Speck Health, P.S.
Frequently Asked Questions for Internal Medicine & Cardiology Patients
What is the Speck Health approach to health care?
With over 25 years of experience as a cardiologist, Dr. Sarah Speck believes that the best and most
effective way to treat or prevent disease is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Dr. Speck started her own
practice, Speck Health, with the belief that in order to manage one’s health, one must have the
knowledge and guidance to do so. Speck Health focuses on helping patients prevent illness by achieving
and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. We call this our healthy lifestyle program which involves
personalized exercise and nutritional counseling. Our practice is built on relationships that we want to
sustain with our patients. The current health care system is generic and not responsive enough to offer
the high level of personalized care that Dr. Speck and her staff want to bring to our patients.
What are the services are provided for patients enrolled in Dr. Speck’s internal medicine and
cardiology practice?
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Annual comprehensive health history and physical exam
Unlimited office visits regarding all health concerns with flexible scheduling upon request
Unlimited phone, web, and e-mail communication with Dr. Speck and staff
Same day, weekday urgent care visits
After hours on-call physician availability
Periodic review of pertinent laboratory and other diagnostic/preventative data including
medical genetic testing
Navigate health care
- Medication management
- Coordinate specialist and procedure referrals
- Oversee and coordinate hospital care
- Oversee and coordinate with other providers
Electronic access to medial records
In office lab draw and blood pressure checks
Annual CIMT imaging for early atherosclerosis
Annual fitness assessment
- Body metrics
- Body composition
- Cellular health
- Resting metabolic rate
- Resting ECG
- ECG monitored cardiovascular stress test
- VO2 max (aerobic capacity)
- Strength and flexibility
Pulmonary function test
Initial exercise prescription
Quarterly exercise education
Annual nutritional analysis with exercise physiologist
Monthly lifestyle coaching with exercise physiologist
Annual nutritional consultation and dietary plan with nutritionist
Optional additional fee-based health coaching, training and educational services available
Will my insurance or health plan pay for these services?
All medical appointments, lab work, and standard diagnostic imaging will be billed to insurance. Speck
Health accepts the following insurance payers for billable services: Aetna, Cigna, First Choice Health
Network, Medicare, Premera, Regence, and United Health Care. Usual co-pays will apply per your
policy and insurer.
All non-medical services are part of our healthy lifestyle program (see below) and are not billable to
insurance. These services are paid by the patient in the form of a membership fee. To inquire about the
healthy lifestyle program fee, please contact our office manager, Lizzy Sandstrom at (206) 466-5936 or
at lizzy.sandstrom@speckhealth.org.
What services are included in the healthy lifestyle program?
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CIMT imaging
Body metrics
Resting metabolic rate
ECG monitored stress test including aerobic capacity
Strength and flexibility testing
Pulmonary function test
Exercise prescription
Exercise education sessions
Nutritional analysis with exercise physiologist
Nutritional consultation and dietary plan with nutritionist
Monthly monitoring of your exercise regimen
Will Speck Health bill my healthy lifestyle program fee on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis?
You may elect to pay your fee monthly, quarterly, or annually by credit card or check. Invoices will be
sent accordingly.
Will the healthy lifestyle program fees be covered by my corporate benefits?
Maybe. You should check with your employer’s HR or benefits department to determine whether any of
your benefits cover these fees. In some cases, these fees may be paid through an employer Section 125
plan and may be compatible with your flexible spending accounts (FSAs), medical savings accounts
(MSAs), or health reimbursement accounts (HRAs). The fees may also be payable through your health
savings accounts (HSAs). You will be provided with a statement for your benefits administrator at the
time of your lifestyle consultation or any time thereafter. Again, please check with your benefits advisor
or employer’s HR department to determine whether any of your benefit plans will cover the additional
fees. Also, it is important to note that although these fees may be reimbursable through your FSA, you
cannot pay them with your FSA debit or credit card. Reimbursement for fees from your FSA must be
obtained through your FSA claim submission process, and then, only if it is determined that it is an
appropriate expense.
How can I join Dr. Speck’s internal medicine and cardiology practice?
New patients are being accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. To enroll in this practice, you need to
sign a membership agreement stating that you are willing to participate in our program. If you would
like to receive the enrollment forms, please contact our office manager, Lizzy Sandstrom, at 206-4665936 or at lizzy.sandstrom@speckhealth.org.
How does this program work with specialists or hospital care?
We offer dramatically enhanced coordination of specialty care. Specialists are far more eager to care for
patients who have primary care physicians who are as involved in care decisions as we will be.
With this program, your doctor’s staff will have the time to make sure that all appropriate information is
given to the specialist so that your consult is handled in the most efficient and effective manner
possible. Your doctor will personally discuss your situation with the specialist.
We also will provide coordination of inpatient hospital care. Locally, we are affiliated with
Swedish/Providence Health systems. If you are out of town, we will be available by phone, e-mail or fax
to coordinate your care with you, your family and your providers during that episode of care.
What about the fees for tests, specialists and hospitalization?
Charges for tests, specialists and hospitalization will be billed to your insurance.
Will my doctor be available to me while I am traveling or out of town on an extended basis, including
my homes in other locations?
Yes, Dr. Speck will be available to you by phone, email or fax, no matter where you are. When your
doctor is not available due to personal circumstances or travel, another doctor from the Speck Health
team will be available to you. Your doctor will let you know if he or she will be unavailable due to
personal travel and what the return date is.
I have family members who often visit me. Can my doctor see them if needed?
Out of town guests and other friends and family members are not covered under your fees. However,
we will make every effort to accommodate them and help coordinate their care if needed during their
visit. Usual insurance charges would apply. We participate with most private and governmental health
plans.
Do I have to participate in the healthy lifestyle program in order to see Dr. Speck as my internist and
cardiologist?
We strongly encourage our patients to take advantage of these healthy lifestyle program services,
however, it is not required. These are services that Dr. Speck feels are important to your individualized
cardiac care. There is no discount to the monthly membership fee for those who choose not to
participate in the healthy lifestyle program.
If I only want to see Dr. Speck for cardiology care, how does that work?
You can enroll in Dr. Speck’s cardiology practice if you are willing to participate in an exercise and
nutrition program she will develop for you in conjunction with your usual outpatient cardiology care.
Dr. Speck will utilize her long-standing relationships with specialist cardiology colleagues to coordinate
additional cardiac care if needed (i.e. hospitalization, procedures or pacemaker follow-up).
Can I meet with Dr. Speck before I decide?
If you have not seen Dr. Speck in the past 3 years, you may see her for a one hour consultation to review
your health concerns and how she would approach them with you. This visit will be billed to your
insurance, and you may decide after that whether to continue with ongoing care with one of the
programs described above.
Please call the office at 206-466-5936 to schedule.
Where is the office located? Is there parking?
We are conveniently located at the corner of 8th and Madison just off the I-5 Freeway Madison Street
exit. Our address is 805 Madison St., Suite 400, Seattle, 98104. There is parking in the building on the
first floor off of 8th street. There is an elevator from the parking lot directly to the 4th floor AND we
validate parking.