Question 1

Do you accept insurance?

Accepted Answer

No. We do not accept payments from any insurance plans for the actual provider visit portion. You may still use your insurance benefits for labs, pap, imaging, and medications. For the actual visit, a "superbill" can be provided to submit to your insurance plan for out-of-network reimbursement. This is a private, transparent fee-for-service medical office with direct care in a small personalized practice setting. The benefits here include quality time spent directly with your provider, timely access, and improved communication. Larger practices bound by insurance rules and reimbursement depend on large volumes and thus tend to rush patients in and out, have long waits, unhelpful automated systems, and typically will not allow any problems to be addressed at the time of annual preventative visits. Our model allows for a much smaller volume of patients to be seen in a day, providing new patients with 60 minute thorough visits.

Question 2

Is this a concierge practice?

Accepted Answer

No. While we share some features with concierge medicine—such as longer appointments, personalized care, and direct communication with the office—we do not charge an annual membership or concierge retainer.Instead, we use a straightforward fee-for-service model. You simply pay for the services you use, without committing to an annual membership. For most women, this results in substantially lower overall healthcare costs while still providing the unrushed, individualized care they are seeking.One of the ways we keep our practice affordable and accessible is by charging for professional medical services only when they are provided, rather than collecting annual membership fees. In concierge medicine, unlimited phone calls, texts, portal messages, and after-hours physician access are supported through membership fees, often $2000-5000 or more per patient annually. That is the tradeoff - lower cost, but not unlimited physician access. Administrative and clinical questions are triaged by our trained staff and directed to your clinician (physician or nurse practitioner) when medical review or decision-making is needed. When a message requires medical decision-making and treatment decisions, we may recommend an office visit or e-visit so your clinician has dedicated time to thoughtfully address your concerns.

Question 3

What can the patient portal be used for?

Accepted Answer

The Elation Passport patient portal is a convenient way to communicate with our office about many routine needs. It works best for brief questions and administrative requests rather than replacing a medical visit.

The portal helps us communicate efficiently and keeps important information in one secure place. To ensure every patient receives thoughtful medical care while keeping our practice affordable and sustainable, some questions will need to be addressed during a scheduled visit.

Question 4

I want to know more about your weight management services.

Accepted Answer

Dr. Ward is separately board-certified in obesity medicine and has extensive knowledge about several weight loss medications, nutrition, exercise, and the ability to co-manage these along with menopausal hormone therapy. Any patient interested in initiating a weight loss medication such as a GLP-1 agonist will need to schedule the specific weight management consultation.  This consultation involves a detailed weight & metabolic health history, assessment of candidacy for weight loss medication, prior authorization completion if indicated,   further specialist referrals as needed, baseline labs, and a body composition scan. This consult is available to any female of any body weight seeking metabolic health assessment and strategic planning, not just those who wish to pursue GLP-1 medication.These specialized consults are currently offered on Wednesdays and have a set fee of $350 for a comprehensive one-on-one visit with Dr. Ward. Plan to come to the office around 2 weeks prior to the scheduled consult for a baseline InBody scan and labs. The preference is for an in-person visit, but this can be completed via our telemedicine platform if this fits your logistical needs better. It is essential that you are on time and that you complete intake forms well enough in advance to allow time for their review to maximize the efficiency of this consult. Continuation of therapy requires regular follow-up, as with any other medication for a chronic condition. In the early phases of treatment, follow-up will often be recommended at 3-6 week intervals while titrating initial doses. Over time the follow-up interval spaces out to 3-6 months. Body composition must be reassessed over the course of treatment as well. The goal is to get to a point of maintenance long term that has a sustainable 6 month follow-up interval. Follow-up will be completed in the telemedicine format after the initial consultation, with body scans and labs completed in the office beforehand. If you are located in a different part of Florida and cannot make it to the office in person, the initial consultation can also be done virtually, InBody scan locations can be found at multiple sites and a home model is available for personal use, and lab orders can be sent to various Quest or Labcorp locations.Consider this an investment early on into one of the most profound health parameters you can target, and take comfort knowing that long term management can be accomplished in a low-maintenance fashion without a never-ending membership subscription. This visit type is currently available to any female over age 18. While men cannot participate in the consult at this time, they are welcome to schedule a stand-alone InBody scan.

Question 5

What is an "annual" exam? How often and at what age do I need a pap? A mammogram?

Accepted Answer

The gyn "annual" exam includes a breast and pelvic screening exam, pap screening when indicated, and order and review of mammogram. The screening exam is recommended annually regardless of whether the pap is due that year. If a woman chooses to decline a pelvic exam based on personal preferences, please note that an annual preventative female wellness visit is still recommended as there is much to review beyond the pelvic exam itself.

Under age 21, breast and pelvic exams are typically only done as indicated on an individual basis.

The pap is only one small part of the women's annual visit, and it is specifically a test to detect cervical cancer. It is recommended at 3-5 year intervals starting at age 21, depending on individual history and prior results. Between ages 21-24 minor abnormalities can usually be monitored conservatively due to a high rate of spontaneous regression. Before age 30, human papilloma virus (HPV) testing is done reflexively only for abnormal cells. After age 30, HPV co-testing is recommended. After age 65 or after a hysterectomy where the cervix was removed and no previous precancer found, the routine screening pap may be discontinued. In that case, the screening exam is still recommended - for evaluation of the vulva, vagina, and ovaries as applicable.

Mammogram is recommended annually after age 40. This is an imaging study with a high sensitivity in detecting small cancers of the breast before they would be palpable. It is done in addition to the clinical breast exam.

Question 6

What forms of payment do you accept?

Accepted Answer

Payment is collected via Elation patient payments, through which you may use credit card, debit card, ACH bank transfer, HSA/FSA cards, and Google pay.

Elation Patient Payments is powered by Stripe. Stripe is a secure, digital, payment processing platform that is Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant and utilizes best-in-class security tools to maintain a high level of security. Any information you enter during the payment process is securely encrypted.

As of Jan 1, 2026, there will be no credit card surcharges, but we no longer accept cash or Care Credit.

Question 7

Why do you require a payment method on file?

Accepted Answer

By not contracting with insurance companies who provide variable coverage for healthcare services leading to delayed surprise bills for patients, we are able to provide clear transparent fees that are fully disclosed in advance and processed at the time of service.As of Jan 1, 2026 we now require patients to have a form of payment recorded on file. This serves several purposes:Eliminates credit card surcharges to patientsStreamlines the check in and check out processAllows for any add-on services chosen to be processed seamlessly and with clear itemized receiptsMaximizes patient access to appointments by reducing the amount of "no-show" and last minute cancellations Unfortunately, no-show and last minute cancellations have become a considerable burden over time. We have a waitlist of patients wanting to get in. Failure to keep scheduled visits prevents patients who actually wish to be seen from having that opportunity. It also creates an unsustainable financial model for continued care in this setting.Please be reassured:No charges are incurred until services are rendered provided there is no late cancellation or “no show” Patients may request to change the card on file at any timeYou may choose ACH bank transfer as an alternative to credit or debit cardYou will be given a notification 24 hrs prior to any charge processingMultiple appointment reminders are sent out in advance, eliminating the risk of patients not being aware they had an appointment scheduledIf something truly unforeseen has come up last minute, just call. We are all human.*Late cancellation is defined as within 24 hours of appointment start time. No show and late cancellation fees are $50.

Question 8

How much are fees for visits and procedures?

Accepted Answer

We believe in transparency AND reasonable rates for quality healthcare. As such, we are happy to provide a detailed list of all of our current fees for both office visits and procedures. Please visit the "fees" section for a detailed list of all rates.

Question 9

Do you prescribe peptides?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but it depends on the specific medication.In fact, many well-established medications are peptides or peptide-based therapies. These include medications such as insulin, GLP-1 GIP and glucagon-based therapies, teriparatide, and leuprolide, among others.  We prescribe peptide-based medications when there is sufficient clinical evidence to support their safety and effectiveness for the condition being treated, and when the condition itself is within our scope of practice. What is often marketed today as “peptide therapy,” however, generally refers to a different group of experimental compounds promoted for anti-aging, healing, muscle growth, performance or longevity. Many of these have little or no high-quality human clinical evidence establishing safety or effectiveness. We understand that these therapies are increasingly available through wellness clinics and compounding pharmacies. However, the ability to purchase or compound a medication does not mean that it has been FDA-approved, clinically proven to work, or established as safe.Our practice follows emerging research and remains open to new therapies as evidence develops. We do not recommend a treatment based solely on promising laboratory or animal research, anecdotal results, or its popularity in the wellness industry. If adequate evidence supports the use of a particular peptide therapy in the future, our recommendations will evolve along with the science.

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