Direct Primary Care FAQ
What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an insurance-free method for the majority of your primary and acute care needs. Regardless of your current insurance status, members of the DPC clinic pay a monthly fee to have a direct relationship with their doctor. In this model, we have no copays, middlemen, or hidden fees. Instead, we have transparent interaction and pricing between the patient and doctor. Outside this clinic, patients are still able to use insurance to cover referrals to specialists and out-of-office testing. For patients who are uninsured, we work hard to find the most reasonable out-of-pocket pay options with consideration of physical, mental, and financial health.
Does this replace my insurance?
No! While we do our best to keep you healthy and out of the ER and hospital, things happen that are outside the scope of a primary care clinic. Catastrophic events unfortunately occur, and insurance for specialist care, MRIs, and emergency room visits is still vital in the US.
Does DPC make sense for me?
It could--depending on your individual needs! Given our insurance-free model, we minimize the convoluted steps in our health system that stand between a doctor's and patient's time. This translates to highly personalized medicine, allowing for in-depth visits and to continuously build an understanding of your health. If you have individual questions about if DPC is a fit, give us a call to discuss what might be right for you.
Is this concierge medicine?
Direct Primary Care is not the same as concierge medicine, however there are similarities. Both are membership based and use smaller than typical patient-to-doctor ratios to allow for increased access and availability to communicate with your doctor by phone, email, text, etc. Where they differ is that Direct Primary Care is typically more affordable with lower overhead and smaller patient-to-doctor ratios, and does not concurrently bill insurance.
What if I need labs, imaging, or specialist care?
Members receive labs and imaging services at heavily discounted cost through our vendors. If specialist care is indicated, we are able to refer to the specialist needed to assist in your care.
If I enroll as a patient, when does billing begin?
Will I really be able to contact my doctor directly?
Absolutely. You can contact your provider by direct phone, text, facetime, zoom, or whatever works for you. We value access and minimizing the barriers to have your questions answered. All we ask is that after-hour communication be limited to urgent concerns. In return, we are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for your convenience.