Most people who call about a direct primary care membership ask some version of the same question first: what exactly am I signing up for if I come in for this free visit?
It is a fair thing to want to know. Anything advertised as free usually comes with a pitch attached. So here is a straightforward account of what a meet and greet at Ridgeview Direct Care actually involves, and what it does not.
The short answer
It is a 30-minute conversation with Dr. Kroner. No cost, no paperwork to sign, no obligation to join. You sit down with the physician who would be your doctor, ask whatever you want to ask, and leave.
That is the whole thing. The reason the practice offers it is simple: a membership is a relationship, and nobody should commit to a relationship with a doctor they have never met.
What it is not
- It is not a medical appointment. This visit is not the place for a diagnosis, an exam or a prescription. If you have a symptom that needs attention now, please see a physician or, for anything urgent, go to urgent care or the emergency department.
- It is not a sales meeting. There is no closing script and no pressure to decide in the room.
- It is not billed to your insurance, and it does not create a patient record or a claim.
- It does not obligate you to anything. Plenty of people come in, think it over and decide the model is not for them. That is a perfectly good outcome.
How the 30 minutes usually goes
There is no rigid agenda, but most conversations cover a few things.
Your situation, in your words
Who is in the household, what has been frustrating about care so far, whether anyone is managing an ongoing condition, and what you are hoping is different. You do not need to prepare a medical history.
How the practice works
How to reach Dr. Kroner between visits, how quickly appointments can usually happen, how long visits run, how referrals and labs are handled, and what the fee covers. You can see the membership options and request one on the become a member page, but the conversation is a better place to work out which one fits.
Whether it is a good fit
Sometimes the honest answer is no. If your current doctor is working well for you, or if the budget would be strained, or if your care is mostly specialist-driven, a physician who is being straight with you will say so.
What to bring
Very little is required. Some people find these helpful:
- A list of your current medications and supplements
- The name of your insurance plan, if you want to talk through how a membership would sit alongside it
- Your spouse or partner, if this would be a household decision
- Your questions, written down. Half an hour goes faster than you think.
Questions worth asking while you have the doctor’s attention
- How many patients do you care for, and where do you cap it?
- If I message you on a Wednesday afternoon, who reads it and when?
- What happens when you are on vacation?
- How do you handle referrals, labs and imaging, and what do those typically cost me?
- What kinds of problems do you prefer to send out rather than manage here?
- How do you approach care for kids and teens in the family?
The answers tell you a lot about how a practice really runs. You can also read about Dr. Kroner’s training and background on the meet the doctor page before you come in.
After the visit
You go home and think about it. If you want to move forward, you submit a membership request and the office confirms the details with you. If you do not, nothing happens and there is no follow-up campaign waiting for you.
Either way, you leave knowing something you could not have learned from a website: whether this is a doctor you would actually want in your corner.
Come have the conversation
Ridgeview Direct Care is at 4045 Wadsworth Blvd #300 in Wheat Ridge, a short drive from Arvada, Lakewood, Golden and Edgewater. Appointments run Monday through Friday.
Book a free meet and greet or call 720-807-9961.
This article is general information about our practice, not medical advice. Please see our medical disclaimer.