What is Direct Care?
Direct care is actually very simple. I know at first it may be a foreign concept.. “what’s the catch?” is what many people are thinking.
It’s very common to have to explain it over and over so it’s ok! Ask away!
Direct Care, both Specialty Care (“DSC”) and Primary Care (“DPC”), is a way to provide healthcare without the complexities of insurance.
Health insurance can be useful for many things, like surgery and major illness, as well as for prescriptions or lab work. There is a problem however, with access to care. Many people do not actually have a primary care doctor, have never met the person listed as their PCP, or are waiting to be reassigned because the doctor has left or retired. Monthly premiums are still being paid, but there is no one actually available. Many people need to see a specialist, but can’t find one “in network”, or when they do they have to wait six months for an appointment. Still paying those monthly premiums, but there is no one available. Direct Care can solve this.
When you find a Direct Care doctor that you feel you’d like to work with, you will pay either a monthly fee to be their patient, or may pay a fee only when you need an appointment. That’s it. There are no copays, no deductibles to be met. No hidden or unknown fees. No surprise bills three months after your appointment. No referrals. No long wait for an appointment. Oh and your appointment? It will be as long as you need. Not 15 minutes. As long as you need.
The main question we get is about all other aspects of insurance. Do you keep your health insurance? Yes. Is there any change with prescriptions? No. Is there a change with getting blood work or radiology tests? No. Do I need a referral if I have an HMO? No. You never need a referral because we are not billing your insurance. Can you submit a bill yourself to your insurance? Sure if you want to. Will it get paid? We don’t know, you can ask them. We don’t call any insurance companies about your visits. We DO call them to help get medications covered, xrays covered, stuff like that. If you need blood work, that all works the same too, the lab will bill your insurance. If you have a deductible, or tend to pay a lot for your lab work, we can provide you with much cheaper lab pricing. For example a full chemistry is $12.00, a complete urine test is $7.00, a blood count (CBC) is $7.00.
If you are still curious about this- look up some Direct Care practices, there are many. This is not new! Many people just don’t know about it yet, but the idea is spreading. Our healthcare system needs to change, and it will. This is one way change is happening now.
