"Do you take my insurance?" is the wrong first question. The better one is: "What will I actually pay this year, either way?" Here's an honest comparison for Las Vegas patients deciding between cash-pay primary care and using their insurance.
How insurance billing really works for routine care
Until you meet your deductible, insurance pays nothing for ordinary visits. You pay the plan's negotiated rate, which for a primary care visit in Las Vegas commonly lands between $150 and $300. Add labs and it's easy to spend $400 on a single "covered" physical that you paid for entirely out of pocket.
How cash pay works at our practice
Our published rates are $99 for a new-patient visit and $49 for established visits. You know the number before you walk in, you get a 30–60 minute visit, and we can order cash-rate labs at a fraction of hospital prices. Many patients are surprised that a full year of primary care costs less than one month of their insurance premium.
When insurance absolutely makes sense
- Hospitalizations, surgery, and anything catastrophic
- Expensive imaging (MRI, CT) and specialty care
- Medicare beneficiaries, we are in-network with Medicare, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare, so insured visits are covered directly
The hybrid approach most of our patients use
Keep insurance for the big stuff. Use cash-pay primary care for the everyday stuff: physicals, sick visits, blood pressure and diabetes management, weight loss. You get faster appointments, longer visits, transparent prices, and a real relationship with your provider, while insurance stays in your back pocket for what it's actually good at.
Have a high-deductible plan or no insurance at all? Request a call back and we'll tell you exactly what your care would cost before you commit to anything.