FAQ

Direct primary care is a revolutionary physician-directed model that shifts healthcare decisions away from insurance companies and back to family doctors and their patients. DPC gives patients 24/7 access to their trusted family physicians through all forms of technology. With no copays or deductibles to contend with, patients spend less out of pocket. And with a designated medical team to coordinate care and prevent unnecessary duplication of efforts, most employers can expect to save up to 30 percent on their total healthcare costs. 

You won't have to pay a co-pay for office visits or routine physicals. Also you'll be able to avoid many visits altogether by sending your questions directly to us via email and text – something you won't get from a traditional practice. We've negotiated cost-savings for prescription medications, blood tests, X-rays, and MRI/CT scans on your behalf. If we had contracts with insurance companies, we would be legally obligated to charge higher prices.

More importantly, since you are getting all this care from us, you can cut way back on your insurance premiums. Most DPC patients find a high-deductible, low-premium insurance plan so they're covered in the case of a major health issue. But leave the rest of your healthcare to us.

As a direct primary care doctor, I get this question all the time. The most common question patients, or skeptics, pose is why they would pay twice for health care. The first thing to point out is that health insurance does not equal health care. The two are not synonymous. Having health insurance does not guarantee you access to health care, and certainly does not give you access to quality health care. It simply provides an avenue to have costs for specific services “covered.”  As for the pay twice question, everyone already pays twice for health insurance.  Read the rest...

The greatest benefit of a practice like ours is that we remove the burdensome procedures and restrictions imposed by insurance carriers. This not only supports quality care — it also significantly reduces costs for patients

The current FFS system requires a physician to examine each patient in person to file an insurance claim and get paid. Under this model, physicians cannot receive compensation when they communicate with patients by text or phone. In addition, primary care physicians are trained to perform a number of procedures that insurance companies will not cover unless they are referred out to a specialist. We eliminate these and other obstacles by taking insurance companies out of the primary care equation — providing responsive care and proactive wellness management for one monthly subscription fee.

In a word, the main difference is affordability. While concierge doctors focus on a handful of wealthy clients who pay a monthly retainer for their services, plus additional fees for services outside of their baseline structure, DPC is an affordable return to the era of the family physician. In addition to the dramatic cost savings, DPC patients enjoy 24/7 access to their doctor — along with routine laboratory testing services, urgent care, and low cost medications dispensed in house to foster healthy lifestyles.

Of course. Everyone benefits from a service tailored directly to them. That’s why we offer truly custom healthcare. We’re here for you if you're sick or hurt, but we also help you proactively maintain good overall health. Every visit with us will be thorough, relaxed, and as long as you need to address your health concerns. The longer you're our patient, the more we learn about your health and lifestyle, and the better we can help you maintain that health. Plus, if we save you one trip to urgent care or the ER it will more than pay for your Direct Primary Care membership.

 A common question from our patients in their 60s and up is, “How could your practice actually make sense with my medicare?” It is a smart question. It’s important to understand how medicare works when you have a doctor, like Dr. Jones, who does not bill medicare (aka a doctor who is “opted out” of medicare).
 

At our practice, patients in the age group of 65 and above will pay a membership fee of $69 per month or $120 per month as a couple to have convenient access to their physician. They will be able to reach their primary care doctor when and how it works for them. They will avoid long wait times at the office or on the phone. And, they will have a meaningful relationship with a doctor who knows them well and spends the needed time listening to their needs. ​

Many prospective patients and many critics of Direct Primary Care are surprised to know that many Medicare patients have chosen to join Direct Primary Care practices. That means, those patients have chosen to pay for our monthly membership fee “out-of-pocket” to cover a majority of their needs without any copays (primary care visits, chronic care visits, acute illness visits, phone & email questions, joint injections, skin procedures, gynecologic preventative services, etc.) while paying for supplemental Medicare plans. One saved visit to the ER or Urgent Care will pay for months if not years of a Direct Primary Care membership.
 

Those patients are still able to use their medicare coverage for medications at the pharmacy, blood and urine samples at the lab, x-rays, MRIs and other imaging, specialist visits, and emergency room & hospital care. But, when they are sick with a cold, need a medication adjustment, would like preventative and wellness advice, or just have a question for their doctor, they are able to reach us at our practice right away.
 

When they aren’t sure if the medication they just picked up at the pharmacy should be taken with a meal, they can call their doctor and get an immediate answer. When they feel a cold coming on and want some advice, they can reach their doctor that day. When they need a visit that works with their schedule, we can see them the same or next day - not the usual months-long-waits that other practices have.

The care and attention you get, regardless of your age or current insurance or ability to pay is like having a doctor in the family. 

Yes. We have opted out of Medicare. You need only sign a one-time waiver declaring that neither you nor your doctor will directly bill Medicare for our services. Even though Medicare will not pay us for any services you receive in our practice, your Medicare benefits will otherwise remain unchanged and can continue to be used for all other medical care received outside of our practice.

We help to provide such care – yet another freedom we enjoy together as a result of our independence from the restrictions of insurance companies. Because we’re familiar with your medical history, we can streamline your care when you’re sick away from home. In the age of telemedicine, many illnesses can be diagnosed and treated with a simple conversation by phone or webcam. We’ll locate the nearest pharmacy and order the medications most appropriate for your present circumstances.

Not at this time. Since the monthly fee cannot be tied to a specific medical service, and since patients may not use any services during some months, current tax codes prohibit the use of HSA funds for this purpose. There is bipartisan support, and multiple bills already exist, for a change in this IRS code that may allow for HSA payments in the future.