How it works
Direct primary care is a membership based system where primary care health services are offered in exchange for a monthly membership fee. Membership includes virtually unlimited access to your physician. This is an alternative to traditional insurance based primary care, and you don’t use your insurance to pay for care.
- Importantly, DPC is not an insurance policy and is not a replacement for traditional insurance coverage. It is recommended for all people to carry health insurance for services outside routine primary care such as: Urgent Care / Emergency Room visits, Imaging (x-rays, CT, MRI), subspecialty care, significant illness or injury requiring surgery / hospitalization.
- Often, the best insurance plans with a DPC membership include high deductible health plans (HDHP) in combination with an FSA/HSA, health shares, or PPOs. HMO plans are frequently too restricting and may require you to obtain a separate in-network primary care physician to see your child before they may cover services recommended by your DPC physician.
- DPC doctors have negotiated very favorable cash rates with lab companies and will pass these savings along to you. This out of pocket cost is often much less expensive than your copay / coinsurance if insurance was to be used.
