Fishtown Medicine does not accept pharmaceutical kickbacks, device industry payments, or paid referrals. The only product income is a small supplement service commission used to subsidize platform costs. All technology, lab, and pharmacy partners are listed publicly so you can audit our incentives.
At Fishtown Medicine, transparency and trust are our currency. We believe you deserve to know exactly how we make decisions and whether we have any financial incentive to recommend a specific product or service.
Our Philosophy
Conflicts of interest are important to us. We maintain this page to keep our disclosures visible and up-to-date so you can audit them at any time.
Product Recommendations
We often recommend products (supplements, wearables, devices) that we believe will improve your health. We do not accept or solicit payments for these recommendations. This is an operational decision that lines up with our values: limit opportunity for bias and focus strictly on your health and your results.
- Supplement Service Commissions: When you buy professional-grade supplements through our supplement service, we may receive a small commission. Those funds are used strictly to subsidize our practice's technology and platform costs.
- No Other Product Kickbacks: For all other recommended items (including links to Amazon, manufacturer sites, or specific devices), we do not receive any commissions, kickbacks, or "pay-to-play" fees. We link to these resources only for your convenience and clinical utility.
- Wirecutter & Editorial Reviews: We often reference The New York Times' Wirecutter for recommendations (air purifiers, water filters, and similar). We trust them because they line up with our medical standards (efficacy, safety) and prioritize careful, unbiased testing over hype. We have no affiliation with Wirecutter. We link to their reviews only to help you find durable, effective tools for your health.
- Linking: Unless otherwise specified (as with the supplement service), our links are provided for your ease of access, not for profit.
Service Referrals
We occasionally refer you to external partners for specialized services (for example, imaging centers or specific testing labs).
No Referral Fees: We do not collect fees for any referrals. Our partnerships are chosen for safety, high-quality care, and an easy experience.
Pharmacy Freedom of Choice: You are free to get your prescriptions from any pharmacy of your choice. While we use Photon Health to route prescriptions efficiently, you are never restricted to a specific pharmacy partner.
Supplement Freedom of Choice: While we provide a curated supplement service for your convenience and product quality, you are free to buy recommended supplements from any vendor, pharmacy, or retailer of your choice.
Clinical and Technology Partners
We work with established technology providers to deliver modern, easy care. We maintain commercial or operational relationships with the following companies.
- Ultralight: Our system for secure patient messaging, medical records, and your care plan.
- Spruce Health: Our HIPAA-compliant line for clinical communication - secure messaging, SMS, and phone calls with the practice.
- Medmo: Our concierge platform for scheduling imaging (MRI, CT, ultrasound) with insurance coverage or upfront pricing.
- Photon Health: Our prescribing gateway. Photon routes your prescriptions to the pharmacy of your choice and gives you a mobile-first interface to manage refills.
- Quest Diagnostics & Labcorp: Our primary partners for diagnostic blood work and routine pathology.
- Supplement service: Our partner for professional-grade supplements. Disclosure: commissions from the supplement service help subsidize our platform technology costs.
- Stripe: Our payment processor for membership and package billing.
- Google Workspace: Our provider for practice email.
- Google Cloud: Our infrastructure for secure data storage and hosting.
- Fin (formerly Intercom): The help chat on our public website, for general questions about how the practice works. It is not a channel for protected health information.
Insurance and External Coverage
While we provide the clinical expertise and orders (prescriptions, lab requests, imaging referrals), your actual coverage, copays, and out-of-pocket costs are determined strictly by the terms of your insurance carrier. Coverage of prescriptions or orders is subject to your insurer's specific policies, regardless of the ordering physician.
Financial Services and HSA/FSA
We use secure third-party vendors for credit card processing and financial transactions. Our services are often eligible for Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) reimbursement. We recommend confirming eligibility with your specific vendor or plan administrator.
Third-Party Terms of Service
Fishtown Medicine integrates with the partners listed above to provide a high-quality, modern experience. When you use our service, you are also subject to the terms of use and privacy policies of those third-party vendors (including clinical platforms, lab partners, and financial processors).
Open Payments Notice
The federal Physician Payments Sunshine Act requires that information about payments from manufacturers of drugs and medical devices to physicians be made available to the public. You can search the Open Payments database at https://openpaymentsdata.cms.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions
Ready when you are
Dr. Ash reads every intake himself, and answers questions personally - usually within a few hours.
