Thank you for considering River City Endocrine. Please contact us if you have additional questions

 FAQs

Payment/Insurance Related Questions

  • No, this practice is not in-network with any insurance plans and will not bill any insurance for services provided. Therefore, we will see any patient regardless of insurance coverage. Payments are made directly from the patient to River City Endocrine at the time of service.

  • This depends on your insurance plan. If you have out-of-network benefits, you may submit your visit receipt for reimbursement. A patient will need to call their insurance company to determine eligibility and requirements for reimbursement prior to a visit, as we do not guarantee that your insurance will reimburse any fees paid to River City Endocrine. Patients cannot apply for reimbursement through medicare or medicaid.

  • We recommend patients maintain health insurance coverage for cases of hospitalization or surgery. Patients also need to continue with routine care from a primary care provider as Dr. Dinh does not serve as a primary care provider for any patient (including members).

  • Yes, but be aware that Dr. Kathryn Dinh has opted out of medicare. Therefore, by law, River City Endocrine will not bill Medicare for services. A patient can also not request reimbursement from Medicare for fees paid to Dr. Dinh. A private contract stating these terms must be signed by you and the doctor every 2 years and maintained in the chart, as per the requirements set forth by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

  • Yes, and we encourage it when it is the best option. River City Endocrine is also committed to offer you discounted cash pay options for labs, imaging, and even medications when this is available.

  • Patients should contact their HR department to determine if an HSA can be used for services at River City Endocrine. There may be restrictions related to paying for membership. If you plan to use your HSA card, please bring written approval documentation from your employer.

  • If a patient has a high-deductible, high in-network coinsurance, or high out-of-pocket maximums, all of which are common in TN, then the direct care model may have comparable or even lower total fees. Each plan is different, so we cannot make this determination for you. This is difficult to predict as insurance charges are generally not transparent; therefore, patients are unaware of the cost until the bill arrives after a visit. However, at River City Endocrine, you will get more time with and access to your doctor for the cost.

  • For patients with medicare and income under 400% of the federal poverty level, there are programs that provide free medications, including insulin and GLP1Ra medications (i.e. Ozempic). I am committed to ensuring any patient who qualifies for such a program gains access to these free medications, saving hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars a year. This will be discussed at your first visit, if applicable.

  • Please see the payment tab under pricing for more information. We accept all major credit cards, debit cards, ACH payment, and check. Payment is due at the time of service or monthly if enrolled in the membership.

  • There is a non-refundable deposit of $200 paid at the time a new patient consultation is scheduled. This will be applied to the new consultation fee.

    For fee-for-service visits cancelled within 72 hours of the scheduled visit or for which a patient does not show, a cancellation fee of 50% the visit fee will be charged to their card on file.

    Members will not incur cancellation fee for routine follow-up visits cancelled.

Clinic/Scheduling Related Questions

  • We are no longer scheduling new patients as Dr. Dinh will be leaving on maternity leave in December 2024. We will open the clinic to new patients once she has returned from leave in Spring of 2025. Patients who enroll will be placed on a wait list and contacted to schedule in early 2025.

  • Simply because I want to spend the time you NEED with you. In an insurance model, overhead is greatly increased due to staffing needs to process billing AND more of my time is spent on documentation to justify my work to insurance so they will pay the bill. To survive in an insurance-driven practice , a doctor must see many patients per day, meaning less time with each patient (often 10 min or less) and a higher total patient census (often 2000-3000 vs 400-600 in direct care). My goal is to provide evidence based, individualized, and safe care to each patient, which requires TIME.

  • No. In general, a concierge practice requires a monthly fee to access the physician while ALSO billing insurance. This means a patient pays a flat fee AND any insurance-required deductibles and fees related to the services provided. At River City Endocrine, all pricing is transparent without surprise bills, as the patient pays the doctor directly for services.

  • Please see our services tab for answers to this question. if you have a diagnosis or concern not included on this list, please contact our office to speak with Dr. Dinh about whether you should be seen at River City Endocrine.

  • Dr. Dinh wants to ensure pateints have access to excellent endocrine care. Therefore, telemedicine is a valuable resource for anyone in the state of Tennesse to be seen via telemedicine when needed. If you live outside of Tennessee, I can see you in person for visits.

  • As a member, you will communicate with Dr. Dinh through text, email or phone calls, though during the business day you may communicate with my assistant, Rija, if I am in with another patient. River City Endocrine will accept a limited number of members to maintain this direct access to Dr. Dinh. For non-members who utilize the fee-for-service option, Dr. Dinh’s staff will be available during office hours. If Dr. Dinh’s attention is needed, there will be a fee associated with messages, phone calls, or letters (all detailed on the pricing tab).

  • There is no commitment required for membership, though generally one would expect to at least 6 months to evaluate, treat, and stabilize a health condition. We require a 30 day notice prior to cancellation. At the time of cancellation, a 90 day refill of all medications prescribed by Dr. Dinh will be made available to assist with transition of care or to bridge to your next fee-for-service visit. If you cancel your membership and then re-enroll, you will be charged a re-enrollment fee of $300.

  • Dr. Dinh will see anyone with endocrine concerns who is age 18 or older (will consider age 16-17 on a case-by-case basis if not for puberty or growth related concerns). Patients who live anywhere in Tennessee can be seen in person or via telemedicine, though an in-person initial consultation is preferred. If you live in the surrounding states, visits must be in person due to licensing regulations.

  • The clinic is located at 5104 Hixson Pike, Hixson, TN 37343. I will be seeing patients inside Hitchcock Family Medicine, at their new location behind Dutch Bros Coffee. To access the parking lot, you will either drive through Dutch Bros Coffee or turn off of Northpoint Blvd between Captain D’s and Alder & Cox Insurance. There is a large parking lot with easy access to the clinic. I look forward to seeing you there!