Two visits a year
- Pay per visit, 2 × $85
- from $170
- Basic Tele-Health, 12 × $85
- $1,020
Lower cost: pay per visit
A membership only makes sense here if you value messaging and follow-up between visits.
Free guide
The Real Cost of Primary Care in Northern Virginia
A plain-English guide to what everyday care really costs: premiums, deductibles, copays, urgent care, pay per visit and membership, with worked examples so you can choose with confidence.
- Updated for 2026 HSA and FSA rules
- Worked examples
- Free cost calculator
The short answer
How much does primary care cost in Northern Virginia?
It depends on how you pay. With insurance, you pay a monthly premium plus a copay per visit, or the full negotiated price until you meet your deductible. Paying a practice directly, you see the price up front: at WheelHouse Health, visits start at $85, and memberships start at $85 a month, by video, at our Woodbridge clinic or at home.
Chapter 1
What everyday care costs with insurance
National figures from KFF’s 2025 survey of employer health plans give a sense of what most people pay before a single visit.
$9,325average yearly premium for single coverage
88%of workers with single coverage have a deductible
$1,886average single deductible
$27average primary care copay, where plans use copays
Until you meet your deductible, many plans charge the full negotiated price for sick visits, labs and imaging. Preventive care, such as many screenings and vaccines, is usually covered at no cost in network. KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey 2025
Chapter 3
Four ways to pay for everyday care
Insurance only
Predictable premiums, but visits may cost a copay, or full price until you meet your deductible.
Urgent care as needed
Convenient for one-offs, but you see a different clinician each time, and follow-up is up to you.
Pay per visit
At WheelHouse, visits start at $85, with the price confirmed before you book.
How pay per visit worksMembership
From $85 a month for visits, messaging and priority access, with a 30-day trial.
Compare plansChapter 4
Worked examples: a year of everyday care
Three common patterns, priced with our published rates. Pay-per-visit figures use the starting price of $85; some visit types cost more.
A monthly video check-in
- Pay per visit, 12 × $85
- from $1,020
- Basic Tele-Health, 12 × $85
- $1,020
About the same: membership adds more
For the same yearly cost, Basic Tele-Health adds messaging through the portal and WhatsApp, and a yearly preventive-planning visit.
Two clinic visits a month
- Pay per visit, 24 × $85
- from $2,040
- Standard Hybrid, 12 × $130
- $1,560
Standard Hybrid saves at least $480
Standard Hybrid includes up to two in-person visits a month, plus video visits and priority scheduling.
Not included in any example: lab fees, medicines, imaging, specialist care and treatments. Your insurance premium stays the same either way. For a household, compare the Family / Group plan at $360 a month for up to four people.
Chapter 5
Work out your own numbers
Compare a year of urgent care, pay per visit and every membership. Everything you enter stays in your browser.
Chapter 6
Using HSA and FSA money
A health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA) lets you pay for eligible medical costs with money that is not taxed. Depending on your tax bracket, that can take a meaningful share off the real cost of visits, labs and medicines.
Under federal rules that began in 2026, direct primary care memberships of up to $150 a month for one person, or $300 a month for an arrangement covering more than one person, can generally be paid with HSA money without affecting your HSA eligibility. Basic Tele-Health ($85) and Standard Hybrid ($130) are below the $150 limit. Family / Group ($360) and Premium Concierge ($500) are above the limits, so they may not qualify for HSA payment; an FSA may still work. Check with your plan administrator. IRS guidance
FSA rules depend on your employer’s plan. FSA money is usually use-it-or-lose-it within the plan year, so it suits costs you can predict, such as a membership or planned labs.
Chapter 7
Labs, medicines and other costs to ask about
A clear price for the visit is only part of the picture. Here is what a WheelHouse membership covers and what is paid separately.
Covered by your membership
- Visits as your plan includes
- Messaging with your clinician
- Prescriptions sent electronically
- Refill requests
- Coordination with specialists
- Access to discounted cash-pay lab prices
Paid separately
- Lab fees, at our discounted prices
- Medicines from your pharmacy
- Imaging such as X-rays and MRI
- Specialist and hospital care
- Emergency care
- IV drips, injections and aesthetic products
Chapter 8
Ways to keep everyday care costs down
Use your free preventive care
Most insurance plans cover many screenings and vaccines at no cost in network. Check what yours includes.
Ask for the price first
Cash prices for visits and labs vary widely. Ask before you book, and before a blood draw.
Use video when it fits
Many problems can be handled by video, which saves travel and time off work.
Keep one clinician
Someone who knows your history can avoid repeat tests and catch problems earlier.
Pay with pre-tax money
HSA and FSA funds can cover many visits, labs and medicines.
Pick the right setting
The emergency department is for emergencies. For everything else, the care finder helps you choose.
Chapter 9
Questions to ask any practice
- What does a visit cost, and what costs extra?
- How quickly can I be seen?
- How do I reach my clinician between visits?
- How long are visits?
- What is the cancellation policy?
- Can I pay with my HSA or FSA?
- Will I see the same clinician each time?
- What happens if I need a specialist or the hospital?
Keep reading
More on cost and coverage
Common questions
Primary care cost questions
Still wondering about something? Call or text us Monday to Saturday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Prices vary by practice and visit type, so ask before you book. At WheelHouse Health, visits start at $85, and we confirm the price for your visit type before you book.
It depends on how often you need care. With one or two visits a year, pay per visit from $85 usually costs less. With monthly visits or regular in-person care, a membership often costs the same or less and adds messaging and follow-up.
It is not a replacement for insurance. It can lower what you spend on everyday care, especially on a high-deductible plan, while insurance stays in place for emergencies, hospital care and specialists.
Often, yes. Visits and labs are usually eligible medical expenses. Since 2026, direct primary care memberships up to $150 a month for one person, or $300 for more than one, can generally be paid from an HSA. Check with your plan administrator.
Lab fees (at discounted cash-pay prices), medicines from your pharmacy, imaging, specialist and hospital care, and treatments such as IV drips, injections or aesthetic products.
Use the questions in chapter 9: what a visit costs, what is extra, how long visits are, how you reach your clinician, and how cancelling works.
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