Prices & Membership

Simple. Transparent. No surprises.

Diana Girnita, MD, PhD, FACR

Double Board Certified in Rheumatology & Internal Medicine

Your First Visit

Your initial consultation fee is $499. This includes

Dr. Girnita’s comprehensive review of your complete medical history, labs, imaging and other diagnostics prior to your appointment
Your initial consultation, typically 60-90 minutes
Your first month of care, including follow-up appointments to confirm diagnosis and develop, monitor and adjust your treatment plan if you decide to sign up for the membership plan (Option A)
Your $50 booking deposit is credited towards the cost of this visit.

If you continue treatment at our practice, you have two options:

Our Membership Plan is the most economical when you need at least one consultation every month.
If you only need occasional consultations, you can simply pay per visit.

Rheumatology Services

	Option A: Membership Plan	Option B: Fee for Service
Cost	For patients continuing treatment after their initial consultation: 3-month minimum. Month 1 is included in initial consultation fee. Month 2 = $299 Month 3 = $299	Varies
Best for	People with a complex diagnosis or significant ongoing treatment needs. Includes followup appointments to confirm diagnosis & develop, monitor & adjust treatment plan.	Best for occasional treatment or verifying an autoimmune or rheumatological diagnosis
Rheumatology Diagnosis & Treatment Consultation
Initial visit (60 mins)	Credited to first 3 months' membership fees.	$499
Monthly follow-up visits (30 mins)	✔	$299
Urgent visits (30 mins)	✔	$450
Same day/next day appointments	✔	No
Priority booking	✔	No
After-hours appointments	✔	No
Cancellation < 48 hours	✔	$50
Email, text & phone access to doctor	✔	$399/hour, billed in 15-minute increments. Phone access not included.
Prescription renewals	✔	During visits
24/7 access to all labs, imaging, medication history via secure HIPAA-compliant portal	✔	$10/month
Medical records review	✔	$300/hr
Integrative & Lifestyle Medicine
Integrative medicine consultation	✔	$400
Online nutrition & mindfulness classes	✔	$20/month
Online physical therapy	✔	$20/month
Communication with Your Healthcare Team
Care coordination with your other doctors	✔	$399/hour, billed in 15-minute increments
Preauthorization	✔	$130
Additional Savings
Discounted lab services	✔	No
Discounted ultrasound, MRI, CT, X-ray imaging	✔	No
Local prescription discount locator service	✔	No

Frequently-Asked Questions

Insurance

Can I combine this with my medical insurance?

We don’t participate in any insurance plans. Our patients pay us directly for all of the diagnostic and treatment services they receive.

If you have an HSA/FSA, check with your employer and tax advisor to determine whether your monthly membership fee can be reimbursed via your HSA/FSA account.

Labs & Imaging

Our membership includes standard labs and access to low-cost imaging and discounted prescription resources. This usually means you pay less than your health plan charges.

However, you’re always free to get labs, imaging and prescriptions through your health plan if you prefer.

If you have out-of-network benefits, we’re happy to provide a detailed statement (“superbill”) that you can submit for reimbursement. You’re also free to pay for these services with cash or your HSA/FSA if that works better for you.

We have no control over possible reimbursement and cannot predict whether your plan will reimburse you or not.

NOTE: We strongly recommend that patients continue their regular medical insurance. It includes many important benefits like emergency room access, access to other providers, pharmacy benefits, and hospitalization benefits.

Should I keep my existing health insurance?

We strongly recommend that patients continue their regular medical insurance. It includes many important benefits like emergency room access, access to other providers, pharmacy benefits, and hospitalization benefits.

Do you take Medicaid or Medicare?

Dr. Girnita is opted out of Medicare and Medicaid programs. You will not be able to submit or receive reimbursement from Medicare or Medicaid for serrvices provided by Rheumatologist OnCall.

What if I'm uninsured?

Dr. Girnita is a strong advocate of affordable healthcare and transparent pricing. Our direct-care/direct-pay model provides great access to expert rheumatology for everyone regardless of their insurance status.

You will never be blindsided by a bill, and we also offer low-cost imaging, labs and prescription resources.

Membership & Fees

Does this require a long-term commitment?

After your initial consultation, you & Dr. Girnita will decide together whether our practice is a good fit for you. If you become our patient, a three-month membership is required.

Your initial consultation fee will be credited against your membership fee.

This commitment allows enough time for Dr. Girnita to:

Thoroughly understand your health history and quality of life priorities
Order and review labs and imaging
Make a thorough diagnosis
Start your initial treatment
Follow up on your response to treatment
Adjust your treatment as needed

After three months, your membership is month-to-month and can be canceled at any time with 30 days notice.

Do you offer in-person, video, or phone visits?

Dr. Girnita offers your choice of in-person visits at our Irvine, CA office, or video telehealth visits for patients in our 8-state service area which includes Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Montana, Oklahoma and Texas.

Phone consultations are available only to participants in our membership plan.

Do I have to have a membership?

After your initial consultation, you can become our patient via a membership plan or per-visit fees.

Membership is best suited for people with complex diagnosis or treatment needs who benefit from ongoing care and rapid access to Dr. Girnita.

Per-visit fees are often best if:

You only need 1-2 consultations to clarify your autoimmune or rheumatological diagnosis—for example, a positive ANA test or elevated inflammation markers
You need only occasional rheumatological care—for example, gout attacks.

Why are your prices lower than in-network practices?

Our direct-care/direct-pay model requires none of the bureaucracy required to file insurance claims and follow up on reimbursements. Since we pay less, you pay less.

We also contract directly with clinical labs and imaging centers. Cutting out the middleman means lower costs for you.

Medical Care

Do you replace my current doctors?

Our patients generally consider Dr. Girnita to be their primary rheumatologist. In addition, they continue to see their in-network family doctor, primary care physician, internist, ob-gyn, etc., as they normally would.

Can you talk to my other doctors or send them my visit notes?

Your records are completely confidential and we will never share them without your permission.

We do encourage you to share treatment information with your primary care doctor to ensure continuity of care, and are happy to fax them your visit notes at your request.

If you wish, Dr. Girnita will also speak with your healthcare team to explain your diagnosis and help make sure that your treatment is as effective as possible. This includes discussing possible drug interactions related to any other medications you may be taking.

Can you prescribe pain or other medications?

Yes, Dr. Girnita will write required prescriptions at the end of your initial consultation or follow-up visit. No medications are prescribed for second-opinion consultations.

NOTE: Our practice does not prescribe narcotics, neurologic medications, or medical marijuana.

We provide discounted prescription resources. However, you’re free to refill your prescriptions through your health insurance if you prefer. Dr. Girnita can complete preauthorization forms and speak to your insurance company if needed.

Does this include physical therapy?

Dr. Girnita has worked with a physical therapist to create an online physical therapy program specifically for people with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. This program is included in our membership and is available to non-members for a fee.

For most patients, this meets their needs. If you and I feel that one-on-one physical therapy would be helpful, you can access physical therapy services available through your health insurance or I can refer you to a physical therapist in your area.

What if I need labs or imaging?

Dr. Girnita can order labs and imaging studies when needed. Lab and imaging orders are placed only during your visit.

If your labs or imaging reveal something urgent, Dr. Girnita will call you as soon as she reviews the results. Otherwise, she’ll review results in detail with you during your next appointment amd answer all your questions. We generally don’t email results, to avoid possible misunderstandings.

Our membership plan includes common labs at no extra charge plus access to low-cost imaging services. You’re also free to get lab and imaging services through your regular health insurance.

What if I need the ER, hospitalization or other specialists?

You’ll use your regular insurance for emergency room visits, hospitalizations including surgery, and visits with other specialists. These services are not provided by Rheumatology OnCall.