Frequently Asked Questions

For most Access and Complete Membership patients, yes. Staywell Health is designed to function as your primary care home. We manage preventive care, chronic conditions, acute and urgent issues, medications, labs, and care coordination.

There are times when specialists, urgent care, or hospital-based care are needed, and your provider will help guide you through that when appropriate.

This applies to our primary care memberships specifically. If you're only enrolled in a standalone service such as Medical Weight Loss, Aesthetics, or a standalone GAHT Membership, that program addresses its specific focus area and does not function as primary care. You'll want to maintain a separate primary care provider for your routine and urgent needs unless you also join a membership that includes Direct Primary Care.

Concierge medicine and direct primary care both focus on access and relationship-based care, but the models are structured differently.

Concierge practices are often significantly more expensive and many still bill insurance on top of a membership fee, which increases overhead and administrative complexity.

Staywell Health is a direct primary care practice. We do not bill insurance, which keeps overhead low and allows more time for care. Those savings are passed on to members through more affordable pricing, longer visits, and personalized care. The focus is simplicity and quality, not luxury perks.

No. If you would rather not join, you can pay per visit: $100 for a virtual visit (30 min), $150 for an in-person acute or chronic follow-up visit (45 min), $200 for an annual physical (60 min), or $300 for a functional medicine consultation (90 min). The consultation fee goes toward a Functional Medicine Program if you enroll. For virtual visits, you must be physically located in North Carolina, Maryland, Minnesota, Oregon, Utah, or South Dakota during your appointment. If you expect to see us more than a few times a year, a membership may be the better value. Visit our Memberships page for details.

Yes. This model allows us to focus on prevention, early detection, and building a relationship before problems arise. Many members join to stay healthy, not just to address a specific issue.

Many urgent issues can be handled directly through Staywell Health, often avoiding unnecessary urgent care or emergency room visits.

For urgent needs that can't wait until the next business day, your provider is available by phone after hours, this isn't an in-person appointment. This does not replace emergency services, and true emergencies should always go to the emergency room. Part of care is helping you understand what can safely be handled here versus when higher-level care is needed.

After-hours and urgent access is included with every primary care membership, Access and Complete. If you're on a standalone GAHT Membership, in a Functional Medicine Program, or you only see us for Aesthetics or Medical Weight Loss outside of a membership, you'll want to maintain your own primary care provider for after-hours or urgent needs.

Care coordination means helping you navigate the healthcare system so nothing falls through the cracks.

This may include reviewing outside labs, imaging, or specialist notes, helping you understand recommendations, coordinating next steps, or advising on whether further testing or referrals make sense.

Yes. More testing is not always better care. If something is unlikely to change management or meaningfully improve your health, we'll talk about that openly. Decisions are made together and are grounded in evidence, safety, and your goals.

Labs are included with Complete membership, not Access. The included labs cover a standard panel: CMP, CBC, A1c, vitamin D, thyroid panel, lipid panel, and urinalysis.

More comprehensive labs, like the ones needed for Hormone Optimization or our other Functional Medicine Programs, go beyond that standard panel. They're billed as part of that program, separately from your membership.

If you'd rather use your insurance for labs, that's an option too. Just know that Staywell Health isn't responsible if your insurance declines to cover them.

That's common and not a problem. Staywell Health works alongside your specialists. Your provider helps interpret recommendations, coordinate care, and make sure everything aligns with your overall health picture.

That fits well here. Lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, stress, and movement are foundational parts of care at Staywell Health. Medications and conventional treatments are used when appropriate. This is not an either-or approach.

It depends on the program. Medical Weight Loss and Aesthetics are available as standalone services, no membership required to enroll, and they're also included as part of the Access and Complete memberships.

Hormone Optimization works differently. It's a Functional Medicine Program, sold and priced separately from membership, and it does not include Direct Primary Care. You'll want an active Access or Complete membership alongside it for everyday primary care, and once hormone therapy is prescribed, ongoing maintenance care requires that active membership too.

It depends on which service. Medical Weight Loss and Aesthetics are focused programs that do not include primary care. If you're enrolled only in one of these, you're expected to maintain a separate primary care provider for your routine and urgent needs. If you'd rather have everything in one place, you can add an Access or Complete membership alongside either service.

The same applies to our Functional Medicine Programs, Hormone Optimization, the Mycotoxin & Mold Illness Program, and the Fertility Programs. None of them include Direct Primary Care, so we recommend pairing an Access or Complete membership alongside whichever program you join. Enrolling in more than one Functional Medicine Program also gets you 20% off the lower-priced program(s).

Hormone Optimization starts with a comprehensive hormone and micronutrient lab panel, interpreted in the context of your symptoms and goals, followed by an individualized protocol.

For men, this typically centers on testosterone replacement therapy. For women, it typically addresses perimenopause, menopause, and related hormonal shifts through bioidentical hormone therapy. It's a Functional Medicine Program with its own program fee, separate from membership. Visit our Hormone Optimization page for the full picture.

Yes. Gender affirming hormone therapy is available two ways: it's included as part of the Access and Complete memberships, or you can enroll in a standalone GAHT Membership if that's the only care you're looking for. Visit our GAHT page for full details.

Medical Weight Loss uses clinician-guided, individualized protocols, which may include medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide, along with regular monitoring and adjustments as your body responds.

It's available as a standalone service with no membership required, and it's also included as part of the Access and Complete memberships. Visit our Medical Weight Loss page for details on how it's structured.

We currently offer Xeomin, an FDA-approved alternative to Botox, for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles. No membership is required to book a Xeomin treatment.

Peptide therapy isn't a standalone program, it's a tool your provider may build into the plan you're already enrolled in. When peptides are part of your Medical Weight Loss protocol, like semaglutide or tirzepatide, they follow that program's terms under either Access or Complete membership. Dedicated peptide protocols for recovery, anti-aging and longevity support, or alongside your Hormone Optimization program, are included with Complete Membership. Visit the Peptide Therapy page to see where it fits.

It's a Functional Medicine Program for patients whose symptoms, fatigue, brain fog, sinus or respiratory issues, joint pain, headaches, or chemical and environmental sensitivity, may trace back to mold or water-damage exposure. Care includes an exposure history intake, mycotoxin testing, a personalized binder and elimination protocol, gut and sinus support, and follow-up retesting to confirm clearance. It has its own program fee, separate from membership. Visit our Mycotoxin & Mold Illness Program page for the full picture.

Our Female and Male Fertility Programs are root-cause workups, not fertility clinic treatment. The Female Fertility Program covers a comprehensive hormone and metabolic panel, individualized targeted nutrients and supplements, ovulation tracking guidance, and coordination with a reproductive endocrinologist when more advanced treatment is needed. The Male Fertility Program covers a semen analysis, a male hormone panel, and individualized nutrient support, with a discounted couple's rate when completed alongside the Female Fertility Program. Both are Functional Medicine Programs with their own program fees. Visit our Female Fertility and Male Fertility program pages for details.

Yes. Staywell Health does not bill insurance for membership or visits, but your insurance can still be used for labs, imaging, specialists, hospital care, and emergency services.

Many labs can be drawn directly in our office for convenience. If coming to the office isn't convenient, you may choose to visit a local lab instead. When labs are ordered, we submit your insurance information to the lab, and the lab bills your insurance company directly. Coverage and any out-of-pocket costs depend on your specific plan.

If prior authorization is required by your insurance for certain medications, tests, or procedures, your provider will handle that as part of your care.

Yes. We strongly recommend maintaining some form of coverage. While Staywell Health can manage most primary care needs, it does not replace coverage for hospitalizations, emergency care, major imaging, or specialty procedures. Many members pair their Staywell membership with traditional insurance or a health share for broader protection.

A health share is a healthcare cost-sharing program where members contribute a monthly amount that is used to help cover eligible medical expenses.

Health shares are not insurance, but they are often more affordable and can work well for people who want coverage for large, unexpected medical events such as hospitalizations or surgeries. Coverage rules and reimbursement vary by program, so it's important to review the details carefully.

In many cases, yes. HSA and FSA cards are often accepted for medical services and sometimes for membership fees, but this depends on your specific plan. We provide detailed receipts, but reimbursement is not guaranteed. It's best to confirm eligibility with your plan administrator.