Should You Consider a Direct Primary Care Physician (DPC)?

It Could Be Your Path to Value and Transparency!

Direct financial relationships between individuals or employers and primary care physicians are gaining in popularity – and for good reason. In contrast to the traditional fee-for-service payment arrangement, where physicians are reimbursed according to the volume of services they provide, direct primary care (DPC) shifts the focus to value.

In most DPC arrangements, physicians charge a monthly, quarterly or annual membership fee, covering all or most primary care services, including acute and preventive care. The fee can be paid by an individual or by a sponsoring organization such as an employer-sponsored healthcare plan. Patients say they enjoy a more personalized experience, including easier access, shorter wait times and an opportunity to spend more time with their physician.

Many physicians say fee-for-service arrangements are the cause of increasingly shorter primary care appointments and an over-reliance on outside tests, prescription drugs and referrals to specialists. Because continuous care relationships enable them to focus more on preventive care, DPC physicians believe they can provide better outcomes. As the transition to value-based care evolves, direct primary care will certainly play a bigger role.

The way we see it – anything that can lead to high quality, lower cost healthcare is certainly worth a look!

Tell Us How You Feel!