Principally, Direct Primary Care (DPC) is personalized healthcare without third-party, insurance company involvement. The patient pays the doctor directly for the medical services he or she provides. It is a health care clinic model that allows the patient and the doctor to make the decisions about medical care needs such as a care plan, which lab tests to run, what medications are helpful, how much time they need to spend together and YES how much it will cost. This is often done through a low monthly fee, however, it is not insurance.
Not all DPC clinics are the same. They have different business models but most have the same key advantages:
- – They allow the patient to pay directly so the doctor serves the patient not the insurance company.
- – They have longer appointment times, allowing the doctor to truly understand the patient’s needs and concerns.
- – They limit the number of patients they will see so the doctor does not get over loaded and can provide high quality care to each person.
- – Many DPC doctors are willing to be your advocate if you are in the hospital or need surgery.
- – At a DPC practice the patient has more control over their care and they are able to build a trusting relationship with their physician.
- – Patients have more direct communication with their doctor, via cell phone, e-mail and face-to-face.
- – Many clinics even include house calls in the services they provide. Did you think we would ever see that again?
- – And one of the most important advantages of DPC doctors is that they significantly reduce the cost of care while increasing the quality of care.
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It is important to note that having healthcare insurance does NOT equal having access to health CARE. Many Americans pay for health insurance but choose to not go to the doctor when they need to because of the incredibly high cost of a doctor visit. Others find that there are a limited number of quality doctors who will accept the insurance they pay a high price for each month. We have to ask ourselves: “What are we really paying for and where is all that money going?”
About 85% – 90% of the health care needs that most Americans have can be handled by a Primary Care doctor. Our current medical system is very inefficient and has high administrative overhead costs that we all pay for. Many of us only have access to a very high cost, low quality clinic facility in which we can find care. The DPC movement is here to change all that! DPC clinics offer a patient-centered, efficiently run, environment to care for the patients they are dedicated to.
We all need to move toward the use of a more efficient system of health care. And move away from our dependency on the expensive/high overhead facilities. It is essential that we work toward a simpler form of health care.
With that said, we must not lose site of the fact that we all still need help for the catastrophic medical needs, such as, a major auto accident, surgery, a heart attack or stroke. This is what insurance is for. We still need major medical insurance. And we still need Hospitals and surgery centers. We just shouldn’t be paying health insurance for the things that can be done simply, and more affordability, at a local clinic.
So to sum it up, Direct Primary Care is a way to take care of our physical health needs by paying our doctors directly and cutting out the use of medical insurance. It is a grassroots effort sweeping across the country to usher in a more efficient and affordable health care system that will improve the quality of care for all Americans. Search our site to see if there is a DPC Doctor in your neighborhood and share the good news with your family & friends.