plan is similar to how the insurance companies’ function, by pooling money which pays for participants’ health visits,” Suther says. “We put many practitioners together in a pay model, and people can choose if they want to go to a traditional physician, a non-traditional provider or a combination thereof.”

FABA is not itself an insurance company, but this is a discount medical plan. They also offer a sharing model that covers catastrophic medical expenses, and a critical illness policy that can provide protection while recovering from a major illness such as cancer or a heart attack. That policy provides money for daily living expenses or alternative treatment not covered by insurance. Customers can combine plans for rates significantly lower than traditional insurance plans that typically have none of the holistic wellness components included.

“The Concierge Wellness Plan model flips wellness upside-down from what people understand it to be,” Suther says. The plan also incentivizes providers to keep people well versus just seeing as many sick people as possible to make money. Because FABA is based in Rockwall, many providers are in that area, but the plan is quickly migrating outward and signing up providers in the entire Dallas Metroplex vicinity. According to Suther, there are no other firms in the area offering a similar program.

“There are direct pay providers out there, but they’re not doing it as a collective group,” he says. “The Concierge Wellness Plan cuts out the middleman, and now it’s just a relationship between you and your provider, which is where it should always be. Insurance wants to be in the middle of you and your provider, and that is wrong.”

Suther notes the plan is also designed for transparency; consumers know the costs for visits, tests and other needed services, and can make educated decisions about their care. Suther, who worked in the insurance industry for decades, saw how people spent lots of money on insurance plans that included components people didn’t need. Providing more customized services through concierge-style plans allows for people to get the care they choose for a better value. He’s also heard positive feedback from providers that are pleased they can spend more time with patients while avoiding cumbersome, time-consuming insurance paperwork.

To enroll in the Concierge Wellness Plan, applicants must agree to a contractual obligation and pay for the first month and last month in advance. Once they are signed up, they can see any provider that’s part of the program. “Basic wellness is covered, and if additional services are needed, the fee schedule is drastically reduced,” Suther explains. “It’s a win-win for the patient and the provider.”

The FABA Group is located in Rockwall, Texas. For more information, call 972- 695-4277, email [email protected] or visit TheFABAGroup.com.

Sheila Julson is a freelancer writer and contributor to Natural Awakenings magazine.