Frequently Asked Questions
What is family medicine?
Family medicine covers all ages and genders. Family medicine doctors have a little training in every area of medicine (OB-GYN, pediatrics, emergency medicine, orthopedics, internal medicine specialties, etc) to help guide you in your healthcare journey. Family doctors can refer you to a specialist if it is outside their comfort zone.
What is integrative medicine?
Integrative medicine adds evidence-based practices like meditation, breathing exercises, acupuncture, botanicals, supplements, yoga, nutrition, sleep hygiene, and exercises to traditional prescription medications or surgical practices. Dr. Ratliff has had additional training through the Dr. Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine during her residency and fellowship.
Why is Dr. Ratliff changing to DPC?
Dr. Ratliff wants to provide care for her patients in a setting with more time to spend with her patients. She works with her patients to dig deeper into all aspects of health like sleep, sex, mood, spirituality, social connections, nutrition, and exercise. She also wants to build strong relationships with her patients over the years.
DPC allows Dr. Ratliff to set her own schedule and spend time addressing all of the underlying issues that could be contributing to the presenting problem of the day. She now has more time to do counseling for mental health concerns. There is no profit-driven pressure to see more patients, or insurance dictating what she can or cannot do. She has time to answer questions, return phone calls, and reply to emails. She will have a limited number of patients under her care (400-600) instead of 3,000. She can also help you save money on healthcare.
Do I still need insurance?
Yes, you still may need insurance for catastrophic care and hospitalization. If you keep your regular health insurance, it can be used for labs and imaging OR you can choose to self-pay at lower DPC-negotiated prices.
Can HSA/FSA dollars be used to pay the membership cost?
Depending on your policy, you may be able to use it.
What if I have Medicare?
Dr. Ratliff will be opting out of Medicare in the future and will not be able to file Medicare charges through her DPC practice. If you are a Medicare patient and want to join her DPC practice, please let her know and she can share details on how this will work.
Where is the office located?
Dr. Ratliff’s new office is in Waxhaw Professional Park off of Providence Road, Highway 16.
Does Dr. Ratliff offer telemedicine/virtual visits?
Dr. Ratliff conducts in-office, virtual, and phone visits. She is licensed for telehealth in NC, SC, VA, and CA.
What about labs?
Dr. Ratliff can order labs through Quest or LabCorp. You may either file the lab costs with your insurance at the insurance rates or pay DPC-negotiated rates which can be 70-90% less. Patients can access their results through Labcorp or Quest portals and then review them with Dr. Ratliff.
What about imaging?
Imaging can also go through insurance or self-pay with lower DPC-negotiated prices,
How does DPC save me money?
There are no co-pays for visits.
You may choose a higher deductible insurance policy so your paycheck deductions are less.
Labs and imaging are at reduced costs.
Reduced prescription drug prices, cost independent of the major pharmacies (coming soon).
Can I contact Dr. Ratliff after hours?
Yes, you may contact Dr. Ratliff for urgent needs that cannot wait until normal business hours. If it is an emergency, please seek alternative care with an urgent care or emergency room.
Can Dr. Ratliff refer me to other doctors?
Yes, Dr. Ratliff has an extensive database of specialists in the Charlotte, Matthews, Waxhaw, Indian Trail, Pineville, Rock Hill, Indian Land, Fort Mill areas. She has been in the Charlotte area since 2009 and has lots of connections. The beauty of DPC is that since she is an independent physician, she does not have to send you to a specific healthcare system for referrals. However, please note that some healthcare systems refuse to accept referrals outside of their system.
What if I need medical care while traveling?
If you are an established patient of Dr. Ratliff, she can help care for you when you are away. She is licensed in NC and SC and can only do virtual visits in those states. However, she can have a phone conversation about the health concerns and manage from a distance.
What if I am hospitalized?
Dr. Ratliff may make courtesy visits to the hospital if requested. However, she would not be the physician managing your care. Hospitalists care for patients when admitted. She can certainly, though, interact with the hospitalists and advocate for you if needed.
How is DPC different from concierge medicine?
DPC is not concierge care. Concierge care practices traditionally charge an expensive membership fee AND file insurance. There are co-pays at each visit. Their physicians are available 24/7 for any need that arises, urgent or not.
How do I know if this is the right practice for me?
Reach out to Dr. Ratliff. You may do an exploratory visit to see if Dr. Ratliff and her practice are a good fit for you. This will give you the chance to ask questions about the practice model and Dr. Ratliff’s practice philosophy.
What if I join, but change my mind?
You may cancel your membership after three months with a 30-day notice. We do not offer refunds. There is a $300 re-enrollment fee if you decide to return to the practice.
Can I gift a year to someone else?
Absolutely! You may give a gift membership to a family member, friend, or as a scholarship to an anonymous person in need.
Do you treat chronic pain?
Yes, Dr. Ratliff uses integrative medicine techniques and practices to manage chronic pain. Dr. Ratliff does not start patients on opioids for chronic pain.
Do you prescribe controlled substances?
Yes, when appropriate. Dr. Ratliff requires the patient to complete a urine drug screen, sign a controlled substance contract, and see her every 3-6 months for medication refills. She checks the Physician Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) database for prescriptions from other physicians to verify that she is the only physician prescribing these.
Do you manage care for trans and other members of the LGBT community?
Yes, I have managed care for many LGBTQ+ patients, including hormone therapy for transgender patients.