What Forward Health Is

Forward Health is a membership-based primary care practice that charges an annual or monthly fee instead of billing insurance for office visits. You pay the membership upfront, then see your doctor as often as you need without copays or visit charges. The company operates physical clinics in select cities and offers virtual visits to members anywhere.

Forward positions itself as an alternative to traditional insurance-based primary care, where your doctor's revenue depends on billing your insurance company per visit. Instead, Forward's doctors are salaried, and your membership fee funds their time. This model means your doctor has financial incentive to spend longer with you and order tests without worrying about insurance denials.

The service covers preventive care, chronic disease management, and acute illness visits. It does not replace health insurance — you still need coverage for specialist referrals, hospitalizations, and emergency care. Forward members typically keep their insurance and use Forward for routine primary care.

Key Takeaways

  • Forward charges a flat annual or monthly membership fee ($199 to $299 per year for basic plans, higher for premium tiers) with no per-visit copays or charges.
  • You must live in or near one of Forward's clinic locations to use in-person visits, though virtual visits are available nationwide.
  • Forward does not bill your insurance for visits, so you pay out of pocket and cannot use insurance to cover the membership fee.
  • The service works alongside your existing health insurance, not as a replacement, because Forward cannot cover specialist care or hospitalizations.
  • Your membership includes preventive screenings, lab work ordered by your Forward doctor, and unlimited virtual visits, but lab costs and imaging may be separate.

Membership Tiers and Monthly Costs

Forward offers three main membership levels. The entry tier costs around $199 per year and includes virtual visits, basic preventive care, and access to your doctor's time. Mid-tier plans run approximately $299 per year and add in-person visits at Forward clinics, more frequent health screenings, and priority scheduling. Premium memberships cost more and bundle additional services like nutrition coaching or mental health support, though pricing varies by location.

These are annual or monthly subscription prices, not insurance premiums. You pay the same fee whether you visit once a year or twelve times. Forward also offers family plans that cover multiple household members at a discounted per-person rate. Exact pricing depends on your location and the plan tier you choose, so you will need to check Forward's website or contact their sales team for your specific area.

Some employers offer Forward memberships as an employee benefit, which means your company pays part or all of the fee. If your employer does not, you pay the full membership cost yourself. Forward does not accept Health Savings Account (HSA) funds or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds to pay the membership, though some members use these accounts to cover lab work or imaging that Forward orders.

What Is and Is Not Covered

Your Forward membership covers unlimited primary care visits — in person if you live near a clinic, or by video if you do not. It includes preventive screenings like blood pressure checks, cholesterol panels, and age-appropriate cancer screenings. Your Forward doctor can order lab work and imaging, and the membership typically covers the doctor's interpretation and time, but the actual lab or imaging facility may bill you separately depending on your insurance and the facility.

Forward does not cover specialist visits, emergency room care, hospitalizations, surgery, or prescription medications. If your Forward doctor refers you to a cardiologist or dermatologist, you will use your regular health insurance for that visit. If you need emergency care, you go to an emergency room and bill it to your insurance as usual. Forward is a primary care tool, not a replacement for comprehensive health coverage.

Prescription medications are not included in the membership. Your Forward doctor can write prescriptions, and you fill them at a pharmacy and pay the cost (or use your insurance pharmacy benefit). Some Forward members report that their doctors are willing to spend time discussing generic options or lower-cost alternatives because they are not paid per prescription.

How Forward Differs From Traditional Primary Care

In a traditional insurance-based practice, your doctor's income depends partly on billing your insurance for each visit. The practice has incentive to see many patients quickly and bill for as many services as possible. Forward flips this: your doctor is salaried, and the practice's revenue comes from membership fees, not visit volume. This means your doctor has time to spend with you without the clock running.

Traditional primary care also requires you to navigate insurance approval for tests and referrals. Your doctor may order a test, but your insurance may deny it or require prior authorization, which delays care. Forward doctors order tests without insurance approval because members are paying out of pocket. This can mean faster results, though you bear the cost if your insurance would not have covered the test anyway.

Forward also uses technology differently. The service emphasizes preventive screening and uses data from your visits to flag health trends early. Your doctor has access to your visit history and test results in a digital system designed for continuity. Traditional practices use electronic health records too, but Forward's model is built around the idea that prevention and early detection reduce overall health costs.

Who Forward Works Well For

Forward suits people who live near a clinic location, want more time with their doctor, and can afford the annual membership fee out of pocket. If you are relatively healthy and do not need frequent specialist care, Forward can be cheaper than paying copays at a traditional practice — especially if you would otherwise visit your doctor multiple times a year. Young, employed people with employer-subsidized memberships often find the service valuable because the employer covers most or all of the cost.

Forward also appeals to people frustrated with insurance-based care: those who feel rushed during visits, who want preventive screening without fighting insurance denials, or who value a doctor who has time to discuss lifestyle changes. If you have a chronic condition that requires frequent primary care visits and monitoring, Forward's unlimited visit model can reduce your out-of-pocket costs compared to traditional copay structures.

Forward is less useful if you live far from a clinic and prefer in-person visits, if you have complex medical needs requiring frequent specialist care, or if you cannot afford the membership fee. Virtual-only membership is cheaper but only works if you are comfortable managing most care by video. If your employer does not subsidize Forward and you are uninsured or underinsured, the membership fee may be hard to justify when that money could go toward actual health insurance.

How Forward Fits With Your Health Insurance

Forward is not health insurance and does not replace it. You need separate coverage for hospitalizations, emergency care, specialist visits, and major medical events. Most Forward members keep their employer insurance, buy an individual plan through the marketplace, or maintain a high-deductible plan paired with an HSA. Forward works alongside whatever insurance you have.

When you see your Forward doctor, that visit is not billed to your insurance — you are paying the membership fee instead. This means the visit does not count toward your insurance deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. If your Forward doctor orders lab work and you have insurance, the lab facility may bill your insurance, or you may pay out of pocket depending on the facility and your plan. You will need to clarify with Forward and your lab provider how costs are handled.

Some people use Forward with a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) because Forward's membership fee is often lower than the copays they would pay at a traditional practice. Others use Forward with a standard PPO plan and see Forward for routine care, then use their insurance for specialists. The combination you choose depends on your health needs, budget, and whether your employer offers Forward as a benefit.

Clinic Locations and Virtual Visit Availability

Forward operates physical clinics in a limited number of cities, primarily in California, New York, and a few other metropolitan areas. If you live in or near one of these locations, you can book in-person visits with your assigned Forward doctor. If you do not live near a clinic, you can still become a Forward member and use virtual visits exclusively, though some plan tiers are designed for in-person members and may not be available to virtual-only members.

Virtual visits are conducted through Forward's app or website. You schedule a video appointment with your doctor, and the visit works much like a telehealth visit at any other practice. Your doctor can discuss symptoms, review test results, write prescriptions, and order lab work. Virtual visits are available to members nationwide, so geography is not a barrier to membership, but the in-person experience is limited to clinic locations.

Forward's clinic locations and service areas change, so you should check their website or contact their team directly to confirm whether in-person visits are available in your area. If you are considering Forward primarily for in-person care, verify that a clinic is near you before committing to a membership.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my health insurance to pay for a Forward membership?

No. Forward memberships are paid out of pocket and cannot be billed to your health insurance. However, if you have an HSA or FSA, you may be able to use those funds to pay for lab work or imaging that Forward orders, depending on your account rules. Check with your HSA or FSA administrator about what Forward services may have access to.

What happens if I move or no longer want the membership?

If you move away from a Forward clinic location, you can usually switch to virtual-only membership at a lower cost, or you can cancel. Forward's cancellation policy varies, so review your membership agreement or contact them directly about how to change or end your membership. Most memberships are month-to-month or annual, so you can typically cancel at the end of your billing cycle.

Does Forward work with my employer insurance?

Yes. Forward works alongside your existing employer insurance. Your employer insurance covers specialist visits, hospitalizations, and emergency care, while Forward covers your primary care. Some employers offer Forward as an employee benefit and subsidize the membership cost. If your employer does not offer Forward, you can purchase a membership on your own, but you will pay the full cost.

Will Forward order tests my insurance would not cover?

Forward doctors may order tests without waiting for insurance approval because members pay out of pocket. However, you are responsible for the cost of any test your insurance would not cover. Before Forward orders a test, ask whether your insurance will cover it and what you would owe if it does not. This prevents surprise bills.

Can Forward handle my chronic disease management?

Forward can manage many chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol through primary care visits and monitoring. However, if your condition requires specialist care or frequent hospitalizations, Forward alone is not enough — you need your insurance and specialist doctors. Forward works best as part of a broader care team, not as your only medical resource.