ASHEVILLE Two doctors have opened a family practice distinctive for its holistic treatment of patients and its innovative approach to their wallets: They dont accept health insurance.

Brian Lewis and Chad Krisel opened their practice, Integrative Family Medicine of Asheville, a few weeks ago in the River Arts District, an area along the French Broad River known for artists innovation and creativity.

Theyre getting started as Americans deal with the ever-increasing costs of health insurance and as the U.S. Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of President Barack Obamas health care reform law. Despite the uncertain landscape, the two said theyre setting out to create a new model for health care that will produce healthy patients at affordable prices.

When Brian and I were in residency together, we both had a passion to bring primary care to people that didnt necessarily fit with the status quo, Krisel said.

We wanted to spend more time with patients, and we wanted to make it less expensive,Krisel said. We did some research, talked to some experts and ended up with a hybrid approach thats both affordable, allows for more time with patients and is integrative.

Lewis and Krisel said they both support the idea that patients have some sort of insurance that will cover catastrophic health conditions. But they see themselves filling in the gaps beyond that.

To side-step what they see as the dysfunction of the health care system the shifting of costs to pay for the uninsured the two decided not to accept insurance and the paperwork and staff required to process it. Eliminating that cost allows them to charge $50 for an average visit. The cost is less if a patient commits to a year of treatment. For $40 a month, a patient will receive an annual physical, a nutrition consult, unlimited regular visits for $20, all basic labs and free access to educational classes offered at the practice.

The cash-only model (the practice does accept checks and credit cards) also allows the practice to pay up front for other services, such as lab tests, which allowed them to negotiate a lower price for that service.

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Their prices are clearly displayed in the waiting room at Integrative Family Health. And patients are sent home with forms and codes that enable them to file their own forms with health insurance agencies.

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Doctors take new approach to family practice in the River Arts District