Today we’d like to introduce you to William Steelman
Hi William, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Dr. Steelman started Steelman Medical Group in January of this year (2024). Dr. Steelman has done extensive work in the hospital and medical office setting and after more than 12 years in practice, has now opened the doors of Steelman Medical Group, a dream years in the making. When laying the foundation for Steelman Medical Group, he desired to create an organization that didn’t face the unnecessary burdens of government and insurance. His goal is to focus only on his patients and their needs. After working in hospitals for over a decade he realized that he could help more individuals in a primary care setting and help keep them out of the hospital to begin with by practicing preventative care instead of reactionary care.
By working in a membership model, Dr. Steelman is free to practice medicine by having a direct relationship with every patient on his panel. The patients pay Dr. Steelman a monthly fee and for that monthly fee that have unlimited access to him. Together the doctor and the patient make decisions about their health without the dictations of insurance telling them what to do.
As a Concierge Direct Primary Care practice, we are able to spend more time with our patients. This means we work around your busy schedule to accommodate you.
Steelman Medical Group believes in changing the expectation and experience of having a personal physician and a dedicated team to help you achieve your medical goals. Returning medical care to the way it should be, centered around you as our patient and a direct relationship with your doctor.
Traditional healthcare is broken and the health of our patients is at risk. Direct Primary Care medicine seeks to fix our broken system by going back to basics. We see a much smaller panel of patients, allowing us to spend the time needed to get to know each patient individually. We take the time to learn about you so that we can not only treat illnesses but also work with you to help you stay healthy. Your health span is our highest priority.
Member benefits of Steelman Medical Group include:
Unlimited Access to your Physician
We mean that! Steelman Medical Group and your physician are here for you when you need it. It makes no sense to wait days and weeks to get care. We don’t charge co-pays and encourage you to work with your Physician as often as you need to achieve your goals. The office and your Physician remains available to you at your convenience.
Unrushed Visits
We schedule each patient for an hour long visit with your physician. You may not need the whole time but we never want you to feel rushed out of the office. In order to be the best advocate possible for your healthcare it is important to have a strong physician-patient relationship.
Flexible Appointments
With a smaller patient panel it allows your physician to see you faster. No one wants to wait days to see a doctor when they’re sick. We offer same or next day appointments so that you can get to feeling better as quickly as possible.
Merit Hawkins research shows us that average wait times have increased by 8% since 2017, the last year the survey was conducted, and by 24% from 2004, the first year the survey was conducted. The 2022 survey indicates that it now takes an average of 26 days to schedule a new patient physician appointment in 15 of the largest cities in the United States, up from 24.1 days in 2017 and up from 21 days in 2004.*
Can’t make it to the office? Not a problem. Your physician is happy to come to your home, office, or treat you through a telemetry visit in order to get you the care you need as quickly as possible.
After Hours Care
Steelman Medical Group knows that you don’t always get sick between the hours of 9-5. You can call us any time of day or night (yes, you read that right!). You can reach our team via phone, email, text, or televisit.
Annual Physicals
This exam will be customized to your personal health needs. During our initial visit with you, we will together set your health goals and monitor closely throughout the year in order to help you achieve your personal health goals.
Reduced Price Labs and Generic Drugs
Steelman Medical Group has worked hard with local pharmacies and labs to provide you with access to low cost labs and generic drugs. Many generic drugs and labs are included at heavily discounted or no additional cost to you in the price of your membership. We pass our savings on to you.
Transparency and Privacy
Steelman Medical Group can offer an unprecedented level of privacy as a tenet of our practice that will not be compromised by outside interests. We also offer transparent billing so that you never wonder or are confused by what you are paying for.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When we opened the doors of Steelman Medical Group we had never owned our own business before. Dr. Steelman and I (his wife Mallory) had also never worked together before. But we were determined to create this business together and provide residents in the Houston area with extrodinary primary care that they deserve, at a low price. We struggled with individuals not understanding the membership model and having to explain why this model works. We believe that you work for whoever pays you and in traditional care, the physicians are paid by insurance companies, not patients…so at the end of the day these physicians work for or are beholden to these third party payors. By removing that barrier we introduce the free market and can get labs, imaging, and medications for fractions of the price, saving our patients way more than their monthly $99 membership fee.
As we started, we had never worked together. It took loads of communication and learning how the other individual worked outside of a marriage setting and in a professional setting. We didn’t know how to negotiate low lab prices and it took us months to learn these things. But as with most things, the hard work has paid off and we are so happy to have taken this leap of faith together and provide our patients with care they have never experienced before.
We’ve been impressed with Steelman Medical Group, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Steelman Medical Group is a concierge direct primary care office. This means that we keep a small patient panel in order to provide each patient with customized care tailored to them specifically. Our patients have same day/next day appointments, unlimited visits each month in person, over the phone, video. They have Dr. Steelman’s cell phone number as well as mine (Mallory Steelman, Director of Operations) and can text either of us 24/7 with questions, concerns, medication refill requests.
Since we do not take insurance we are able to introduce the free market and we get extraordinary cash pricing on labs, imaging, and medications. Most generic medications are free to our patients. Our patients also have unrushed visits. When you walk into Steelman Medical Group you don’t spend hours in a waiting room. Dr. Steelman greets you at the door and takes you to our consultation room where you have an unrushed visit. Each visit is scheduled for an hour. In a traditional care model you spend hours in a waiting room only for your physician to give you seven minutes of their time because that is all insurance pays for. With Steelman Medical Group you will never feel rushed and you will not wait to see your doctor.
Steelman Medical Group also has a high focus on medicated weight loss and hormone therapy. We focus on preventative care as opposed to reactionary care. We would rather take the time to figure out why something is happening and fix it instead of throwing medication at a problem and hoping it works.
For patients living in The Woodlands we also offer house calls, schedule permitting. Steelman Medical Group is bringing back the old school doctor who knows your name and your family and sees you at the grocery store, church, school pickup.
Also including our FAQs:
What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care, or DPC, is a model of healthcare that puts patients first by getting rid of the red tape by which most other traditional practices are restricted. That means treating them when they need it, never rushing patients through appointments, and being proactive with healthcare treatment plans. The doctor-patient relationship is just as the name suggests – direct. Direct Primary Care clinics don’t accept insurance, rather they choose to work directly with the patient, providing wholesale labs, deeply discounted prescription prices, and other costs savings along the way.
What is the cost to join Steelman Medical Group?
Between $99 and $125 a month with no registration fee. We promise to make every dollar spent on your medical care transparent. Let us show you how our model saves you money and time!
Will I benefit from Steelman Medical Group if I don’t see the doctor often?
Of course! We might argue that everyone benefits from a service tailored directly to them. That’s why we offer truly custom healthcare. Our practice is devoted to the maintenance of your good health, to the enhancements of your daily experience that only physical well-being can bring. We’re here for your reactive needs. But proactive healthcare is important, and we’re here for that, too.
At Steelman Medical Group, we have the gift of time. Even better? We get to give the gift of time. Large amounts of precious, irretrievable time given to you as you wish. Every visit, for whatever reason, will be easygoing and thorough, relaxed in answering your questions and addressing the need of the moment. As the months and years go by, we’ll build a comprehensive knowledge of your health; invaluable understanding available in no other regimen of care.
Does Steelman Medical Group accept commercial health insurance?
Very happily, no! Perhaps the most critical distinction in our model of care centers on a direct, personal relationship between you and your doctor. That directness carries over to our business model as well. While the tender mercies of an insurance company might apply to the fixing of a damaged fender on your automobile, we see no reason for any insurer to have a voice about either the quality or the cost of your care.
We forgo insurance payments in order to save our patients from the arbitrary, intrusive decisions that inevitably follow with third-party payors. Furthermore, this direct fee-for-services arrangement frees us from the typical contractual agreements that prevent physicians from offering wholesale prices on laboratory tests, imaging, and medications.
Can I contact my doctor after hours? How?
By all means, yes! Because illness and injury do not respect regular office hours, you may call your physician any day, at any hour. We invite you to arrange for home visits, schedules permitting. If you prefer, you may also use our secure patient portal to access your medical record and then email your physician.
What if I need medical attention when I am away from home?
Naturally we provide such care – yet another freedom we enjoy together as a result of Steelman Medical Groups independence from the restrictions of third party payment. Because we know you well, we can streamline your care when you are sick away from home. Many illnesses can be diagnosed and treated by a simple conversation over the phone, email, text, or webcam. We will locate the nearest pharmacy and order the medications most appropriate for your circumstance.
Can I join Steelman Medical Group if I am on Medicare?
Steelman Medical Group is currently adding patients to our membership list. For those of our patients on Medicare we are happy to collect your contact information, adding it to our call back list, and reach out to you when we are able. We hope to give as many people as possible the ability to experience the level of service Steelman Medical Group feels you deserves.
Are my medical records ever shared with insurance providers or pharmaceutical companies?
We maintain scrupulous standards of privacy. We are never obligated to provide any third party with a copy of your records unless you specifically ask that we do so.
Will I still need health insurance?
Yes. We recommend our patients continue a major medical plan with a high deductible and health savings account to ensure financial help should hospitalization or referral to a specialist be necessary.
Is Steelman Medical Group right for me?
The only way to know is to come get to know us! Schedule a visit to discuss your healthcare needs and see what we have to offer.
How do you think about luck?
I don’t think either Dr. Steelman or myself would say we are huge believers in luck. We believe in old fashioned hard work and strive every single day to provide each of our patients the highest level of care.
Pricing:
- 16-20 years old – $75 monthly
- 21-64 years old – $99 monthly
- 65+ years old – $125 monthly
Contact Info:
- Website: https://steelmanmedicalgroup.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steelmanmedicalgroup/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SteelmanMedicalGroupTX/
- Twitter: https://x.com/Steelmanmedical
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/steelman-medical-group-shenandoah
