Health Insurance

Accepted Insurance Plans (subject to change)

In addition to offering fair self-pay rates for our medical services we are PPO Providers for the medical insurance carriers listed below. If you do not see your carrier on our list please call us at (310) 836-2225 to verify your benefits for services in our office.   The Practice is moving toward a self-pay model, although we will remain Cigna PPO and Aetna PPO providers for the indefinite future.  Some smaller plans as well.  

We will be opting out of Medicare as of October 1, 2024.  We do not accept HMO insurance plans.  As of Jan 1, 2021, we are out of network with Anthem Blue Cross.  As of June 1, 2022, we are out of network with Blue Shield.  As of May 1, 2024, we are out of network with United HealthCare.

Our preferred plans are currently Cigna PPO and  Aetna PPO.  We are currently in network with First Health, Health Net, Humana, Multiplan, PHCS, on the PPO side.

Certain exceptions (regarding accepting new patients) are made for TMS (Tension Myoneural Syndrome)/PPD consultations and for patients who pay an additional annual fee for non-covered services. (aka Administrative Fee or VIP fee)

If Blue Cross/Shield or UHC is your secondary carrier with Medicare as primary, our being out of network does NOT affect you until October 1, 2024 at which all Medicare patients, to see us in the office, will need to sign an “out of network” contract and pay our self-pay fees.

Conditional Insurance Carrier Acceptance

• United Health Care PPO (and affiliates)  Out of network (as of 5/1/2024). This means that you pay at the time of service a self-pay fee and you will be given a form to submit to your insurance for possible out of network benefits.
• Blue Cross or Blue Shield PPO plan– Out of network.
• CIGNA Open Access
  • Not accepted if part of the Local Plus Plan
• CIGNA PPO
  • Not accepted if part of the Local Plus Plan
• Personal Injury
  • Extremely rarely.
• Worker’s Compensation
  • No Longer accepting new patients with this insurance

Self-Pay Options

Patients worry, rightfully so, if they have “lost” health insurance.  We try to remind them that office visits with Dr. Schechter are surprisingly affordable.  Even if you have to pay out of pocket for a physical (about $340) and 3 office visits (each $170-230 for an established patient) a year, plus some lab work, you will typically spend under $875 for the entire year.  So why do you need health insurance, with premiums often $400 to $1000 per month, or more!?  Hospitalizations and surgery are expensive and this is the great benefit of having health insurance.  Office visits for family medicine and sports medicine care in our office are far more reasonable and are often paid out of pocket by individuals with HMO plans or other limitations in coverage.

                                                                                                           VIP Options

 It seems to be getting increasingly difficult to find a primary care physician in West Los Angeles, Culver City, Marina Del Rey, Santa Monica, etc.   Many are not accepting new patients and for others it can take months to make an appointment.   Some practices have gone concierge with annual fees of $2500, $5000 or more per year!

To become a priority patient of this practice, patients choose the VIP program.    In the event that this practice becomes full, VIP patients will still be afforded the highest levels of service.

The VIP annual fee begins at $1000.  Some individuals, with mutual consent, are charged more due to specific needs, high frequency of phone calls/emails, etc.   

• You may enter the program any time during the year, for a twelve month period. renewal is up to you each 12 months. The full year’s fee is typically paid up front.
• The VIP fee is for certain “non-covered” services; your PPO insurance or self-pay fees are still the main focus and it/you are responsible for all covered services.