Pricing

SCHEDULING   |   ACCESSIBILITY   |   LATE POLICY

Not sure which option is best for you? Think of how often you might want or need to consult your PCP, whether it be in the office or through video, telephone, or e-mail (keeping in mind that most people would contact their PCP more if cost barriers were drastically reduced). If you would rarely do so (e.g., fewer than three times per year), the Silver plan will likely be most cost-effective; if >3 times per year, the Gold plan would likely benefit you most financially.

SILVER PLAN EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Note that most DPC practices do not offer a second, lower-priced plan with a higher copay. The reason is that the higher copay disincentivizes care – and one of the primary goals of DPC is to remove barriers to care. Dr. Cluff has chosen to offer a Silver Plan for the sole purpose of providing an option to those who rarely need to be seen, and therefore cannot justify the price of the Gold Plan. This opens the door so that a larger percentage of patients can experience the many benefits of TLC Family Health. That being said, for certain medical conditions the Silver Plan is strongly discouraged, because of the higher level of care needed (more frequent visits are needed in order for us to manage them correctly, and therefore the copay/barrier to seeking care must be lower). If you have a condition that usually requires frequent follow-up, choosing the Silver plan will likely prevent optimum care. Such conditions include, for example:

• Diabetes

• Uncontrolled hypertension

• Body mass index >35

pricing of Services

*Patients that require ongoing Schedule II-V controlled substances must be seen every 3 months until stable for 6 months, then every 6 months thereafter. A Controlled Substances Questionnaire must also be filled out every 6 months.  Narcotics (such as hydrocodone and codeine formulations) and benzodiazepines (such as Valium and Xanax) are not prescribed for regular, long-term use. They will not be prescribed without signing and abiding by Dr. Cluff’s Policy Regarding the Use of Narcotics and Benzodiazepines.

Scheduling

TLC Family Health has developed a unique scheduling system:

1.    Patients schedule their own appointments online, reserving the type (in-office, video, or telephone) and length (20, 40, or 60 minutes) of appointment needed (see the Book Appt. page for suggestions on the amount of time you may wish to reserve).

2.    Instead of simply specifying a start time, blocks of time are reserved, just like a lesson or class.  For example, if you schedule a 40-minute appointment, you have a maximum of 40 minutes with the doctor.  If more time is needed, another appointment will need to be scheduled, or a follow-up phone call can be made (charged in 5-minute increments, as above).  This will ensure that subsequent patients can be seen on time.  As such, please arrive with plenty of lead time to be able to be checked in and begin your visit at the appointed time.  We recommend arriving 10-15 minutes early if you are an established patient, and 25-30 minutes early if you are a new patient.  If you arrive late, you may still see the doctor up until the end of the block.  In emergencies, visits that go 5 or more minutes longer will be charged in 5-minute increments.

Accessibility

If no appointments are available within an acceptable period of time, please send us a message through the patient portal.  If you do not receive a response within an acceptable period of time, call us at 972-914-9421.

Late policy**

If you know you are going to be late, please let us know (call us at 972-914-9421).  If there is still an adequate amount of time left in your appointment slot, you may still come in, but your visit must still end at the appointed time (see Scheduling section above), unless the next patient appointment slot is open. We will do our best to accommodate you.  If you cannot make it in or otherwise prefer, you have the option of converting your visit to a telephone or video visit.  If you must reschedule, as a courtesy to other patients who may need the appointment slot, try to do so at least 2 hours prior to your appointment start time. We will take last-minute emergencies into consideration.