He Quit the Hospital System And Started A Cash-Pay Practice

After 12 years working in the ICU and ER, Michael Ward realized he was tired of the "sick care" model. He didn't just want to extend his patients' lifespan - he wanted to improve their healthspan. So, he made a radical decision: he quit the hospital system to build a cash-pay, insurance-free medical practice from the ground up.

In this episode, Michael reveals the unvarnished reality of that transition. He shares stories of working seven days a week and sleeping in a hospital call room just to keep his new business afloat. We discuss exactly why he refuses to accept insurance, how the "cash-pay" model allows him to spend 45 minutes with patients instead of the industry-standard seven, and the dangerous legal and marketing pitfalls he had to navigate to scale Next Level TRT into a multi-location brand.

If you are a healthcare provider feeling burnt out by the system, or an entrepreneur looking to understand the business of longevity medicine, this is the blueprint for breaking free.

Chapters:

(00:00) Lifespan vs. Healthspan: Why modern medicine is great at keeping you alive, but terrible at keeping you healthy.
(02:40) Leaving the ICU: Michael’s journey from 12 years of critical care nursing to launching his own practice.
(05:30) The "Side Hustle" Grind: The reality of starting a business: working full-time shifts, seeing clinic patients at night, and sleeping in a hospital call room for two years.
(08:35) Legal & Business Pitfalls: Why getting "general" legal advice nearly cost him everything, and the importance of healthcare-specific counsel.
(11:00) The Marketing Barrier: Navigating LegitScript certifications and the difficulty of advertising medical services online.
(12:50) The Cash-Pay Model: Why rejecting insurance was necessary to provide quality care and avoid the "7-minute visit" trap.
(14:15) Don't Compete on Price: How undervaluing your services turns your practice into a commodity—and why Michael switched to a tiered service model.
(17:30) Scaling the Vision: Moving from a single room in a chiropractor's office to a multi-location brand with national aspirations.