DocTalker

Absolutely outstanding! Don’t even know where to begin, actually… our amazing Home Healthcare Nurse from Light House recommended Dr. Simmons and Doctalker for my 95-​year-​old mom (who I care take in our home) very highly. Mom is pretty much confined to her bed now, so it’s almost impossible to get her out and about to her medical appointments. I truly can’t say enough good things about this practice. From the moment I began conversing with the very smart, warm, and caring (and extremely patient — it took me awhile to get the ball rolling because stuff kept happening on my end and I had to keep rescheduling) Physician’s Assistant, Beth, online to set up my mom’s first home visit to Dr. Simmons’s first visit today… well…wow. Just, wow. I’m overwhelmed. :D Dr. Simmons is THE best physician my mom has ever seen, bar none. Truth. He specializes in geriatrics, and he knows it ALL. This man’s intellect is boundless… and is only exceeded by his warmth, compassion, and caring. He represents everything a doctor SHOULD be in the 21^st century. He genuinely cares about his patients and knows his stuff in, out, up, and down. :) I know, because I’ve had to know, being my mom’s sole caretaker and fierce advocate. Dr. Simmons will spend all the time you need talking to you and the patient… you will NOT feel rushed… and his exam is thorough. He went over my mom’s history and medications in great detail with me and made sure everything was charted in their system (and showed it to me when he was finished). :) On top of everything else, this man is FUNNY and personable. :D
I am so incredibly grateful that my mom is now with Dr. Simmons and the Doctalker team. Don’t hesitate to get on board with this group. This is modern medicine the way it SHOULD BE: science with a vision. :)

My family and I have been patients of Dr. Dappen for over 10 years. His Doctalker practice is surely the future of medicine. Most of the routine questions I have for a doctor are handled by phone or email, saving time and money. But if a true emergency arises, they will meet you at their office any time of the day or night. They even make house calls, such as the check up they did for my elderly mother who had trouble getting around. Billing questions are handled within a day. They don’t take insurance, but will provide a super bill that I can submit to my carrier. Their prices for some procedures are so low that it is actually just cheaper to pay out of pocket than to pay a co-​pay. But most importantly of all, all of the Drs and NPs I have dealt with there are kind, caring, willing to listen, and willing to let me try out a lot of the harebrained schemes I want to try (for my chronic health issues) as long as they are not dangerous. They do not have superior attitude and always take my suggestions and concerns seriously. They encourage a healthy lifestyle without making me feel guilty about my weight and low exercise levels, as some Drs will. I would recommend them to anyone (and have) and encourage other medical practices to adopt their business model.

My husband and adult daughter and her boyfriend have been seeing Dr. Dappen for several years and tell people all the time what a competent, accessible and truly nice person he is. He takes as much time as the patient wants and never appears too rushed to talk with them.
When my daughter was traveling in Southeast Asia she developed a very painful area on the ball of her foot that was swelling and appeared infected. She called Dr. Dappen and he asked her to take a photo of the area with her IPhone. He then diagnosed the problem, called her to advise what medicine to ask for at a reliable pharmacy. He was familiar with medical issues in Southeast Asia as well as the medicine available for treatment. All went well and her foot healed within a few days.
When I developed a severe sore throat overnight on a recent Saturday. I was scheduled to leave the country several hours later and did not want to leave without having my throat checked out. I called Doc Talker for the first time and spoke to Dr. Henry. She met me at the office in a half hour and checked out my throat, swabbed it for a Strep test, examined ears, chest etc. She was incredibly easy to talk with, took as much time as I needed (even though I knew she was headed to a class she was teaching right after my appt.) and assured me that I did not have Strep. She encouraged me to call or email her from overseas any time if anything changed in my health.
I am now convinced that the type of medicine practiced by Doc Talker is what most Americans would love to have however, our current medical system precludes them from receiving. DocTalker is not an expensive concierge practice that is unaffordable to most. Their fees are very reasonable and some can be reimbursed by Blue Cross depending on the BlueCross/​BlueShield Plan you have. The patient must get the forms and submit the fees. Not really a big deal, as I have done it with other doctors who do not process insurance claims.
The stories of Doc Talkers excellent medical treatment on a ²⁴⁄₇ basis is something all in our family love to talk about to others!
Susan L.

Working on shingling a roof at home and gashed thumb with utility knife. One call to Dr. Dappen, and I was scheduled to be treated as soon as I could come by the office. Cleaned and stitched up and on my way in under 30 minutes. Saved at least $ 500 in emergency room fees plus 3 hours of waiting time.
I have been a patient of Doctalker for 8 years — they are professional, accessible, reliable, responsive, and they actually care about me as a patient!

Dr. Dappen is incredibly responsive and helpful. I couldn’t recommend him higher.
But while I’m glad he’s my primary care doc, I struggle with the high cost of being his patient… He is «cash only» and insurance does not reimburse a penny for the majority of his care, which is mostly conducted via phone and email. If you just have occasional sniffles or infections, etc, no big deal… Dr. Dappen is the same expense as an urgent care /​emergency room but instead you have a doc that’s outstanding and knows you/​cares about your health. However, if you’ve got a chronic condition or a medical mystery, be prepared to spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars quickly. I find that I avoid conversations /​appointments unless I absolutely have to, knowing it’ll cost me $X per five minute increment, a billing system similar to a lawyer, etc.
Without question, his care (and that of the practice) is top notch but just know that it can be very expensive. I would have rated the practice five out of five stars but the high financial cost of care is worth noting.

Dr. Dappen and his staff are not only very competent, but also incredibly nice, available by phone, email, and in person, and reasonably priced. He’s not part of your network of insurance-​approved docs (Dr. Dappen does not accept insurance), but you may find as I did that it is WELL worth switching to high deductible insurance and going to Doctokr for primary care. I pay about half of what I would pay for the next cheapest insurance option, and pay as I go for office visits or prescription refills over the phone. I end up paying less for more and better care. Ten stars!