Patient Letter
Dear Patients,
We’ve heard your feedback and understand that what you value most is the time, attention, and relationships you have with our doctors, nurses, and staff.
Our mission has always been to enhance the health and well-being of our community by providing care that promotes both longevity and quality of life. A big part of that is making sure we can spend the right amount of time with each of you, on average 30 minutes per visit, rather than rushing through 4–5 patients an hour as with other doctor’s offices.
To make this sustainable, we are adopting a hybrid model for services. We will continue to accept your insurance and beginning in 2026 we are introducing a small Annual Membership Fee. This fee helps offset the costs of offering longer appointments and maintaining a smaller patient base, so we can provide you with the personalized, attentive care and unhurried visits that you told us matter the most. We plan to cap our patient panel size at 3,200 patients total.
Membership Fee
$300/year per patient (patients under 21 are excluded, but at least one parent must be an established patient).
How Payment Works
Invoices will be sent beginning December 10, 2025. We ask that you complete payment by January 1, 2026. We will also offer payment plans upon request.
What’s Included
- Office hours: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
- Virtual visits (pending your insurance coverage): Flexible early-morning options starting at 7:00 am
- Saturday availability: One Saturday morning clinic per month
- Online scheduling: Book directly through our website; we want you to schedule at your convenience
- Ability to contact us after-hours: For semi-urgent questions (not refills or lab questions). A provider will be looped in if needed.
What This Means for You?
This membership allows us to stay true to our values: longer visits, personalized care, and providers who know you and your family. We believe this creates the best possible experience and outcomes for our patients and allows us to offer services that insurance providers often deny.
Thank you for trusting us with your care! We are honored to continue serving you and your family in 2026 and beyond. We look forward to addressing any questions you may have about the Membership Fee at your next visit. You can also email questions to [email protected].
Warmly,
The Tchefuncte Health & Wellness Team
Membership Program – Frequently Asked Questions
Why are you changing to this model?
Because we still accept insurance, we are at the mercy of their reimbursement. Unfortunately, insurance pays for problems addressed, not the time we spend with you or the prevention of chronic disease.
If we wanted to move faster, we could avoid conversations about nutrition, exercise, supplements, and root causes, but that is the opposite of good care in our book. This model allows us to continue offering longer visits, personalized attention, and the highest quality of care.
What if I’m only coming in for GLP-1 use?
Yes, you will need to be an established patient. These medications require lab monitoring, body composition scans, and ongoing nutrition discussions to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Does my insurance still work?
This is in addition to insurance and helps cover the extra time and resources that insurance does not reimburse.
Is the membership refundable?
Memberships are generally non-refundable. This allows us to plan for staffing and resources to best support our patients throughout the year. Rare circumstances may apply
What happens if I don’t pay?
Patients must be enrolled in the membership program before we can schedule visits, refill medications, or manage ongoing care. This ensures we keep panels appropriately sized and staffed.
What if I only come in once or twice a year? Do I still need to pay for the year?
Yes. Even if you’re very healthy, your membership ensures you still have access to our providers and resources whenever you need them. It also allows us to keep a smaller patient base, so when you do need care, we’re available.
Are new patients pro-rated?
Yes. New patients who join mid-year will have their fee pro-rated. The following year, the full $300 annual membership applies.
Yes! We will continue to bill your insurance for covered services.
The membership fee is in addition to insurance and helps cover the extra time and resources that insurance does not reimburse.
Will there be payment-plan options?
Yes. We will offer an option of 3 payments a year of $150 due Jan 1, $100 due May 1, $100 due Sept 1.
What makes this different from other clinics?
Most wellness and functional medicine practices do not accept insurance and often do not manage chronic conditions. We believe in combining the best of both worlds, working with insurance when possible, while also giving you more time, attention, and preventive focus than traditional insurance models allow.
For more information please email [email protected] or join us at one of our in person and facebook live Town Hall meetings. Dates for Town Halls will be posted to Facebook and Instagram.