Direct Primary Care is a simple alternative or adjunct to health insurance

Direct Primary Care (DPC) has been gaining steam over the last 20 years or so in the US. DPC is family medicine which costs $100-$400/mo. It is not traditional insurance so there are no copays or deductibles for visits with your doc. Occasionally there are additional fees for labs. Typically costs are quite low and they give you a price list beforehand so you know what to expect. DPC providers don't go thru insurance at all. There's no insurance telling you whether a medication you need is on/off formulary, your relationship is directly with your medical provider without insurance getting in the middle — Providers can practice medicine like they were trained and not fight with insurance companies about what's best for their patients.

Fees are typically $100-$300/month and often family members can be added, often at lower rates, e.g. family of 4 is no more than $400/mo. Yes, you read that right. Some even have cash pay by the hour or procedure pricing which is typically far less than doc in the box.

Services include family medicine, sometimes xray and procedures (stitching up a deep cut) which covers 90% of what you need for medical care. If this allows you to buy a low dollar plan with a high deductible for emergency care or cancer, it's a really high quality way to go. Most Doc in the Box are can typically be handled by a DPC provider but hours are more limited to allow for quality of life for the DPC doc. Some DPC practices are large enough to have weekend hours. To understand whether practices like this exist in your town, search for Direct Primary Care. Their websites will talk about hours, services and rates. Typically people have never heard of DPC or think it's too good to be true. I've been using it for the last 20 years in 2 different states. My doctors knew me, helped manage a chronic condition, stitched up family member's hand on a Sat nite and diagnosed rashes with a selfie snapped while on vacation. It took an hour to pick up our Rx cream in a different US city. It's like having doc Baker who knows you and your family. We have always had a family plan via an employer for the big stuff (ER visits throughout the years). So, while it's not a traditional insurance plan that protects you from cancer costs, the chances are higher that if you visit a doctor who knows you for the small things, your overall health is better.

submitted by /u/hergeflerge
[comments]