Frequently Asked Questions

A woman practicing yoga in front of a mirror in a living room. She is standing on one leg, with her hands in a prayer position at her chest, and is smiling. She wears glasses and a dark workout outfit.

Direct Primary Care is healthcare with you and your physician at the center.

What is DPC?

  • Insurance companies have created the vast majority of problems with our current healthcare system.

    As an example, let’s say you requested a refill for a med you’ve been stable on for years. To get paid by insurance for filling your RX, your doctor tells you to schedule an in-person appointment.

    Is an appointment medically necessary in this situation? Probably not. But since you’d like for your insurance to cover it, you’re now forced to wait for your doctor’s next available non-urgent appointment, which could be weeks or months out. This is because they need to keep their daily scheduled booked as full as possible to ensure they get enough insurance reimbursements to cover their overhead and make a decent living.

  • Yes, Dr. Pfenning will prioritize minimizing your costs. If it makes sense to file any order or prescription through your insurance, she will.

    But you may be surprised to discover that Dr. Pfenning’s negotiated cash prices for labs, imaging, and specialist visits may actually be cheaper than filing your insurance.

    1. Members benefit from negotiated rates with Labcorp, Quest, and Thompson’s Pharmacy that are often cheaper than using your insurance.

    2. Dr. Pfenning has a network of imaging centers and specialists in the area who are willing to provide cash pricing for visits and procedures, often beating your out of pocket cost when using insurance.

    3. Insurance-based practices often treat you like a number, with little time spent actually restoring or maintaining your health.

    4. By changing the way you pay for primary care, you allow your physician to be available for you when you actually need her.

    5. No more corporate call centers!

  • A high-deductible HSA plan or healthshare.

  • HSA – yes!

    FSA – check with your benefits administrator.

  • The primary difference is your goals and what you’d like Dr. Pfenning to help you achieve.

    Choose the Essential membership if you’re content with your general health status as is and are primarily looking for direct access for routine maintenance and any unforeseen health concerns that arise.

    Choose the Essential + Lifestyle Medicine membership if you want to actively make changes to your day-to-day living and are looking for scientifically backed help making it happen. This can include desired changes in nutrition patterns, sleep hygiene, and use of alcohol, nicotine, or other substances. Through lifestyle interventions, Dr. Pfenning can also help with specific goals like reducing or eliminating medications for chronic conditions, managing weight and obesity, navigating perimenopause and menopause, and optimizing mental health – with and without medication.

  • One-time visits work against the entire spirit of the DPC model. Direct primary care is designed to allow and encourage a continuous relationship and ongoing conversation with your physician, not limit it to one or two interactions per year. Dr. Pfenning wants to be your first call for all things health and wellness, ideally reducing your need for “Dr. Google,” urgent care visits, and even the ER.

  • Lifestyle medicine is first and foremost, scientifically founded and evidence-based.

  • The only tests utilized are ones that are cost-effective and evidence-based.

  • Dr. Pfenning will only recommend affordable, evidence-based supplements like B12 or Vitamin D and would rather support your overall nutritional needs through whole foods.

  • Lifestyle Medicine focuses on empowering you to harness your own internal strengths and motivations to make meaningful lasting changes to your habits.

  • Traditional Western medicine treatments and pharmaceuticals are still utilized, but ideally secondary to lifestyle prescriptions and interventions.

What is Lifestyle Medicine and how is it different from other holistic practices?

A woman with brown hair, glasses, and a white lab coat standing behind a counter, smiling with arms crossed in a professional setting.

  • What people are saying

    “Our family went through a heartbreaking tragedy that left us devastated and in need of both medical care and emotional support. Dr. Pfenning was the compassionate professional who met us where we were—with calm empathy and exceptional expertise. From the very beginning, she provided guidance that truly made a difference. Today, Dr. Pfenning is our trusted family doctor for all our needs. Her quick responses, caring follow-up calls, and even her efforts to help us manage costs have been remarkable. We’ve never had a doctor go the extra mile to find better deals before! It’s clear that she genuinely cares about our well-being, and that sincerity means everything to us. If you’re looking for a doctor who combines medical excellence with heartfelt care, we wholeheartedly recommend Dr. Pfenning. She’s more than a physician—she’s a partner in your family’s health and healing.” - Peter B.

  • What people are saying

    “I’ve never felt so heard and validated than when I see Dr. Pfenning. When I bring concerns or problems to her, she is able to piece together all the information and develop a plan WITH me to reach MY goals. Whenever I leave my appointments with her, "it feels like I just left lunch with a friend. Having that rapport with your patients takes intention and purpose, and Dr. Pfenning chooses that every day with every patient. I would follow her anywhere.” - Katie C.

  • What people are saying

    “I cannot say enough good things about how amazing Dr. Pfenning is! She is that extremely rare doctor who legitimately cares about every patient and their well-being. She doesn’t immediately pull out the prescription pad the minute you open your mouth. She always takes the time to understand what is going on with you and then explains things to you in language you can understand. She is simply THE best!” - Kara C.