Direct Primary Care
What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an innovative alternative payment arrangement whereby the patient pays for primary care via a monthly fee. This model improves access to high quality healthcare with a simple, flat, affordable membership fee. No fee-for service payments or third-party billing. DPC allows more time with the doctor, same-day appointments with little to no wait time, and after-hours availability. In turn, creating a true therapeutic relationship between patient and provider. Due to this flexibility and ground-breaking service delivery, Direct Primary Care’s patients achieve superior health outcomes.
How does Direct Primary Care help the patient save money?
Patients pay for their care directly to the physician without third parties or fee-for service to inflate costs. Service is provided for an affordable, flat membership fee without hidden costs. Direct Primary Care membership costs less than the average cell phone bill whereas current health insurance premiums are higher than or equal to mortgage or rent payments and then there’s a deductible. Health care plans offered on the Exchange do not cover copayments or coinsurance for primary care prior to meeting the deductible. This means individuals are paying full price for office visits until they meet their deductible. There are NO copays for visits in DPC, only a flat monthly fee for unlimited visits.
It is important to remember that health insurance in not health care. In other words, health insurance is only one of many ways to pay for healthcare. One of those ways is right out of your own pocket. Reserving health insurance for those less common, more expensive occurrences, and paying out-of-pocket for the less-expensive, common stuff, is a surefire way to save on healthcare costs.
What services are included with basic membership?
Basic membership allows for nearly unlimited access to provide comprehensive primary care medicine via visits and phone, portal messaging, and telemedicine. However, not all conditions can be handled with these indirect methods and the patient may be asked to make an in-person appointment.
Flexible appointments are available Monday through Friday with extended hours which are available to accommodate the patient’s schedule before work, lunchtime, and after work. We are also available by email and telephone after office hours. If there is an urgent problem, the patient will be directed to go to the nearest emergency department.
Examples of minor procedures that are offered in office, as medically indicated, includes but is not limited to the following:
- Simple suturing (stitches)
- Earwax removal
- Sports physical
- Abscess draining
- Dipstick urinalysis
- In office glucose testing
- Rapid strep test
- DOT Testing
Additional services offered include negotiated radiology and laboratory cash rates for items such as X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, and Ultrasounds. The patient is responsible for any laboratory fees necessary for studies that require additional testing such as biopsies, pap smear cytology, and cultures. Additional services provided at cost value include vaccine administration and medications.
Advanced Primary Care Associates negotiates on the patient’s behalf for cash pay discounts from third parties, such as imaging centers and laboratories to secure the most competitive price available.
Rubicon MD:
We also have access to 130+ specialists to consult with through Rubicon MD which allows for reduced unnecessary referrals to specialists. This is of no added cost to the patient and paid for solely by Advanced Primary Care Associates. Rubicon MD offers easily accessible consultations with responses within six hours, where an appointment with a specialist can take over a year to arrange. This service reduces the need for follow up appointment by up to 30 percent which saves both time and money for the patient.
Gone are the days of waiting weeks to see a specialist! With Rubicon MD we are enabled to get a patient cared for within hours, not weeks and also reduces healthcare costs by avoiding unnecessary referrals. These e-consults are at no additional charge to our patients!