Dr. Michelle Chestovich Opened a Cash-Only Menopause Clinic in St. Paul
Dr. Michelle Chestovich opened the Menopause Clinic in St. Paul in September, charging $525 for hour-long initial visits and declining to contract with insurance companies, the Star Tribune reported.
Last year, Chestovich was diagnosed with cancer in both breasts and in 2025 underwent a bilateral mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, followed this fall by reconstruction surgery. She is now cancer-free and takes a daily drug to prevent recurrence. During her own treatment, a two-hour consultation with her surgeon, Dr. Elizabeth O’Leary, planted the idea for the clinic: women facing menopause, Chestovich decided, deserve more than the typical 15-minute appointment.
A $525 Hour Off Snelling Avenue
The clinic sits inside an Art Deco medical building just off Snelling Avenue in St. Paul. Patients pay upfront — the hour-long initial visit costs $525 — and the practice accepts cash and checks. For patients who want to seek out-of-network reimbursement from their insurers, Chestovich provides a detailed receipt known as a superbill.
Why She Left Insurance Behind
Chestovich, who left family practice five years earlier to coach physicians in their 40s and 50s, said bringing insurers into the practice would have forced her to hire staff and see more patients, shrinking the time she could spend with each one.
Joining a Small Direct-Care Movement in the Twin Cities
Chestovich’s practice joins a few dozen Twin Cities doctors who run direct primary care clinics outside the traditional insurance system. Those practices typically charge a monthly fee — usually around $200 for an individual — and cap patient panels at 500 to 600 people, about one-fourth the panel size typical of physicians in large health systems.
Questions About the Menopause Clinic
How much does an initial visit cost?
An hour-long initial visit at the Menopause Clinic costs $525, payable by cash or check, according to the Star Tribune.
Does the clinic accept insurance?
No. The practice does not contract with insurers, but it provides a superbill — a detailed receipt — that patients can submit to their insurance companies for possible out-of-network reimbursement.
Where is the clinic located?
The Menopause Clinic operates in an Art Deco medical building just off Snelling Avenue in St. Paul.
Who is Dr. Michelle Chestovich?
She is a former family practice physician who left clinical work five years ago to coach physicians, then returned to practice after her own bilateral breast cancer treatment, which included a 2025 mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation and reconstruction.
After just a few weeks of running the clinic on her own, Chestovich said the model is doing exactly what she hoped: “My dream has come true.”
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