What is Direct Primary Care, or DPC??
Direct primary care (DPC) is a rapidly-growing model of healthcare in which the patient receives more personalized and comprehensive care through improved access to their doctor. Doctors’ “panels”- the number of patients under their care- are significantly smaller than the typical fee-for-service (insurance-based) doctor, who generally has a panel size of nearly 2,000 patients. In DPC, practice sizes range roughly from 100-500 patients. This allows for no or minimal wait times, same day or next day appointments and extended appointment times. There are no co-pays. No “you are 11th in line” holds when calling to schedule an appointment or refill a prescription or ask a question of your doctor. Patients often have direct access to their doctor- they can call, video chat, text, or email and expect their doctor to return this communication in a timely fashion, if their doctor doesn’t simply answer the phone in the first place. Doctors often make house-calls. Patients are able to build genuine relationships with their doctor. It is “old school” medicine- the way medicine should be, and used to be, practiced.
Patients pay their doctors a monthly or annual fee for this service. While this is similar to concierge practice, one major difference is that DPC practices do not bill insurance companies. There aren’t hidden costs or surprise bills. Often doctors will partner with local labs, pharmacies, or radiology services to offer these items or services at cost. You’ll know the cost of such an item or service before you go. Not only that, but patients in DPC practices have been shown to utilize urgent care and emergency care less often.
Imagine this- you get to see the same doctor, talk to the same doctor; you can text, call, or email that doctor directly; that doctor truly knows you and your family, and you get to know your doctor! The doctor knows what works for you and your family. It is not just patient-centered care, but family-centered care. It’s innovative, its exciting, and its the future of primary care.
Is DPC right for you and your family? Give us a call to talk it over. I promise, you won't be 11th in line.
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