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Thank you for sharing this anecdote. I don’t think enough people understand the value of direct primary care. Of note, concierge primary care is more associate

Thank you for sharing this anecdote. I don’t think enough people understand the value of direct primary care. Of note, concierge primary care is more associated with something like one medical where you pay a membership in addition to your regular insurance co-pays. Direct primary care, or DPC, is full stop no insurance, only membership. And the doctor will limit their patient panel (the patients they see) to about 600 or even less to ensure they can provide amazing service to those patients. Generally, primary care doctors see 3000 or more patients. Disclosure: I am the founder of a DPC software company. I absolutely love this model for so many reasons. I’d love to answer questions people have.

ackbar03 6y ago
How does this work with the insurance dynamics though? You say no insurance full stop, does that make the cost prohibitively high for some? I feel like insurance in a way is similar to a membership model for the patient in terms of cash flow although definitely not the same for the doctors. I'm not in the US so I don't really understand how medicaid works over there
- Coldgamr 6y ago
  The average price for a DPC membership is about $65/month. In most states, the doctor can even dispense prescriptions at or near wholesale cost. The idea is that higher utilization of primary care results in lower hospitalizations and specialist visits, which are very expensive for all parties. This has actually been proven in studies comparing total health spend by large employers before and after adding DPC for their employees. So spend a bit more in primary care, get high touch service, and lower cost in the long run. Medicaid, btw, is our social safety net health insurance program. Most Americans have insurance though their employer which is usually a high deductible plan. Meaning, you have to spend thousands of dollars before insurance will start helping to cover the cost of healthcare for you.
- hippich 6y ago
  Everything my doctor can do in the office, is part of the monthly fee. Everything on top of it - either cash or insurance. Labs are very cheap when ordering through my doctor (I am talking about $4-$8 for typical stuff). Prescription drugs - i fill through the insurance (fixed co-pay in my case) and if something major will happen, like accident or such, my regular insurance will kick in (after paying several thousands out of pocket) The thing is - the most expenses I had throughout the years I lived in the USA were on primary doctor and labs. Only in one year out of 10 I had an accident where without a regular insurance I would be screwed. So high-deductible plan + direct care is the most optimal setup for me right now.

ackbar03 6y ago

How does this work with the insurance dynamics though? You say no insurance full stop, does that make the cost prohibitively high for some? I feel like insurance in a way is similar to a membership model for the patient in terms of cash flow although definitely not the same for the doctors. I'm not in the US so I don't really understand how medicaid works over there

Coldgamr 6y ago
The average price for a DPC membership is about $65/month. In most states, the doctor can even dispense prescriptions at or near wholesale cost. The idea is that higher utilization of primary care results in lower hospitalizations and specialist visits, which are very expensive for all parties. This has actually been proven in studies comparing total health spend by large employers before and after adding DPC for their employees. So spend a bit more in primary care, get high touch service, and lower cost in the long run. Medicaid, btw, is our social safety net health insurance program. Most Americans have insurance though their employer which is usually a high deductible plan. Meaning, you have to spend thousands of dollars before insurance will start helping to cover the cost of healthcare for you.
hippich 6y ago
Everything my doctor can do in the office, is part of the monthly fee. Everything on top of it - either cash or insurance. Labs are very cheap when ordering through my doctor (I am talking about $4-$8 for typical stuff). Prescription drugs - i fill through the insurance (fixed co-pay in my case) and if something major will happen, like accident or such, my regular insurance will kick in (after paying several thousands out of pocket) The thing is - the most expenses I had throughout the years I lived in the USA were on primary doctor and labs. Only in one year out of 10 I had an accident where without a regular insurance I would be screwed. So high-deductible plan + direct care is the most optimal setup for me right now.