Maybe you’ve already heard of a direct primary care (DPC) membership, but what is a DPC? Well first of all – it isn’t insurance at all! It’s more like a gym membership, but with your doctor. And how can it benefit you, the patient? The direct primary care model is a payment method where patients pay their physicians directly through periodic payments for a predetermined set of primary care services. You can get a broad range of healthcare services by paying a monthly or annual flat rate for DPC. A direct primary care membership plan can provide:

• Substantial savings.
• More time in your doctor visits.
• Higher quality customer service.
• An overall better personalized experience.

What is a DPC?

As stated above, the direct primary care model is a payment method wherein the patient directly pays the physician for healthcare services. The DPC contract can replace traditional fee-for-service billing with third-party insurance plans because it provides regular, recurring monthly revenue to practices. The income from direct primary care memberships can sustain a practice’s finances, allowing the physicians and office staff to focus on the health and satisfaction of the patient rather than billing and coding. Patients benefit from the direct primary care model because it covers most primary care services in the contract. A DPC membership plan can be more affordable and provide greater customer satisfaction than traditional medical insurance in primary care.

Can DPC Replace My Health Insurance?

In traditional primary care, a third-party insurance company acts as the middleman for payments made to your physician while keeping some of the payment for their services. The direct primary care model doesn’t encourage patients to drop their traditional medical insurance. High-cost medical treatments, such as hospitalization or surgery, are when you want to use your traditional healthcare insurance. Direct primary care focuses more on the overall well-being of patients. Physicians working with DPC focus on preventing the need for high-cost medical treatments by providing services to keep their patients healthy.

3 Benefits of Direct Primary Care

Some of you may be wondering why a physician would want to provide direct primary care. The truth is a DPC model is highly effective for a physician’s business. A physician providing direct primary care memberships is more likely to offer the best customer service because they want to retain their patients, similar to a regular business model. Think about it: you typically return to retail or food establishments when they offer you affordable prices for quality items and great customer service. The direct primary care model allows doctor’s offices to be run in a similar way. DPC physicians typically offer affordable services with great customer service and a more trusting relationship.

1. Affordable Healthcare

When patients are directly paying their physician through DPC, physicians become more conscious about how much they are charging their clientele. Remember, they are running their practice more like a traditional business, so they want to retain you as a patient. Typically, between 25 and 33 cents of every dollar you pay towards your healthcare goes directly to insurance billing services, making your healthcare costs higher. Using direct primary care can eliminate extra billing fees associated with traditional healthcare insurance, making your healthcare more affordable. Physicians can do this by offering low-cost lab testing, x-rays, specialist services, and medicine. Making healthcare more affordable through direct primary care memberships can add value to your experience with your physician. 

1. Great Customer Service

When a physician has to work with insurance companies to provide primary care services, they make less money. Meaning, they need to see more patients in a shorter amount of time. Using direct primary care memberships can eliminate this problem, as you are paying the physician directly. Through DPC, you can have a better experience at the doctor’s office with shorter waiting times, longer doctor visits, and personalized care. Remember, direct primary care provides these benefits because it is in the best interest of the doctor’s office to provide the best customer service to retain their patients.

1. Trustworthy Physicians

Patients seem to be increasingly suspicious of their physicians. It isn’t surprising, considering the impersonal nature of so many physician visits. Patients have a hard time trusting doctors when they are rewarded for charging higher costs for primary care. The doctor-patient relationship is very important, and you should be able to trust that your physician is providing the best service possible. You won’t have to question your doctor as much with a direct primary care membership because you are paying them directly to work for you. The physician is rewarded with patient retention when they lower costs and provide great customer service, making the doctor-patient relationship more transparent and trustworthy.

Overview

So, what is a DPC, and what are the benefits it can provide for me? The direct primary care model is a simplified payment method to pay your physician directly. The benefits of using direct primary care memberships are affordable healthcare, better customer service, and a more trustworthy doctor-patient relationship. Direct primary care is an advantageous model for both patients and physicians, leading to a better experience and overall satisfaction for your primary care doctor visits.