Q: What is not included with membership?

The vast majority of day-to-day medical expenses that would be out-of-pocket at a traditional practice are completely covered by your monthly membership fee. In fairness to our patients, if it is something that most patients wouldn't utilize rhen we charge for use rather than charge all patients (at cost). ▪️ In-office rapid COVID tests - at cost ▪️ Lab tests (we work with local lab companies to negotiate for the lowest cost for our members. If you have insurance, the lab can bill your insurance for these just like getting lab done at a traditional office or they can be paid in cash or by HSA). ▪️ Imaging and Radiology (we will arrange for these to be done nearby, as needed, and the facility will bill your insurance) ▪️ Ear piercings (discounted cost for members) ▪️ Complete Autism Evaluations (discounted cost for members)

Q: Does Thrive Pediatrics take my health insurance?

We do accept patients with and without insurance. However, we do not bill insurance for the services we provide as we are considered an out-of-network provider. Direct Primary Care (DPC) practices do not accept third party reimbursements. To become a member, families choose to pay either a monthly fee or discounted annual fee that covers essentially all of the primary care needs of your child. Prices are upfront so there are no surprises, hidden costs, or copays. We do recommend that at a minimum, families maintain a high-deductible or catastrophic plan for insurance coverage of specialist services and emergencies such as ER visits, surgery, or hospitalization. You can also consider a health sharing exchange plan as well. Your insurance plan WILL be billed for your child's routine vaccinations through VaxCare. In many cases, a membership will pay for itself in savings if you elect a high-deductible insurance plan. Be sure to check with your agent, accountant, or financial advisor for specific advice on insurance policies. You may also want to ask about the possibility of covering these services through your HSA/FSA, making it tax-deductible. HSA and FSA is accepted. If parents have medical insurance coverage for their children, then yes we can use it for the more expensive things like vaccines, lab and radiology tests, specialist visits, etc but cash pay options are available and often less cost.

Q: What if our insurance is constantly changing from year to year? Can we stay with Dr. Kurowski?

The wonderful part of Direct Primary Care is that you can always choose to stay with Dr. Kurowski throughout childhood. Since we don't go through insurance, there are no networks to worry about; you can keep coming to us regardless of changes in insurance plans!

Q: How do I pay for my membership?

Membership fees are automatically charged monthly to your checking account, HSA or credit card. You can use your health savings account (HSA) or any credit card or checking account. We offer a 5% discount for annual payment. 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.

Q: Does Thrive Pediatrics work with those on a Health Sharing Ministry or those that are uninsured?

Membership at Thrive is a great complement to Health Sharing Ministry insurance plans because membership covers vaccinations, well visits, acute visits, chronic care and any communication by text, email or phone as well as telehealth. This is often not covered in Health Sharing Ministry insurance plans and they often recommend Direct Primary Care for members of their health sharing plans. If you are uninsured, DPC is great for you! It allows a fixed monthly fee for the majority of your health needs except for emergency's or if you absolutely need a specialist. Labs and imaging are also available at a very discounted cost.

Q: How do I pay for my child's membership?

Membership fees are automatically charged monthly to your checking account or credit card. You can use your health savings account (HSA) or any checking account or credit card. We offer a 5% discount for annual payment. Your membership fee is automatically charged for the same amount each month and you never have to worry about an unpaid bill or wonder if any insurance claim has been processed and how much you might owe.

Q: Our family has healthy kids. Does this model make sense for us?

Even families with kids that are very healthy are surprised when they think back on the past year and realize just how many doctor appointments they’ve had (and how fast they add up!). Most parents who have kids with ear infections or pinkeye wouldn’t say their kids have health issues, yet those families are in the office quite a bit for ear exams so they can get a prescription or advice on care—those 5-minute visits cost you at a traditional practice. A lactation visit, sudden rash, sleeping concern … Parents with infants also tend to be more vigilant about bringing in their babies with mild coughs or runny noses because they know upper-respiratory viruses can be more dangerous in little babies as opposed to their big kids. Parents of older kids have their concerns, too. This can include behavior or developmental issues. They may need further help with diet, exercise, mood. Most of those can be handled in the office since we have time to do so. Those appointments add up when it comes to a traditional practice, but at Frontier, those are all part of membership. And the best part, our members say, is that they don’t have to think twice about bringing in their child for “just a runny nose” because they know it’s covered and they can get peace of mind without a price tag! Imagine 1 visit to the emergency room or urgent care, this can cost upwards of $300 or more (>$500 in the emergency room) and that's the low end if nothing is done. Most of these visits can be handled in the office because there is access and time! Families with multiple kids enjoy a $250 monthly maximum no matter how many kids they enroll.

Question 1

What is Direct Primary Care?

Accepted Answer

Direct Primary Care is a model of healthcare that focuses on the Patient-Doctor relationship for high quality and comprehensive healthcare.  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 for 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 monthly membership fee.

Question 2

What does Membership Cover?

Accepted Answer

▪️ Regular Well Visits
▪️ Unlimited sick visits (acute and chronic care)
▪️ Remote visits/virtual care
▪️ Included Strep, Influenza and hemoglobin testing, others may also be included
▪️ Routine vaccinations provided through Vaxcare which bills your insurance (or VFC if patients are on Medicaid)
▪️ School/camp/sports physicals and forms
▪️ Management of minor lacerations (stitches, staples, glue) 
▪️ Developmental and behavioral screenings 
▪️ Parenting support and guidance (nutrition, development, sleep, behavior and more)
▪️ Evaluation and medical management (when necessary) of chronic pediatric conditions such as eczema, asthma, ADHD, depression, anxiety, and more
▪️ Expedited referrals to specialist, therapists, etc.
▪️ Special member pricing for autism evaluations
▪️ LifeStyle Medicine incorporated into care
▪️ Lactation visits for infants

Question 3

Can I Afford the Monthly Membership?

Accepted Answer

The membership model is actually more affordable for most families than you might imagine.  Those with multiple kids only pay a max of $250/month no matter how many kids are enrolled!

There is a one-time $100 family enrollment fee after April 1, 2025.  After that, the monthly fee is based on your child's age. When broken down by day, the payment is less than a drink at Starbucks per day at <$5 per day.

In a traditional practice, a visit for a simple rash or ear infection can cost more than $150 out of pocket even with insurance with a high deductible plan.  With Thrive Pediatrics, ALL 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.

Question 4

What is not included with membership?

Accepted Answer

The vast majority of day-to-day medical expenses that would be out-of-pocket at a traditional practice are completely covered by your monthly membership fee. In fairness to our patients, if it is something that most patients wouldn't utilize rhen we charge for use rather than charge all patients (at cost).

▪️ In-office rapid COVID tests - at cost
▪️ Lab tests (we work with local lab companies to negotiate for the lowest cost for our members. If you have insurance, the lab can bill your insurance for these just like getting lab done at a traditional office or they can be paid in cash or by HSA).
▪️ Imaging and Radiology (we will arrange for these to be done nearby, as needed, and the facility will bill your insurance)
▪️ Ear piercings (discounted cost for members)
▪️ Complete Autism Evaluations (discounted cost for members)

Question 5

Does Thrive Pediatrics take my health insurance?

Accepted Answer

We do accept patients with and without insurance. However, we do not bill insurance for the services we provide as we are considered an out-of-network provider. Direct Primary Care (DPC) practices do not accept third party reimbursements. To become a member, families choose to pay either a monthly fee or discounted annual fee that covers essentially all of the primary care needs of your child. Prices are upfront so there are no surprises, hidden costs, or copays.

We do recommend that at a minimum, families maintain a high-deductible or catastrophic plan for insurance coverage of specialist services and emergencies such as ER visits, surgery, or hospitalization. You can also consider a health sharing exchange plan as well. Your insurance plan WILL be billed for your child's routine vaccinations through VaxCare. In many cases, a membership will pay for itself in savings if you elect a high-deductible insurance plan. Be sure to check with your agent, accountant, or financial advisor for specific advice on insurance policies. You may also want to ask about the possibility of covering these services through your HSA/FSA, making it tax-deductible.  HSA and FSA is accepted.
​
​If parents have medical insurance coverage for their children, then yes we can use it for the more expensive things like vaccines, lab and radiology tests, specialist visits, etc but cash pay options are available and often less cost.

Question 6

What if our insurance is constantly changing from year to year?  Can we stay with Dr. Kurowski?

Accepted Answer

The wonderful part of Direct Primary Care is that you can always choose to stay with Dr. Kurowski throughout childhood.  Since we don't go through insurance, there are no networks to worry about; you can keep coming to us regardless of changes in insurance plans!

Question 7

How do I pay for my membership?

Accepted Answer

Membership fees are automatically charged monthly to your checking account, HSA or credit card. You can use your health savings account (HSA) or any credit card or checking account. We offer a 5% discount for annual payment. 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.

Question 8

Does Thrive Pediatrics work with those on a Health Sharing Ministry or those that are uninsured?

Accepted Answer

Membership at Thrive is a great complement to Health Sharing Ministry insurance plans because membership covers vaccinations, well visits, acute visits, chronic care and any communication by text, email or phone as well as telehealth.  This is often not covered in Health Sharing Ministry insurance plans and they often recommend Direct Primary Care for members of their health sharing plans.

If you are uninsured, DPC is great for you!  It allows a fixed monthly fee for the majority of your health needs except for emergency's or if you absolutely need a specialist.   Labs and imaging are also available at a very discounted cost.

Question 9

How do I pay for my child's membership?

Accepted Answer

Membership fees are automatically charged monthly to your checking account or credit card. You can use your health savings account (HSA) or any checking account or credit card.  We offer a 5% discount for annual payment. Your membership fee is automatically charged for the same amount each month and you never have to worry about an unpaid bill or wonder if any insurance claim has been processed and how much you might owe.

Question 10

Our family has healthy kids. Does this model make sense for us?

Accepted Answer

Even families with kids that are very healthy are surprised when they think back on the past year and realize just how many doctor appointments they’ve had (and how fast they add up!). Most parents who have kids with ear infections or pinkeye wouldn’t say their kids have health issues, yet those families are in the office quite a bit for ear exams so they can get a prescription or advice on care—those 5-minute visits cost you at a traditional practice.

A lactation visit, sudden rash, sleeping concern … Parents with infants also tend to be more vigilant about bringing in their babies with mild coughs or runny noses because they know upper-respiratory viruses can be more dangerous in little babies as opposed to their big kids.

Parents of older kids have their concerns, too.  This can include behavior or developmental issues.  They may need further help with diet, exercise, mood.  Most of those can be handled in the office since we have time to do so.  Those appointments add up when it comes to a traditional practice, but at Frontier, those are all part of membership. And the best part, our members say, is that they don’t have to think twice about bringing in their child for “just a runny nose” because they know it’s covered and they can get peace of mind without a price tag!

Imagine 1 visit to the emergency room or urgent care, this can cost upwards of $300 or more (>$500 in the emergency room) and that's the low end if nothing is done.  Most of these visits can be handled in the office because there is access and time!

Families with multiple kids enjoy a $250 monthly maximum no matter how many kids they enroll.

Question 11

We just have a newborn and every well visit is covered by insurance in a traditional practice. Does this model make sense even with just one child?

Accepted Answer

Families with newborns benefit a lot from our DPC model.  One of the best parts is the ability to access Dr. Kurowski via text! In the first year of life there are so many new things that come up and maybe you have a question as you breastfeed in the middle of the night and you dont want to forget- just send a text or email!  Does your infant have a rash?  Just text the picture and often advice can be given by text saving you a trip that you are trying schedule around naps and feedings and then getting a $150 or more charge for something that may end up not being a concern. However, if an in-person visit is more your style, we are more than happy to accommodate a visit quickly and that visit will be covered by membership. DPC is the perfect model for all of the questions through that first year of life including—lactation questions, the runny noses and colds that inevitably happen once in day care, growth and development questions, sleep trouble, starting solids, etc… all of this is covered by your membership.

Question 12

Is Thrive Pediatrics a good choice for my medically complex child?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely!  The value we can provide for kids with complex health needs is unmatched. Membership covers extended appointment times so we can cover everything needed AND we can coordinate care with specialists so you don’t have to. All visits to our office are covered with membership, making it feasible to do frequent check-ins to ensure optimal health. Plus, we’re at your fingertips whenever questions arise—just text, email, or call. Some of the children we serve who are medically complex prefer to have appointments virtually or even at home and we can accommodate that.

Maybe your child has Autism or sensory concerns and has difficulty coming to appointments.  Thrive Pediatrics model allows your child to come visit and just play during a visit with nothing medical so they can be more comfortable coming in.

Question 13

Can I join your practice if we do not vaccinate or have an alternate vaccine schedule?

Accepted Answer

Yes.  I believe that my role as a Pediatrician is to educate based on my knowledge as well as to discuss that knowledge and your concerns as well.  Your role as the parents is to decide what is best for your child.

Question 14

Is this a form of insurance?

Accepted Answer

No, direct primary care is not insurance.  It is recommended that all patients have some form of insurance to cover the "big stuff" like surgeries, hospitalizations, broken bones or necessary Emergency Room visits.

Frequently Asked Questions

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