What is Membership-Based Care?
Traditional primary care was once built around a close relationship between patients and their physician, with time to listen, think, and provide truly personalized care. Over time, increasing insurance requirements and administrative burdens have made that model more difficult to sustain.
Sweetbay Pediatrics was created to bring that relationship back.
Rather than billing insurance for every interaction, families pay a simple monthly membership fee that provides direct access to their pediatrician, longer appointments, same-day or next-day sick visits, telemedicine, and ongoing communication by phone or secure messaging. This allows us to focus on your child's health, not insurance paperwork, or churning through numerous patient visits each day.
Do you accept insurance?
Although Sweetbay Pediatrics is not an in-network provider with any insurance company, we do submit claims on behalf of families who have out-of-network benefits whenever appropriate. If your insurance provides reimbursement, we accept whatever payment your plan makes. We do not bill families for deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or any remaining balance related to those claims. This allows us to keep our membership fees low.
Whether or not your insurance includes out-of-network benefits, your monthly membership and access to care remain the same.
Does Sweetbay offer virtual visits?
Absolutely! We provide high quality care in the most convenient way possible. Many times, we can answer your question in an email, text or video chat or over the phone, which means you don’t have to make a trip to the office. All of this is included in your exclusive membership benefits. A lot of Sweetbay parents come to realize how much they enjoy being able to contact us with relatively minor concerns about their healthy children simply because it's so easy! At traditional practices, there are so many layers & barriers between the patient and the physician that it's difficult to get a simple or non-urgent question answered without going through phone trees, leaving messages and talking to a nurse first. Not at Sweetbay....ask away!
Do you take care of children with Medicaid?
Yes! Because the type (or lack) of insurance, doesn’t matter, we see every child regardless of their insurance status. We do not bill Medicaid, however, and a membership fee will still apply.
What if my child gets sick after hours?
We know that illness doesn't respect traditional office hours. If your child is ill, you can call or text our doctors. You will have a secure app that allows you to reach us 24/7.
What is your vaccine policy and how are vaccines paid for?
Check out Our Vaccine Policy for more information!
We just don't go to the doctor very often. Is a Sweetbay Pediatrics membership still worth it?
Many of our families ask this question before joining. The truth is that no one can predict when a child will become sick, injured, or simply need reassurance from someone who knows them well. Most children have relatively healthy months, and then suddenly develop a fever at bedtime, an ear infection on a family vacation, a rash that appears out of nowhere, or a sports physical that needs to be completed quickly.
The greatest value of a Sweetbay membership isn't simply the number of office visits your child has each year. It’s knowing that your pediatrician is easily accessible when you need us.
When concerns arise, you don't have to wonder whether something is serious enough to schedule an appointment, wait on hold with a busy office, leave a message for a nurse, or search the internet for answers. Instead, you can simply send us a text through our secure members-only app and communicate directly with the doctor. Whether your question requires reassurance, home treatment, a same-day office visit, a telemedicine visit, or occasionally an urgent care or emergency department referral, you'll receive timely guidance from someone who knows your child and your family.
Many Sweetbay parents tell us that before joining, they never realized how many everyday questions they had about their children that weren't important enough to justify waiting on hold or scheduling an office visit, but were important enough that they wanted trusted medical advice. They love knowing that expert guidance is often just a text message away.
Like many memberships we choose in life, the greatest value isn't necessarily how often you use it each month. It's having it available whenever you need it. Sweetbay offers the reassurance that when questions or unexpected illnesses arise, your pediatrician is accessible, your appointments are unhurried, and your family has a trusted medical home ready to help.
What happens if my child needs to go to the hospital or see a specialist?
In providing superb care with unprecedented direct access, we seek to prevent or reduce hospitalizations and specialty referrals. In instances where those types of care are required, we will certainly continue to work with the hospitalist during your hospital stay, as well as work closely with any specialist involved in your child's care. It goes a long way to have a doctor who truly knows your child and can speak physician to physician on his/her behalf. Our Doctors will always personally advocate for the best care possible for your child, wherever they are.
