Category: Blog

Understanding surgery cost without insurance and why transparent pricing is changing healthcare

If you have ever tried to figure out what a surgery will cost, you probably discovered something frustrating. Most hospitals cannot give you a clear answer ahead of time.

Patients are often told that the final cost depends on their insurance, their deductible, the facility, anesthesia, and a long list of other variables. The result is uncertainty that leaves many people delaying needed care because they are worried about the financial impact.

But the truth is that surgery does not have to be unpredictable. In fact, many patients are surprised to learn that the cost of surgery without insurance can sometimes be lower than what they would pay through their insurance plan.

At Solstice Health, we offer transparent, bundled pricing with our surgical partners so patients can see the total cost of a procedure before scheduling it.

Why Surgery Costs Are So Hard to Understand

In the traditional healthcare system, surgery pricing is fragmented. Instead of one clear price, multiple entities bill separately for their portion of the procedure.

A patient may receive bills from the surgeon, the surgical facility, anesthesia, imaging, and lab work. These charges are often processed through insurance contracts that determine what is billed, what is discounted, and what the patient ultimately owes.

Even patients with insurance frequently have no clear estimate of their total out of pocket cost until weeks after the surgery takes place.

For patients without insurance, this system can feel even more intimidating because the listed hospital prices are often significantly higher than negotiated insurance rates.

Why Insurance Does Not Always Mean Lower Costs

Many people assume that having insurance automatically makes surgery more affordable. Unfortunately, that is not always the case, especially with high deductible plans.

Today, many insurance policies require patients to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket before their coverage begins. A deductible of $5,000, $7,000, or even $10,000 is increasingly common.

This means that for many routine surgeries, patients end up paying the full cost themselves anyway because they have not yet met their deductible.

In those situations, insurance may not actually reduce the cost of the procedure. Patients can still be responsible for a large bill, but without the benefit of knowing the price ahead of time.

Direct pay surgery changes that equation by offering a clearly defined price from the beginning.

What Surgery Cost Without Insurance Looks Like With Transparent Pricing

A select number of healthcare pioneers like Solstice Health are offering bundled surgical pricing that simplifies the entire process.

Instead of multiple bills arriving after the procedure, patients receive one clear price that covers the entire surgery. This typically includes the surgeon, the facility, anesthesia, and follow up care.

Because the process removes complex insurance billing and administrative overhead, the overall cost can often be lower than traditional hospital pricing.

Just as importantly, patients know exactly what they are paying before the procedure happens.

That transparency allows patients to plan financially, compare options, and move forward with care without worrying about surprise bills.

How Transparent Surgical Pricing Helps Patients Get Care Sooner

Uncertainty about cost is one of the most common reasons people postpone surgery. When patients cannot estimate what they will owe, it becomes difficult to move forward with treatment.

Transparent pricing removes that barrier.

When patients know the total cost ahead of time, they can make informed decisions about their health instead of delaying care out of fear of an unexpected bill.

At Solstice Health, we believe patients deserve clarity when it comes to healthcare costs. By working with a surgical partner who provides upfront pricing, we help patients access high quality procedures without the confusion that often comes with traditional insurance billing.

If you are considering surgery and want to understand your options, exploring transparent surgical pricing may be a helpful place to start.

How direct primary care offers predictable costs and better access to your doctor

If you feel like your health insurance card comes with a side of frustration, you are not alone. High deductibles, surprise bills, rushed appointments, and long waits have become the norm for many families across Wisconsin. You pay thousands before coverage even begins, yet still struggle to get the time and attention you need from your doctor.

There is another way to approach primary care. It is called direct primary care, and it is built around access, transparency, and relationships instead of insurance billing codes. At Solstice Health, we designed our Direct Primary Care membership to remove the financial and logistical barriers that keep people from getting the care they deserve and it isn’t too good to be true. Let’s dig in.

What Is Direct Primary Care and How Does It Work?

Direct primary care is a membership-based healthcare model. Instead of billing insurance for every visit, patients pay a simple monthly fee. That fee covers most primary care services with no copays and no surprise bills.

Your membership typically includes:

• Same or next day appointments
• Longer, unhurried visits
• Direct communication with your provider
• Preventive care, acute care, and chronic disease management
• Transparent wholesale pricing for labs, imaging, and medications

Because we are not restricted by insurance rules, we can focus on what actually matters. Your health, your goals, and your long term outcomes.

Why High Deductible Plans Leave Patients Stuck

High deductible plans were meant to lower monthly premiums, but in reality they often delay care. Many people avoid going to the doctor because they know the visit will come out of pocket until their deductible is met.

This leads to:

• Delayed diagnoses
• Worsening chronic conditions
• Emergency room or Urgent Care visits that could have been prevented
• Financial stress around basic healthcare needs

Direct primary care flips that script. Instead of asking whether you can afford to be seen, you already know your care is covered under your membership.

The Benefits of Direct Primary Care for Families and Small Business Owners

For individuals and families, direct primary care provides clarity and control. You know your monthly cost. You know who your provider is. You know how to reach them.

For small business owners, it can be a smart addition to employee benefits. Offering a DPC membership helps reduce absenteeism, improve morale, and provide real access to care without navigating complex insurance networks.

This model works especially well when paired with a self-funded plan. Your network protects you from major events, and your direct primary care membership handles your everyday medical needs, with no claims to the plan.

A More Personal Approach to Primary Care

Healthcare should feel personal, not transactional. In a traditional insurance model, providers are often pressured to see more patients in less time. That is not how meaningful care happens. With direct primary care, visits are longer and more thoughtful. We can address root causes, spend time on prevention, and build a plan that fits your life.Whether you need help managing blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid issues, weight concerns, or just want a provider who truly knows you, our membership model allows for that kind of relationship.

You deserve a doctor who has the time to listen.

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If you are tired of high deductibles and unpredictable medical bills, it may be time to explore a better option. Learn more about our DPC membership at Solstice Health and see if it is the right fit for you and your family.

New Year, New You: Your Health Reset Starts Now (And 2026 Is the Perfect Time to Take It Back)

There’s something about the start of a new year that makes us pause.

We reflect. We reset. We think about what we want more of—and what we’re ready to leave behind.

And for many of us, the top resolution is almost always the same: get healthier.

But here’s the truth most people don’t realize until mid-February:

The biggest obstacle to becoming healthier isn’t motivation, it’s access.

Access to the right care. The right support. The right plan. And the right medical team who actually has time for you.

That’s exactly why Solstice Health exists.

Why “New Year, New You” Often Fails

Most people don’t quit their health goals because they don’t care — they quit because the system makes it hard:

• You wait weeks for an appointment
• You feel rushed during visits
• You’re handed generic advice, not personalized strategy
• Costs aren’t clear until the bill arrives
• “Healthcare” feels like something you react to instead of something you own

If you’ve ever felt stuck in that cycle, you’re not alone.

Solstice Health was built to break that pattern.

Solstice Health: A Better Way to Build Health in 2026

Solstice Health provides Direct Primary Care (DPC) — a membership-based model that gives you unlimited access to your doctor and transparent pricing on labs, imaging, and medications. 

Instead of rushing you through a “15-minute appointment” system, DPC is designed around something far more powerful:

A real relationship with your provider

Because when your doctor actually knows you, your health plan becomes realistic, sustainable, and personal.

And that is the key to lasting change in 2026.

Your 2026 Health Goals — The Solstice Way

Let’s talk about what most “New Year, New You” goals really means & how Solstice supports each one.

1. “I want to lose weight & keep it off.”

Weight loss isn’t about willpower. It’s about:

• metabolic health
• hormones
• lifestyle structure
• accountability
• a plan you can live with

Solstice Health offers a medical weight loss program, including options supporting diabetes-related weight loss and ongoing wellness support. 

Instead of fad diets, you get a medical approach built for long-term change. 

2. “I want more energy and fewer ‘blah’ days.”

Fatigue, brain fog, low stamina, these are common, but not normal.

Solstice offers services like:

• IV Nutritional Therapy
• wellness and integrative services
• testing options to identify nutritional or inflammatory drivers

All designed to help you feel like yourself again, not just “get through the day.” 

3. “I want to recover faster and stay active.”

Whether you’re training, staying active, or bouncing back from surgery or injury, recovery matters.

Solstice provides Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), with use cases including sports injury recovery and post-operative healing support. 

It’s one more way Solstice helps patients stay strong, not sidelined.

4. “I want to stop avoiding the doctor and finally get on track.”

If you’re someone who avoids care because it’s inconvenient, expensive, or frustrating, Solstice is built for you.

Their Direct Primary Care model includes routine physicals, wellness exams, chronic condition support, and acute illness care, all accessible without the typical insurance bureaucracy. 

This is what preventive care should feel like:

simple, reachable, and clear.

Make 2026 the Year You Take Back Control

It’s your money. It’s your healthcare. Take it back.

And that’s exactly the energy the New Year brings.

This year doesn’t have to be about chasing perfection.

It can be about building consistency:

• a doctor you can access
• a plan tailored to your real life
• transparent costs
• proactive wellness
• a team that supports you before problems become emergencies

Solstice Health serves individuals, families, and employers across Wisconsin with clinics in locations including Oconomowoc, Racine, Whitewater, Brookfield and Milwaukee. 

Your Next Step

If you’ve made “get healthy” your 2026 goal, here’s the best way to start:

• Have a conversation
• Get a plan
• Get support that lasts longer than January

Because New Year, New You isn’t about a quick reset.

It’s about building a healthcare foundation you can rely on.

And Solstice Health is built exactly for that.

If you suffer from chronic back pain that wasn’t caused by a known injury, such as a car accident, work accident, or other means, then you more than likely have spinal osteoarthritis. This condition causes a number of symptoms, including back pain, leg pain, and numbness. Although in some cases, osteoarthritis can actually be caused by an accident or traumatic event, in most, it’s through simple wear and tear on the back, including not lifting things properly. In order to fully understand this condition, you need to know the basics of spinal osteoarthritis.

What Exactly Is Osteoarthritis?

Osteoarthritis is an official method of referring to a disease that causes the joints in the body to degenerate over time. It commonly occurs in elderly people after a lifetime of moving around and doing repetitive motions. However, younger people can end up with it, especially if they are genetically prone to it, have done jobs that required a lot of heavy lifting or those repetitive motions, or are injured in a way that affects the cartilage in the joints.

That’s essentially what osteoarthritis is – the cartilage in the joints breaks down, causing the bones in those areas to rub up against one another. As you can imagine, this causes quite a bit of pain. Once the arthritis advances, it can even cause pitting in the bones at the joints.

Why Does Spinal Osteoarthritis Seem Worse Than the Other Kinds?

Generally, all osteoarthritis is painful. Once the cartilage in the joints is damaged, it hurts. However, in the spine, things are a little different. The spine consists of a number of vertebrae that are wrapped around the spinal cord. In between those vertebrae are discs that comfort the vertebrae and prevent them from rubbing up against one another. Without those cushioned discs, you would be in a lot of pain – and this is what spinal osteoarthritis is. Those discs begin to break down. In some cases, they can even squeeze that cushioning towards the spinal cord, causing pressure on the nerves in that area.

What Are the Symptoms of Spinal Osteoarthritis?

The very first symptom that you’ll notice is aching back pain. In most people, it occurs in the lower back. However, you might notice pain up higher in the back. It all depends on the movements that you typically make throughout the day and there the vertebral cushions (let’s not get scientific here, since that’s what they are), begin to get compressed and bulge.  When this happens, you’ll notice additional symptoms. When they press on the nerves in the spinal cord, you’ll have a great deal more pain and even some numbness. Often, this numbness and additional pain occurs in one or both legs, depending on which nerves are pressed on. In more advanced cases, you might even lose control of your bowels. An additional symptom is weakness in the affected leg or the part of your back where the osteoarthritis is located.

If you notice any of these symptoms, don’t ignore them. It’s time to get to a doctor. Contact us at Solstice Health today to arrange a consultation.

Exercise is very important. Not just running, or weight training, but also yoga and Pilates as well.

At Solstice Health, we believe that wellness encompasses lifestyle changes that benefit your health. We want to go over some types of exercise and how each can benefit you. Find what you enjoy and do more of it!

Why Is Yoga or Pilates Good?

Here are some points to show why flexibility exercises are beneficial:

• It’s less stress on the joints.
• It’s great for flexibility, strength, balance.
• It teaches effective breathing techniques.
• It helps with stress and emotional well-being.

Why is Aerobic Activity Good?

You want to keep your heart healthy with aerobic exercises. Whether you’re an athlete or not, aerobic activity increases your endurance. As a result, you can perform better in everything, whether it be work, sports, school, etc. There are all these benefits to exercise. Good examples of aerobic activity include:

• walking or jogging (treadmill or not)
• biking
• swimming

What About Strength Training?
Weight training can help keep your muscles strong. Strong muscles take the load off the joints. There’s less stress across the knee, for example; by keeping your knees strong, the muscle absorbs more of the stress rather than the joint.

Overall, you want to have a balance of all types of exercise. There’s less chance of injury with people who have strong muscles and are flexible.

For more information on health and getting assessed for which exercises are appropriate for any injury or condition, contact us at Solstice Health.

Some of the worst moments arrive at the end of springtime when women try on their summer bathing suits after a long winter of eating snack foods and relaxing in a sedentary manner. Odds are, unless you’re one of those women who managed to avoid the dessert tray during family holidays and kept hitting the gym on a regular basis, then you are definitely not beach body ready. Now is the best time to start eating some of the best summer foods for managing your weight. Here are some suggestions.

Citrus Fruit

Did you know that citrus fruit can be used to flavor your food? Ideally, when you’re in the middle of a summer diet, you want to eat foods that taste good, yet won’t weigh you down. Plus, they need to be very flavorful. Some of the best options include chicken topped with some lemon or lime juice or zest (taken from the peel). Plus, you can put chunks of citrus fruit into the water in order to make a tasty, sugar-free summer beverage. The more water you drink, the better you’ll feel, and the more weight that you’ll lose, since you aren’t replacing calories with sugary beverages.

Salad

Sometimes, you want light dishes in the summertime. A salad is a perfect option. Salad is low in calories and as long as you don’t top it with a very thick dressing, it will help with your weight loss efforts as well.

Fresh Vegetables

Summer is the best time for fresh vegetables. Many of them, such as broccoli, green beans, and Brussels sprouts can all be steamed and then used as a side dish to your meals. As long as you don’t douse them with butter, they are low in calories and quite good for you as well.

Shrimp

You’ll need some protein to go with the many fruits and vegetables that you’ve been eating. After all, you can’t live of vegetables alone. Sure, there are options like beans, mushrooms, and nuts that contain plenty of protein, but none of them compare to shrimp. These crustaceans are not only tasty, but they are light. They won’t weigh you down as a burger or steak will. Plus, depending on how they’re prepared, many people find them to be quite refreshing. Just don’t sauté them in a ton of butter and garlic, as that will not have the intended effect.

Let the professional team at Solstice Health help you improve your health and wellness this summer. Book an appointment today!

It’s not uncommon for people to feel overwhelmed after a long day, but some believe that it’s unavoidable and can’t be relieved without seeing a doctor all the time. This is not the case! If you are feeling stressed out, it’s important to remember that everyone has these moments and you can often relieve it and become much calmer with a few relaxation techniques you can perform from your desk or in your home.

One of the best ways to relieve stress and calm yourself down is with deep breathing. It may seem too simple to help, but the act of breathing in and out deeply sends a message throughout your body to relax. Symptoms of stress can include a racing heart and fast breathing, which are all things that a slow and steady breathing exercise can help resolve. Here is a technique you can try to help relax that can be done almost anywhere:

1. Sit or lie down comfortably.
2. Place one hand just below your ribs and the other on your chest.
3. Breathe deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to push outwards. Breathe out through your lips, allowing your belly to go in, helping to push the air out.
4. Repeat this up to ten times. Do it as slowly and calmly as possible.

By taking the time to relax, you will have helped to relieve the symptoms of stress, which are physical and mental in nature. Neglecting the signs can mean detrimental health effects in the long run. Here is another type of relaxation exercise that can help you relieve the stress built up in your muscles:

1. Lie down on the floor, face up.
2. Begin by taking deep breaths (see above for a suitable breathing exercise).
3. Breathe in, tensing the muscles of your feet, then breathe out, releasing the tension.
4. Work your way up your body: breathe in and tense another muscle in your body and breathe out to relax it.
5. Do this for every muscle group in your body.

These stress relieving techniques are a great way to calm yourself when the pressures of everyday life are starting to get to you. This happens to everyone! What’s important is knowing when you are stressed out and how best to treat it. Of course, when the stress is becoming too much and too overwhelming, it may be a good idea to see a physician about it who can advise you on any therapy options you can take.

Come book an appointment with us at Solstice Health to learn more and see how we can help relieve your stress with non-invasive treatments.

Summer is the number one time of the year for knee, hip, and ankle injuries. It’s not uncommon for people to spend time playing sports outside that they are fairly unprepared for. For example, if you’ve spent your winter sitting on the couch in front of the television set and then, without stretching, join in on a game of football in your front yard with your neighbors, then you’re more than likely going to get hurt in some way. Of course, this is just one example. Most people end up in the emergency room, and then a sports care institute for additional treatments, in the summertime.

Outdoor Activities Equal Injuries

What typically goes on during the summertime? The answer here is simple: outdoor activities. People head to the park to go for a job. They sign up for 5K and 10K races that are scheduled during these warmer months. On top of this, people also head to the beach, the golf course, and just about anywhere buy the inside of a traditional gym. After all, why work out indoors when you can be outside? The warm weather won’t stick around for long.

Although there usually isn’t anything wrong with being outside of long stretches of time, accidents can occur when you least expect them to. That jog in the park can be interrupted when you trip over a tree root, a stone, or even a branch on the path, twisting your ankle. Trying to play volleyball on the beach can lead to a shoulder, hip, or even knee injury. You can hurt yourself playing golf, or even during one of those races. While none of this should prevent you from enjoying these activities, you do need to keep in mind that you might get hurt.

What Your Options Are When You Injure Yourself

If you should happen to hurt yourself while out and about in the summer months, the first thing that you need to do is get checked out. There’s always the possibility that you broke or chipped a bone. In addition, even what seems like a simple sprain might become something that plagues you for some time to come. When this happens, you do have options, such as regenerative techniques and even surgery.

Although surgery is often the last option after those regenerative techniques have been attempted (in many cases, the regenerative options work well enough that surgery isn’t needed), it can help you move around freely again after the healing period is over. This all depends on how badly you managed to hurt yourself while trying to have fun during those warm summer months.

Don’t let a fear of an injury stop you from having fun. Now that you know that you have options in case you do hurt yourself, you can relax and enjoy your time outdoors on the weekends. Those summer days won’t last forever, and at some point, you’ll end up back indoors when the weather turns. What we’re trying to say is that you should enjoy the weather while it lasts.

Contact us today at Solstice Health to learn how we can help you get back on your feet this summer.