What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care represents a desire to return to a more traditional – or classic – way of practicing medicine. We believe that healthcare should be focused on you and individualized for you, without any outside pressures that have come between the relationship of a provider and patient. Our providers have much smaller patient panels (600 patients per provider, as compared to 2000-2500 patients per provider in a standard medical practice) and are not constrained by the typical fee-for-service requirements, which allows you to have truly unique access to your provider.
Without the confusing billing and coding done through insurance companies, patients enjoy transparent pricing with no hidden or unexpected costs – as well as no copays or deductibles! We are also able to provide routine labs and arrange for radiology studies at a deeply discounted rate for those who choose to bypass insurance and pay out of pocket.
Here are some frequently asked questions. If you would like to ask us some questions directly, just send us a message below!
FAQ’S
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Direct Primary Care, or DPC, is a model of healthcare that puts patients first by getting rid of the red tape by which most other traditional practices are restricted.
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The terms are often used interchangeably and essentially refer to the same principles. Direct Primary Care is a healthcare model focused on putting the patient first. That means treating them when they need it, never rushing patients through appointments, and being proactive with healthcare treatment plans. The provider-patient relationship is just as the name suggests – direct. Direct Primary Care clinics don’t accept insurance, rather they choose to work directly with the patient, providing wholesale labs and other costs savings along the way. Concierge medicine, on the other hand, is a hybrid model that continues to bill insurance while still charging the patient an additional fee. On top of this, copays and deductibles are still the responsibility of the patient. Direct Primary Care does not bill insurance, and there are no deductibles or copays.
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We have cut the red tape of bureaucracy. The restrictions that typically leave providers in a traditional healthcare setting buried in nonsense paperwork are lifted through Direct Care, allowing us to spend our time where it really counts: with patients. In refusing to recognize any interference with the sanctity of the patient-provider relationship, we have returned the practice of medicine to its root values of clinical excellence for and compassionate knowledge of every patient. In every aspect of healthcare, and custom healthcare, we promise accessibility, convenience, and affordability.
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Of course. We might argue that everyone benefits from a service tailored directly to them. That’s why we offer truly custom healthcare. Our practice is devoted to the maintenance of your good health, to the enhancements of your daily experience that only physical well-being can bring. We’re here for your reactive needs. But proactive healthcare is important, and we’re here for that, too.
At Integrity DPC, we have the gift of time. Even better? We get to give the gift of time. Large amounts of precious, irretrievable time given to you as you wish. Every visit, for whatever reason, will be easygoing in its absolute thoroughness, relaxed in answering your questions and addressing the need of the moment. Then, as the months and years go by, we’ll build a comprehensive, intimate knowledge of your health, invaluable understanding available in no other regimen of care.
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No, and we think that’s a good thing. Perhaps the most critical distinction in our model of care centers on a direct, personal relationship between you and your provider. That directness carries over to our business model as well. While the tender mercies of an insurance company might apply to the fixing of a damaged fender on your automobile, we see no reason for any insurer to have a voice about either the quality or the cost of your care.
We forgo insurance payments in order to save our patients from the arbitrary, intrusive decisions that inevitably follow with third-party payors. Furthermore, this direct fee-for-services arrangement frees us from the typical contractual agreements that prevent providers from offering wholesale prices on laboratory tests, imaging, and medications.
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Yes. We recommend our patients have insurance to pay for emergency room and hospital care, surgeries, and other services that are outside of primary care that are not included in your membership. Many patients find that they save considerably by purchasing a high deductible health plan.
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Absolutely. In some cases, families have been able to save nearly $1000/month while enjoying a higher level of care.
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Yes! Medicare requires that you sign a form every 2 years declaring that neither you nor your provider will directly bill Medicare for our services. Medicare will still cover any laboratory testing, imaging, medications, or hospitalizations prescribed by our offices.
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In providing superb care with unprecedented access, we seek to prevent or reduce hospitalizations and specialty referrals. In instances where those types of care are required, we will certainly communicate closely with your hospitalist during your hospital stay as well as work closely with any specialist. In some cases, depending on the level of care and the sorts of expertise required, we may rely on those specialized caregivers to manage your treatment.
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By all means, yes! Because illness and injury do not respect regular office hours, you may contact your provider any day, at any hour. Your provider is immediately available for any urgent/emergent issues, and will get back with you promptly for any non-urgent issues. We are happy to arrange for video visits and even home visits, schedule permitting. It’s how we do custom healthcare.