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We're here to help. Learn more about Thrive Pediatrics & Wellness by reading some frequently asked questions. If you don't see your question here, feel free to contact us via phone or email. We generally reply to messages within 24-48 business hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Is the Direct Primary Care the same as a Concierge medicine?The terms are often used interchangeable; however, there are a few shared similarities and distinct differences. Direct Primary Care is a healthcare model that focuses on putting the patient first. This means limiting the practice size to get to know patients well, compared to the average physician who cares for 2,000 + patients. It means treating a patient when they need it, never rushing through appointments or having long wait times to see the doctor, and being proactive, instead of reactive, with healthcare treatment plans. The patient physician relationship is just as the name suggests—direct. Direct Primary Care practices differ from many concierge practices because they do not accept insurance, nor do they bill insurance for individual office visits. Rather, they choose to work directly with the patient, providing high value services with their memberships. Concierge medical practices are often cost prohibitive for most patients where the average per person cost is $2000-3500 per year in addition to insurance costs, copays and having to meet higher deductibles when applicable.
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Can I cancel my membership?After the 2 month initial commitment, your membership can be canceled at any time, provided a 30-day notice is given. Shorter cancellation notices will be considered on a case-by-case basis for extenuating circumstances. If you decide to leave Thrive Pediatric and Wellness for any reason, there is absolutely no fee or penalty.
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What does membership cover?▪️ All well visits ▪️ Unlimited sick visits (acute and chronic care) ▪️ Remote visits/virtual care ▪️ School/camp/sports physical forms ▪️ Management of minor lacerations (stitches, staples, glue) and wart freezing ▪️ Developmental and behavioral screenings ▪️ Counseling and guidance (nutrition, development, sleep, behavior, parenting, and more) ▪️ Evaluation and medical management (when necessary) of chronic pediatric conditions such as eczema, asthma, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and more ▪️ All labs done in office: strep, Flu, RSV, mono, urinalysis, blood sugar, hemoglobin
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Is it easy to schedule appointments?Yes. At this point you can call our office for scheduling. In the near future you will also be able to book an appointment at any time online. Our small practice model makes it much easier to accommodate same-day, next-day, and urgent visits. These visits can occur through in person, virtual or even through text messaging depending on the need.
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Does Thrive offer prenatal visits with expectant parents?Yes. For current members, we encourage parents to sign up for a prenatal visit (in person or virtual). There will even be options for at home newborn visits after your baby arrives. As membership space allows, non members are welcomed to schedule the prenatal meet-and-greet to ensure we are a good fit and learn more about your families needs.
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Can grandparents or other loved ones contribute for our child's pediatric care?Absolutely. One of the benefits of this model is flexibility in payment. We accept HSA, credit card, or ACH (checking) transfers. Grandparents and other loved ones can certainly input their own credit card or ACH information during registration, or they can call our office after initial sign-up to arrange payment.
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Does Thrive offer scholarships or financial aid?Absolutely. We reserve at least 10% of our care to serving our community's needs, including those who require financial assistance for their monthly membership fees. For details and to see if your family qualifies please contact our office directly.
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Does Thrive offer vaccines?We encourage families to vaccinate their children according to the schedule recommended by the AAP and the ACIP, with some modifications. We believe that vaccines can be an important contribution to the prevention of certain vaccine preventable diseases. However, we respect parents’ rights to make medical decisions for their children and we will work with families who do not desire to vaccinate, or who desire to follow an alternative vaccine schedule. We are always happy to talk further about these very important health decisions. We have partnered with VAXCare who supply the vaccinations that we administer. Please note that monthly membership does not cover the cost of vaccinations. However, this is where you can apply your health insurance to pay for the vaccines which are usually fully covered by most insurance plans. For those who have no insurance or insurance that does not cover vaccines you have the option for a self-pay price or we can refer you to the Union County Health Department which does an excellent job scheduling and administering vaccinations for children.
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What are the office hours?Office hours are Monday - Thursday from 8 AM - 4 PM, with Friday and weekend urgent care appointments as needed.
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How do I sign up?We are currently on a wait list. To be added to the waitlist, click on interest form to submit your information. An enrollment link will be sent via email once you have cleared the waitlist. We do anticipate adding another doctor and other health care providers in the near future...God willing.
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What if Dr. Strange is on vacation?While we won't be scheduling appointments during these planned vacations, there will still be access to Dr. Strange through her health care team and a covering pre-arranged medical provider when necessary.
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Is there a discount for multiple children?Yes. We love caring for families of all sizes, so we set a maximum rate of $350/month per family no matter how many children.
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What is Direct Primary Care?Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a model of healthcare that focuses on the physician-patient relationship. We provide high-quality care that is convenient for busy families, and we use technology (text messaging, online scheduling, virtual visits, etc.) to augment the care and convenience of our members. DPC practices don’t bill through insurance and therefore eliminate the constraints, confusion around billing, and the price hikes that come with insurance. The DPC model has the benefit of comprehensive care with a full range of personalized services through a low membership fee.
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What if my child has some chronic conditions like eczema and ADHD?Visits for chronic care such as eczema, asthma, ADHD, and anxiety are covered with your Thrive membership, and many follow up visits can be done via text, email, or telehealth so you don’t have to take off work or pull kids from school. If a higher level of care is required, we coordinate with specialists to ensure your child's needs are met.
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What services are not covered by the membership fee?▪️ Send out lab tests such as complete blood count, lipid panel and cultures (we work with local lab companies to negotiate for the lowest cost for our members) ▪️ X-rays (we will arrange for these to be done nearby, as needed, and the facility will bill your insurance) ▪️ Procedures like circumcision, tongue-tie clipping (frenulectomy), more complex laceration repair ▪️ Ear piercings
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What if our child gets sick while we are on vacation?Call or text us, just like usual — another benefit of being a member of Thrive. Once we determine the best course of care, we can send in a prescription if warranted, locate the nearest urgent care or ER, and discuss your child’s medical history with a local provider, if necessary.
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How does it work with overnight or weekend issues?We understand not all pediatric issues take place during normal weekday hours. There will be access through calling or texting to the on-call doctor or health care team member 24-7 but messages sent after 10 PM may not be answered until the next morning. If there is a medical emercency after 10 PM, please go to the nearest (preferably pediatric) emergency department, Novant or Atrium in Charlotte but also let us know. We try to be available for emergencies, but please be respectful of our family time if your problem can wait until business hours.
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What if my child needs to be hospitalized?If your child needs to be hospitalized, we will coordinate that through your local hospital and their pediatric emergency department and pediatric hospitalist physicians.
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Should we cancel our health insurance if we join Thrive?We recommend all patients have health insurance to provide coverage for catastrophic events, hospitalization, vaccinations, and other expensive unexpected health needs. Many find it beneficial to consider a more affordable higher deductible plan or health care savings model. For example, your car insurance covers collisions and major repairs but not car washes, oil changes, or new tires. Your health insurance should cover expensive hospitalizations and procedures but most patients pay out of pocket for the vast majority of their healthcare. In our practice, you just get a lot more value for your money.
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Will you see our new baby in the hospital?While Dr. Strange does not have hospital privileges, there will be options for home or office visit(s) for your newborn after discharge within the first few days of life.
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I am already paying for insurance, can I afford this additional level of care?The membership model is actually more affordable for most families. For one, families with multiple children pay a maximum of $350/month, no matter how many children are enrolled. There is a one-time $120 family enrollment fee. After that, the monthly fee is based on your child's age. When broken down by day, the payment is less than a gym membership or even your daily coffee run. In a traditional practice, a visit for a simple rash or cold can add up even with a copay plan depending on your deductible, level of service, labs performed and the number of required visits. With Thrive Pediatrics and Wellness, ALL of these visits are included in your membership fee no matter how many visits, phone calls, or texts it takes to provide the care your child needs and deserves.
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How do I pay for membership?Membership fees are automatically charged monthly to your checking account (ACH) or credit card. Depending on your insurance, it may be possible to use your health savings account (HSA) or flex care spending account (FSA) debit card. Check with your accountant to ensure eligibility of HSA/FSA use in accordance with IRS guidelines. Since your membership fee is automatically charged, you never have to worry about an unpaid bill or wonder if any insurance claim has been processed or how much you still owe.
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