Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a model of medicine that replaces the fee-for-service insurance billing that is popular today. Instead of billing a patient’s insurance carrier, a Direct Primary Care practice contracts directly with the patient, typically for a monthly, quarterly, or annual fixed amount.
This fixed amount (sometimes called a membership fee, or care fee) will typically include a large set of primary care services (consultive, clinical and basic laboratory medical services) without charging anything extra. This differentiates Direct Primary Care from Concierge medicine, as Concierge medicine will accept a retainer fee and also charge a fee-for-service above and beyond the retainer fee.
Negotiating directly with patients dramatically decreases overhead costs to clinics, which allows Direct Primary Care practices to lower rates for patients by keeping overhead at a minimum. Patients are often able to save money and experience increased access and convenience by including Direct Primary Care as part of their overall health coverage plan.
Direct Primary Care allows physicians to focus primarily on patient care rather than coding and meeting insurance requirements. Patients benefit from the access and level of care that Direct Primary Care physicians are able to offer, and as a result, are a generally healthier and more informed group of people.