What’s a “Z(ed) drop?”

Thankfully, a “Z(ed) drop” is not of the “cow patty” variety dropped on a page. A “Z(ed) drop” is a small nugget of information that Z(ed) interjects whimsically onto a page because he believes it is something you should know.

Browse the full collection of Z(ed) droppings »

Our Patient Portals

Membership Portal
Patient Portal
Which portal do I need?

For any need regarding your Direct Primary Care membership plan, you want the Membership Portal. Otherwise, you want the Patient Portal.

Patient Portal

Direct Primary Care

Simple. Affordable. Un-compromised.

A new road to primary pediatric care.

Learn more about DPC
Enroll in membership now

Simple.

Enroll in a membership plan.
Pay the membership fee.
Have access to services.

Affordable.

Fixed, low monthly fee.
(Save more by billing annually.)
No surprises.

Un-compromised.

No third-party payors.
No chasing perverse incentives.
Care in the patient’s best interest.

What is Direct Primary Care?

TL;DR: Medical freedom.

Z(ed) Drop #12

For the TL;DR-types: make an exception and read the information on this website!

Direct Primary Care is simple. Sure, you could jump on ahead and enroll without reading another syllable. But know this: Direct Primary Care membership is a contract—with rules and expectations—so for you to enjoy your membership experience with the least amount of friction and frustration, read the information on this website.

Z(ed) has worked hard to make the information concise, clear, and with a bit of whimsy to keep it engaging.

Simply put: provider-based healthcare.

Rather than being insurance plan-centric, where the primary loyalty is between the patient and a third-party administrator, Direct Primary Care, or DPC, restores the doctor-patient relationship as the anchor of the healthcare experience.

With third-party payors removed, the healthcare relationship is strictly between you and us. No third-party payor dictating allowed or disallowed services. No third-party payor dictating how, where, or when services might be rendered. No services being altered or withheld to allow us to be paid by a third-party payor. In short, DPC is the restoration of medical freedom: we’re able to act solely in the best interest of our patients’ health, and you retain the right to make informed medical decisions for your family.

We’re able to offer services with a patient experience that matches our hippocratic values.

How does Direct Primary Care work?

Direct Primary Care operates on a membership-based model: to be an active, established patient means being a member. Becoming a patient means enrolling your family in a membership plan that fits your family’s needs. A membership plan is an annual contract between only you and us with no third-parties involved.

Compare our membership plans »

A DPC practice charges a flat recurring membership fee instead of billing third-party payors. Keeping your membership fee paid gives you modern access to a predetermined list of services included in the selected membership plan. If you don’t pay your membership fee, then you don’t receive services. Simple.

There are no co-pays or other “tolls” to discourage you from working with us.

FAQs

  • Can I use my HRA funds to pay membership fees?

    No. Under current law, membership and/or “concierge” fees are not reimbursable with the funds in an HRA plan. Please contact your local, state, and federal representative(s) to push for the necessary legal changes to allow these fees to be reimbursed under HRA plans.

  • Can I use my HSA card to pay membership fees?

    Yes, we do have families that use an HSA credit card for payment of their membership fees. We advise you to consult with your plan’s sponsor to verify that membership or “concierge” fees are payable under your plan’s rules, and know that you are solely responsible for your decision to use an HSA credit card for the payment of membership fees.

    We have observed that HSA credit cards cause headaches for families that choose to use them. Be sure you understand how your card works, especially when funds are made available each month for use with the card. The most frequent pain point is funds not being available when the automatic draft of a membership fee payment is attempted. Know the day of the month funds will be available, and then select a suitable start day-of-the-month for your membership so your recurring monthly payment attempts do not fail due to a lack of funds. Recurring payment failures may result in the cancellation of your membership.

  • Can I use my insurance for services not included in my membership?

    Yes. You may use your “insurance” for services rendered by providers outside of our office, e.g. lab testing and diagnostic imaging. We can keep your policy information on file for inclusion in the prescriptions, orders, and referrals we write for services not provided by us.

    If you do choose to use your insurance for an outside service, it is imperative that you understand your policy’s coverage terms. Your third-party payor or your specific policy may not cover services ordered by an out-of-network provider. Vibrant Kids Pediatrics is not an in-network provider. Vibrant Kids Pediatrics is not responsible for any out-of-pocket costs you incur by using your insurance to pay for any service prescribed or referred by us. You are solely responsible for understanding your policy’s coverage terms.

    There is no turning back once a claim is filed by an outside provider for any service(s) they rendered to you. You will pay your third-party payor’s negotiated price for any out-of-pocket costs. For example, you cannot have a claim filed for lab services, not like the insurance price, and then come back to us asking to pay our negotiated DPC price—you are stuck paying the outside provider at your payor’s negotiated price.

  • Can I use my insurance to pay membership fees?

    No. The recurring membership fee is cash-only and is not billable to any third-party payor.

  • What is the membership fee?

    A membership plan is a 12-month contract. The membership fee is the contract’s annual cost, and it is not a “subscription” fee. We give you the option of paying this annual cost in 12 monthly installment payments or as a single payment at a 10% discount.

    The membership fee is due on the start date of your membership.

    The monthly payments are not pay-as-you-go, paid only in a month in which you receive service. A monthly payment is 1/12th of the total annual cost of your membership contract, and all 12 monthly payments must be paid in order to keep your membership in good standing. Any missed payment must be paid in full to reinstate a past-due membership, and your membership contract will be terminated when any payment is 60 days past due.