Why should I join?

Avoid the hassles of insurance for primary care
• Make healthcare decisions with your provider, not your insurance company
• The healthcare you deserve at a price for any budget

Easy access to medical care
• Average wait times in the office of less than one minute
• Same-day appointments are generally available for urgent sick visits
• Quick access to your provider via phone or through the Patient Passport

Providers who take time, listen, and care
• 30-minute appointments (typically three times that of a traditional primary care office)
• Telehealth appointments available
• Home visits available ($10/mile)

What about insurance or catastrophic coverage?

Direct Primary Care is not insurance. We recommend members obtain insurance or a health-sharing plan to cover catastrophic events beyond the scope of our services.

At Hickory Medical, our members often use insurance or government programs like Medicare and Medicaid for services outside our practice, such as specialist visits, medical procedures/imaging, and high-cost prescription medications. While we welcome patients with any insurance - or none - two types of plans work exceptionally well with Direct Primary Care:

1. High-Deductible Insurance Plans:

Many members choose high-deductible insurance plans. These plans often have lower premiums, saving more than enough to cover Hickory Medical’s membership fees. Insurance then acts as a safety net for major medical events.

2. Health-Sharing Plans:

Health-sharing plans, like Sedera, are becoming increasingly popular among our members. These plans are recognized under the Affordable Care Act and help participants avoid penalties for not having traditional insurance.

• Benefits: Lower overhead and financial support for medical costs after a relatively low threshold.

• Considerations: Coverage is less regulated and may not be as comprehensive as traditional insurance, so carefully evaluating plans is important.

As a Sedera Affiliate, Hickory Medical can assist with individual or company enrollment and answer any questions you have. Reach out to our team for more information!

Membership

To provide you with the best value and the highest quality of care, we work for you, not for an insurance company. We do not bill insurance for any services provided. With this Direct Primary Care Model, you pay a monthly membership fee, and as a member, there is a low-cost scheduling fee and many services within our office that are provided at no additional charge. Membership fees are automatically paid with your credit or debit card or checking account.

Services provided for members at no additional charge

• Same-day appointments are typically available for urgent sick visits

• Communication with your provider by phone or the Patient Passport

• Basic labs for members included in membership (BMP, CMP, CBC, TSH, HgbA1C, FLP)

• Discounted pricing on other labs (with wholesale pricing for Hickory Plus and no fees for Hickory Complete Care)

• Discounted pricing on in-house acute-care medications (with wholesale pricing for Hickory Plus and no fees for Hickory Complete Care)

• Discounted pricing for in-house procedures (no charges for in-house procedures with Hickory Complete Care)

How Our Membership Model Works

Our membership model keeps costs low by eliminating insurance-related overhead, passing the savings directly to you.

• Membership Fees cover fixed expenses like salaries, rent, and equipment.

• Scheduling and Procedure Fees help with variable costs, such as disposable equipment, basic lab services, and technology.

We’re committed to transparent pricing—you’ll know all charges upfront.

Vaccines: While vaccines aren’t currently available at Hickory Medical, they can be obtained through local health departments or pharmacies using insurance or cash payment.

Individuals & Families

Our biggest priority is healthcare and so we want our energy to focus entirely on taking care of the needs of our patients. To make this possible, we require some form of auto-payment using credit/debit card or checking account as part of membership. This allows us to keep fees very low and helps us to avoid the pricing games that are being played in many medical practices.

Medicare

We can contract directly with Medicare beneficiaries to provide primary care services, but we cannot bill Medicare for any charges. Prior to joining, Medicare Beneficiaries must sign a private contract acknowledging this fact, and this is signed by Medicare-eligible patients every two years.