What is DPC?
The foundation of direct primary care is the development of a trusting relationship between the patient and physician without the interference of insurance or health system employer oversite. The severely time limited visits of a traditional primary care practice and insurance company demands make compassionate, patient centered care increasingly difficult to accomplish.
In DPC, eliminating the need to cater to insurance companies and large medical group employers allows your physician to focus on what is best for your health. Since DPC practices accept significantly fewer patients (usually 500 or less as compared to 2000 – 3000 per physician in the traditional model), your physician can also devote more time and energy to getting to know you and your individual health needs.
Removing the layers of additional staff and policies and cutting back to the patient being able to directly interact with their physician allows for enhanced communication that can be conducted in the manner that best suits the situation- phone, text, email, or in person visits can all be utilized and can be set up in a timely manner to resolve issues before they become larger areas of concern.
Better Health Outcomes
Patients achieve superior health outcomes with Direct Primary Care’s innovative service delivery. DPC’s provide better access to physicians, empower an authentic therapeutic relationship, and provide comprehensive patient care.
Lower Costs
Affordable, transparent costs are based on a periodic overall flat rate (i.e. membership or subscription). No third parties or Fee for Service billing inflate costs. Memberships cost less than the average cell phone bill.
Enhanced Patient Experience
Patients receive ongoing access to their healthcare provider. You’ll experience little to no wait time, and longer appointments (in person, virtually, or phone).
Benefits of DPC
Direct primary care practices are small practices that allow for personalized care with direct access to your physician. They additionally maintain very low business overhead expenses to try to pass savings directly to patients. DPC practices reduce overhead in the following ways:
- Minimal Staff - Many DPC physicians serve patients without multiple levels of administrators or staff. Some offices only employ 1-2 support staff.
- No Insurance Billing - Traditional insurance payments are NOT accepted. This reduces cost by eliminating the need for billing, coding and collection services to the practice and assists the physician not to have to jump through never ending hoops to ensure being paid for their services.
- Transparent Fees - Affordable monthly membership fees are used to cover almost all primary care services that we offer which eliminates itemized billing and unexpected costs.
- Wholesale Pricing - supplies, equipment and medications are purchased wholesale which allows many procedures to be performed or medications administered in office at reduced prices. Very few services performed in the office will require additional fees.
- Unlimited and extended visits with your physician - visit lengths generally run 30-60 minutes. In addition, phone , video visits and text chats are included and unlimited in your monthly membership fee.
We are excited to be growing the direct primary care movement in Mid Michigan with the addition of Healthy Values DPC! We strive to provide excellent patient care at affordable prices, regardless of insurance status. Many of our patients will continue to have and utilize their health insurance for other health services that they need (labs, medications, referrals to specialists, testing) and we support the necessity of this to ensure patients have coverage for services outside of our practice. However, we can also help identify lower cost options for all of the above through the DPC network.