A Different Kind of Relationship With Your Physician
Phoenix Medical Spa offers physician-led, membership-based care for busy adults seeking greater access, personalized metabolic-health support, and more time to address the complete health story—not just one symptom or number.
Membership is not health insurance and does not replace major medical coverage.
Why Are More Patients Exploring Membership-Based Care?
Many patients have insurance but still experience long waits for appointments, short rushed visits, difficulty discussing several connected concerns, limited follow-up between appointments, difficulty obtaining care without missing several hours of work, fragmented communication among multiple clinicians, and confusion about where to seek appropriate non-emergency care.
Membership-based models are intended to create a more defined and accessible physician relationship. The exact services, scheduling standards, communication options, and costs vary by practice and membership agreement.
We recognize that traditional practices frequently operate within significant time, payer, documentation, and scheduling constraints. This page is not a criticism of traditional physicians—it is an educational resource to help you understand the differences and decide what model fits your life.
What Is Direct Primary Care?
Direct primary care, commonly called DPC, is generally a membership model in which a patient pays a recurring fee for a defined group of primary-care services. The practice usually does not bill insurance for services covered by the DPC membership.
Depending on the practice, a DPC membership may include:
- Routine primary-care visits
- Preventive-care planning
- Chronic-condition management
- Virtual follow-up
- Communication with the practice
- Same-day or next-day scheduling when available
- Selected routine procedures or discounted services
DPC services vary significantly. Patients should review the individual practice's membership agreement rather than assuming that visits are unlimited, access is available 24/7, or every service is included.
What Is Concierge Medicine?
Concierge medicine is a broad term for a medical-practice model in which patients pay a recurring fee for enhanced access, longer appointments, proactive health planning, or other personalized services.
Some concierge practices continue billing insurance for medically covered services in addition to collecting a membership fee. Other concierge practices operate primarily through direct payment.
Potential concierge features may include:
- Longer appointments
- Smaller patient panels
- Enhanced scheduling access
- Executive-health evaluations
- Preventive and wellness planning
- More frequent follow-up
- Care coordination
- Direct physician communication under defined conditions
Concierge medicine is not one standardized model. Services, insurance participation, access standards, fees, and physician availability vary by practice.
What Is Membership-Based Medical Care?
A membership-based practice offers a defined set of professional services, access benefits, or ongoing support in exchange for a recurring fee. Membership-based care may resemble DPC or concierge medicine, but the practice's actual agreement determines:
- What services are included
- How visits are scheduled
- Whether access is virtual, in person, or both
- Whether insurance is billed
- Which services have separate costs
- Communication and response-time expectations
- Cancellation and renewal terms
Phoenix Medical Spa describes its model as a physician-led, membership-based wellness and metabolic-health practice because the focus extends beyond traditional primary care and includes structured metabolic-health and medical weight-management support.
How Phoenix's Hybrid Model Works
A hybrid medical practice may offer more than one care and payment pathway. At Phoenix, the appropriate pathway may include a one-time medical or metabolic-health consultation, ongoing membership-based support, a separate direct-pay service, appropriate same-day virtual care, or a selected insurance-billed service if Phoenix expressly offers that option.
Choose Your Starting Point
Request a membership-fit conversation or schedule an initial consultation.
Receive an Individualized Evaluation
Dr. Hooks reviews your health history, concerns, goals, medications, risks, and available clinical information.
Select the Appropriate Care Path
Continue through a membership, direct-pay service, appropriate virtual-care pathway, or outside referral based on your needs.
Phoenix will explain the applicable care pathway and payment method before treatment whenever practicable. Patients should not assume that a service is included in membership or covered by insurance.
Comparing Practice Models
A side-by-side look at how traditional, DPC, concierge, and Phoenix's hybrid membership model compare.
| Feature | Traditional Fee-for-Service | Direct Primary Care | Concierge Medicine | Phoenix Hybrid Model |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Payment Model | Insurance billing, patient copayments, deductibles, coinsurance, or direct payment depending on the practice and service. | Recurring membership fee for a defined group of primary-care services; insurance is generally not billed for included DPC services. | Recurring fee for enhanced services; some practices also bill insurance. | One-time direct-pay consultations, membership-based services, separate direct-pay services, and selected insurance pathways only when expressly offered. |
| Visit Experience | Appointment length and availability depend on practice operations, clinical need, and insurance requirements. | Often emphasizes longer visits and easier routine access. | Often emphasizes longer visits, proactive planning, and enhanced access. | Physician-led consultations focused on the patient's complete metabolic, medical, and lifestyle story. |
| Insurance Relationship | Commonly participates with one or more insurance plans. | Membership generally operates outside insurance for included services. | May combine membership fees with insurance billing. | Membership is not insurance. Patients should maintain major medical coverage. Insurance is used only for services Phoenix expressly identifies as insurance-billed. |
| Medication Costs | Depend on insurance coverage, formulary requirements, pharmacy pricing, and the prescribed medication. | Usually separate unless specifically included. | Usually separate unless specifically included. | Medications, including GLP-1 medications, are separate from membership fees unless the signed agreement expressly states otherwise. |
| Lab Testing & Imaging | May be billed through insurance, subject to network rules and patient cost-sharing. | May be included, discounted, or separate depending on the practice. | May be billed separately or through insurance. | Laboratory testing, imaging, and third-party services are separate unless expressly included in the applicable agreement. |
| Access | Depends on scheduling availability, practice capacity, clinical urgency, and office policies. | May offer enhanced routine access under defined conditions. | May offer enhanced scheduling and communication access. | Access standards depend on the selected service or membership. Do not assume unlimited, 24/7, guaranteed same-day, or immediate physician access. |
| Best Suited For | Patients who prefer insurance-based care and conventional practice structures. | Patients seeking a defined primary-care membership. | Patients seeking enhanced access and personalized medical service. | Busy adults seeking physician-led metabolic-health support, medical weight management, transparent care pathways, and an ongoing relationship with Dr. Hooks. |
Payment Model
Traditional
Insurance billing, patient copayments, deductibles, coinsurance, or direct payment depending on the practice and service.
DPC
Recurring membership fee for a defined group of primary-care services; insurance is generally not billed for included DPC services.
Concierge
Recurring fee for enhanced services; some practices also bill insurance.
Phoenix Hybrid
One-time direct-pay consultations, membership-based services, separate direct-pay services, and selected insurance pathways only when expressly offered.
Visit Experience
Traditional
Appointment length and availability depend on practice operations, clinical need, and insurance requirements.
DPC
Often emphasizes longer visits and easier routine access.
Concierge
Often emphasizes longer visits, proactive planning, and enhanced access.
Phoenix Hybrid
Physician-led consultations focused on the patient's complete metabolic, medical, and lifestyle story.
Insurance Relationship
Traditional
Commonly participates with one or more insurance plans.
DPC
Membership generally operates outside insurance for included services.
Concierge
May combine membership fees with insurance billing.
Phoenix Hybrid
Membership is not insurance. Patients should maintain major medical coverage. Insurance is used only for services Phoenix expressly identifies as insurance-billed.
Medication Costs
Traditional
Depend on insurance coverage, formulary requirements, pharmacy pricing, and the prescribed medication.
DPC
Usually separate unless specifically included.
Concierge
Usually separate unless specifically included.
Phoenix Hybrid
Medications, including GLP-1 medications, are separate from membership fees unless the signed agreement expressly states otherwise.
Lab Testing & Imaging
Traditional
May be billed through insurance, subject to network rules and patient cost-sharing.
DPC
May be included, discounted, or separate depending on the practice.
Concierge
May be billed separately or through insurance.
Phoenix Hybrid
Laboratory testing, imaging, and third-party services are separate unless expressly included in the applicable agreement.
Access
Traditional
Depends on scheduling availability, practice capacity, clinical urgency, and office policies.
DPC
May offer enhanced routine access under defined conditions.
Concierge
May offer enhanced scheduling and communication access.
Phoenix Hybrid
Access standards depend on the selected service or membership. Do not assume unlimited, 24/7, guaranteed same-day, or immediate physician access.
Best Suited For
Traditional
Patients who prefer insurance-based care and conventional practice structures.
DPC
Patients seeking a defined primary-care membership.
Concierge
Patients seeking enhanced access and personalized medical service.
Phoenix Hybrid
Busy adults seeking physician-led metabolic-health support, medical weight management, transparent care pathways, and an ongoing relationship with Dr. Hooks.
Potential Benefits of the Phoenix Model
What busy adults can expect from a physician-led, membership-based metabolic-health practice.
More Time to Be Heard
Discuss connected concerns such as weight, glucose, blood pressure, sleep, menopause, medications, nutrition, mobility, and stress.
Physician-Led Metabolic Care
Receive evaluation and guidance from a board-certified internal medicine physician—not a medication-only sales platform.
Clear Care Pathways
Understand whether you are scheduling a consultation, joining a membership, receiving an individual direct-pay service, or being referred to another level of care.
Convenient Virtual Follow-Up
Use virtual visits for selected concerns when telehealth is legally and clinically appropriate.
Ongoing Accountability
Membership options may support follow-up, education, monitoring, and long-term planning as described in the applicable agreement.
Transparent Boundaries
Know what is included, what costs extra, what requires insurance, and when emergency, specialty, or in-person care is necessary.
Learn Before You Decide
Dr. Hooks believes patients should understand the care model before committing to a membership. Explore these educational videos explaining direct primary care, concierge medicine, and membership-based care.
Understanding the DPC Practice Model
Dr. Hooks explains how a physician-led, membership-based practice works and how it differs from traditional care. Learn what membership-based care can offer busy adults seeking more access and personalized support.
Source: Dr. Bertina M. Hooks, MD — Phoenix Medical Spa PLLC
Compare Membership OptionsThese videos provide general education about DPC and membership medicine. Phoenix Medical Spa's services, pricing, access standards, and membership terms are governed by Phoenix's current website information and applicable written agreements. Inclusion of a video does not imply that the speaker endorses Phoenix Medical Spa unless written permission expressly allows that representation.
Membership Is Not Health Insurance
A Phoenix membership does not replace major medical insurance. Patients should generally maintain appropriate insurance or other coverage for emergency care, hospitalization, surgery, specialist services, imaging, outside laboratory services, prescription medications, services not included in the membership agreement, and catastrophic medical expenses.
Phoenix does not guarantee:
- Insurance reimbursement
- Medication coverage
- Prior-authorization approval
- Appeal outcomes
- HSA or FSA eligibility
- Access to a particular hospital or specialist
- Coverage through an ACO, CIN, or payer network
Tax and benefits rules may change. Ask your qualified tax or benefits adviser whether a Phoenix service is eligible for payment or reimbursement through your particular HSA, FSA, or employer benefit.
What Your Membership Fee Does—and Does Not—Cover
The membership fee covers only the professional services, access features, and support expressly listed in the patient's current signed agreement. Unless expressly stated otherwise, separate costs may include:
Phoenix does not guarantee that insurance will cover a medication, laboratory test, consultation, or outside service.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find the Phoenix Care Path That Fits Your Life
You do not have to understand every healthcare model before contacting us. Our team can help you determine whether you need an initial medical consultation, a membership-fit conversation, an appropriate virtual-care pathway, or another level of care.
Calling or submitting a form does not create a physician-patient relationship. Do not use these forms for emergencies.