FAQ’s

Vida Family Medicine focuses on developing a close relationship between you and your doctor so that you receive superior care. We are trauma-informed and inclusive. We are different from other practices because we work with you, not your insurance company. We offer transparent pricing and personalized care. Additionally, our physicians offer specific areas of expertise. Dr. Berens cares for both children and adults and has a special interest in recovery from disordered eating, metabolic health, and lactation medicine. She has sought additional post-residency continuing education in these areas. Dr. Kumar cares for adults has a special interest in care of individuals during midlife, including the perimenopause/menopause transition, and is pursuing menopause practitioner certification from the Menopause Society.

We take into account the whole person—your lived experiences, values, and preferences. Our trauma-informed approach prioritizes safety, autonomy, and trust. Our weight-inclusive care means we focus on health behaviors and lab markers rather than weight loss as a goal, and we never recommend restrictive dieting.

Yes, we provide primary care services for both children and adults. We can support your preventive care, manage chronic conditions, and treat acute illnesses or injuries—all by appointment.

Because we offer highly personalized care with a low patient volume, we’re able to spend much more time with you than a typical primary care office. However, this also means:

• We don’t always have same-day sick visits available

• We do not offer in-office vaccines

Some patients choose to keep another PCP for those general or urgent needs. If you already have a PCP, we’re happy to work alongside them and provide care in our areas of expertise.

Insurance Note:
If you have an HMO plan that requires a designated “PCP” for referrals, please note that we are considered out-of-network. These plans will not accept referrals from us, and we cannot be listed as your PCP on your insurance card.

Vida Family Medicine does not accept insurance because our goal is to provide a high-level of service without the interference of insurance companies. We provide transparent pricing instead of submitting claims to insurance companies and spend our time getting to know you better. We can see patients with any insurance carrier as well as those who are uninsured. Patients may use an FSA or HSA card to pay for services, and Superbills can be provided on request to submit to insurance companies for out-of-network reimbursement.

We do not bill Medicare or Medicaid for services and due to federal and state regulations we are currently unable to offer services to patients who are eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. This may change in the future. If you have Medicare or Medicaid and would like to become a patient, please send us an email to be added to our waiting list.

You are absolutely able to use your insurance to pay for any lab testing, imaging, medications, or referrals that we recommend. If you have an HMO insurance carrier- please be advised that they may not cover referrals to specialists unless your in-network HMO PCP places the order for you. We are happy to send the appropriate documentation to your in-network PCP to assist with these referrals.

Please visit our services page to learn more about visit costs.

Ideally, our preventative care model and close patient relationships help to prevent hospital visits whenever possible. While our physicians not admit patients to the hospital, in the event of an acute illness or injury, we are always happy to communicate with your hospital care team to ensure they are familiar with your health history and that you receive top-notch care while admitted. We recommend that all patients maintain a health insurance plan or alternative that will cover them in the event of hospitalization or surgery.

If you need to see a specialist, we will support you and help refer you to the right medical professional. We will also help coordinate your care to make sure nothing is lost in translation. You will still be able to use your insurance to pay for specialist visits. We also maintain a network of specialists who offer fair pricing for uninsured patients.

Our visits are available by appointment only. We often do have same or next day availability for our patients for sick visits or quick check-ins, feel free to call the office or book directly online.

Existing patients can schedule an appointment directly here or by calling or texting us at the office. If you would like to become a patient, schedule a meet and greet with us to learn more and schedule your intake.

Limited services are available to nonmembers. If you are not a member, you can schedule a comprehensive medical evaluation, pre-operative evaluation, or lactation medicine consultation through the website or by calling the office.

We request 24 business hours notice for appointment cancellations or rescheduling so that we can ensure availability for other patients who need to be seen promptly. You will be billed for the full appointment charge if you no-show or cancel with less than 24hrs notice.

Patients who repeatedly no-show or cancel appointments with little notice may be discharged from the practice so that we can maintain our availability for other patients who value our care.

Our physicians do not prescribe opioid pain medications or scheduled sleep medications on a long-term basis. Patients with chronic pain are managed in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team including a pain management specialist.

Due to our low practice volume, we are unable to keep vaccines in stock. We do not administer pediatric vaccinations in the office, but we do recommend following the official CDC schedule.

We refer our patients to local health department or vaccine clinics to receive these vaccinations.

Some patients who have insurance choose to see an insurance-based pediatrician just for their vaccine visits while seeing us for the majority of their care.

We understand that many families have questions and concerns about vaccines, and we are happy to discuss these concerns to help you come to an informed decision for your family.