FryeCare Medical Weight Loss

About FryeCare Medical Weight Loss

What is FryeCare Medical Weight Loss?

FryeCare Medical Weight Loss is a medical weight loss program within the FryeCare Physicians Network. It is based at 1781 Tate Blvd. SE, Suite 204, in Hickory, North Carolina, and the phone number is 828.324.9865. Since its launch in July 2022, the program has helped more than 1,000 new patients. Its Google listing shows a 5 rating from 6 reviews.

Ailisa Smith, MD, is the medical director and is board-certified in family, adolescent and obesity medicine. Anita Gribble, PA-C, and Erin Brabandt, PA-C, also prescribe, and each holds a Certificate of Advanced Education from the Obesity Medicine Association. The program offers three services: Medical Weight Loss, a body mass index (BMI) calculator, and imaging tests to support GLP-1 treatment. It prescribes brand-name, FDA-approved medications, such as Wegovy (semaglutide), and names Orforglipron as an upcoming oral option. In its own words: "We do not prescribe compounded weight-loss medications."

This listing is for its Hickory office at 1781 Tate Blvd. SE, Suite 204.

What does it cost?

It does not publish prices or a consultation fee, and it does not state whether medication is part of any monthly cost. It notes that many health insurance plans, including Medicare and most Medicaid plans, cover medical weight loss, and it has insurance coordinators who provide coverage information. Out-of-pocket costs can still include co-pays for office visits and for tests needed to verify health status before treatment. The parent network describes a discounted, sliding fee schedule based on income and family size. That information is written for its clinics in general, so ask whether it applies to this program.

What should you ask before you book?

Ask who will sign your prescription, and whether the monthly fee includes the medication or bills it separately. Ask whether the medication is the brand-name product the clinic describes and whether a compounded version is ever used. Ask whether the clinic bills your insurance directly, since that is not stated outright. Ask what follow-up visits, lab work and imaging cost, whether telehealth is offered, what the program's hours are, and how cancellation works. Before your first appointment, a primary care provider must send a referral, which can go directly to the office. Ask whether the eligibility described in a 2023 announcement still applies: adults 18 and older with a BMI of 30 or above and one or more obesity-related disorders.

Who is it a good fit for?

This is a good fit if you have a primary care provider willing to send a referral, want a program led by a physician medical director that prescribes brand-name medication, and can plan for costs insurance may not cover. If you need a published price list before you call, expect to ask for one.

Sources: fryecarephysicians.com/medical-weight-loss, fryecarephysicians.com/news/2025/05/07/fryecare-medical-weight-loss-celebrates-relocation

Services Offered

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