Frequently Asked Questions
What is direct primary care?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) provides you with all the necessary medical attention needed without the hassle of insurance. You have a direct relationship with our providers, where you can spend unlimited time discussing your treatment plan. Direct contact with a practitioner is available 24/7 via phone and email. DPC has monthly flat rate membership fees for the care you receive.
Why direct primary care (DPC) over traditional primary care?
-In the DPC model, providers are NOT paid per visit. This increases availability for providers to spend more time with patients. When providers are rushed to go from patient to patient, this pressure can prevent active listening required for accurate diagnosing and forming a treatment plan that is best for each individual’s needs. Ultimately, your provider can give you exceptional care leading you to save time and money. We are also an integrative functional practice that implements the best of natural/holistic medicine and traditional/conventional western medicine while working to get to the root cause of health issues.
Do you accept and bill insurance?
We are out-of-network for all insurance plans, however, we can bill insurance for lab work if a member decides they would like to do so. We cannot guarantee pricing when using insurance for labs. If you do receive a higher than expected bill from insurance, we will not resubmit an insurance claim – all bills are final. Vitality Family Health is not responsible for any bills you may receive when using your insurance for labs. We offer competitive cash prices for all labs and vaccinations. For vaccinations and labs, you may request a superbill to submit to insurance for credit and potential reimbursement. We cannot guarantee insurance reimbursement when you submit a superbill. Superbills will not be provided for any other services.
What role does insurance have with DPC (do I even need insurance any more)?
Insurance should cover all indicated testing done outside of our office, referrals to specialists and any hospitalizations you may require. We do not participate in any insurance networks including Medicare and Medicaid. If you have a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending plan, your membership fee may be covered under these savings plans. Check with your plan administrator and/or accountant to determine your benefit eligibility. You do need to keep some form of insurance coverage for catastrophe/hospital care (just like you have car insurance). Our goal is to help you minimize the need to ever use your insurance.
Will I have to pay a fee for my office visits?
You will only have to pay a fee if you receive additional office visits outside of your specific membership plan (see specific plans for details).
Once I’m a member, can I come to your practice for sick and acute care visits?
Yes! We encourage you to utilize us as your primary care practice. This means we are here for you for both wellness and acute situations.
Do you have an on call service?
Yes! For urgent concerns, a provider can be reached 24/7 including after hours and on non business days by calling our main phone line (630-948-3300). Please leave a message on our URGENT message line, and the provider on call will get back to you within 1-2 hours. If it is a life threatening emergency, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
Can you prescribe and refill medications?
As an integrative practice, we encourage the use of more natural remedies, but the providers are all able to give medications when necessary including antibiotics. All providers are board certified and licensed to write prescriptions.
Are you “vaccine friendly”?
Yes, we are vaccine friendly. We support and partner with parents to make informed decisions about vaccine options for their children.
What is integrative & functional medicine?
Integrative medicine is an alternative approach to conventional healthcare that puts the patient at the center and addresses the full range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences that affect a person’s health. Integrative medicine combines the best of natural/holistic medicine and traditional western medicine to meet patients’ needs. Functional medicine looks for the root cause of health issues to allow patients to get and remain healthy moving forward.
What types of patients do you see?
Our providers are all board certified in primary care allowing them to care for newborns through geriatrics excluding obstetrics.
What if I need imaging done but I do not have insurance or I have a high deductible plan?
Vitality Family Health has partnered with outside imaging centers to provide you competitive cash prices for testing and imaging. This includes mammograms, ultrasounds, DEXA scans and x-rays. For more information on pricing, please ask one of our providers or call our office at 630-948-3300.
What is the age cut off for children?
Children will qualify for the child pricing until age 24 as long as they have one parent established. New patients with no parents established in the practice will pay adult pricing starting at age 22.
Does Dr. Feldman see patients?
As the medical director of the clinic, Dr. Feldman oversees the care of all patients by working closely with her practitioners as a medical team.
What is your cancellation policy?
When signing up, you will sign a contract with us for one year. After your contract is up you may choose to continue your current contract or discontinue your membership. We will require 30 day notice before discontinuing memberships. If you decide that you no longer would like to be a part of the practice before your contract is up, you will be charged a prorated fee of 50% of what is left on your membership for early termination.