When someone thinks about Healthcare insurance, it’s more likely they feel disappointment and outrage. This is due to the ever-increasing complexity, unfairness, exorbitance, and frustration that comes with it. Healthcare insurance should have had your back, but instead, it intends to stab it most of the time. With many people slowly turning to other means of ensuring their healthcare needs, there’s one option that comes to mind.
Albeit newer than other financial arrangements, Direct Primary Care is an agreement directly forged between the physician and the client, with no 3rd party involvement. In this way, the overall fee of paying Healthcare insurances are lessened (check it out), but the main problem is with the clinical laboratories’ readiness to fine their clients directly. There are still a lot of Healthcare practitioners that don’t favor DPC, but mainly it’s because the model lacks further research in the matter.
Despite this, what are the potential benefits you, as a client, can get from DPC?
What Is DPC?
DPC is a model in the healthcare system that eradicates any involvement with insurance providers, meaning the client will pay the physician on a monthly or quarterly basis (depending on their contract). They don’t accept any form of insurance as these physicians are not tied to any insurance company or provider. Most people who sign up for a North Texas Direct Primary Care are also a user of the HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan). This health plan is different from a traditional one, as its premiums cost less and the deductibles are higher.
DPC covers your monthly or quarterly healthcare needs. It can cover most of your primary needs, such as clinical laboratories, consultations, care management and coordination. What’s great about getting a DPC is you don’t have to hesitate going to the doctor as you can generally get an appointment as many times as you need.
Who Are They For?
Direct Primary Care is created to cater for the needs of the patient for quality healthcare and protecting doctors from burnout and exorbitant fees. What’s more, the latter can focus on individual care instead of a fee-for-service system that limits the duration of the care.
For the former, patients can save a lot of time and money with an agreement such as DPC. They can easily access their doctors and have no hesitation in visiting (link: https://www.themainewire.com/2021/07/amid-rising-healthcare-costs-states-must-continue-to-enact-direct-primary-care/), as it will be covered in the fee they are paying for over a period of time. Doctors, despite having a smaller list of patients, can have quality relationships with their patients, thus be able to deliver tailored, holistic care without the need to be rushed.
Pros and Cons of DPC
Like every healthcare finance model, there are pros and cons to be considered before diving into the system. As such, it’s your discretion as a client to weigh the pros and cons and see which will work better for you.
Pro: Longer Time with Your Doctor
Instead of filing insurance paperwork or cramming several patients in one afternoon, doctors that do DPC can have longer, quality time with their patients, and they can give you better assessment, treatment, and insights as to your health. Since your doctor is generally freer than before, they can take their time in analyzing your health history and find out the deeper causes of your health issues. This, in turn, will help you achieve a personalized healthcare plan that will cater to your personal needs better.
Con: You Need another Insurance Plan
Though not as severe as traditional ones, DPC still has areas where they can’t cover the cost, such as additional laboratories, medication, etc. Usually, a high deductible health plan or medic aid can cover the lack.
Pro: Pricing Is Direct
With insurance, patients are left to wonder just how much their healthcare needs will cost monthly. However, DPC has a fixed rate for membership and a flat fee for consultations (if there is any). With this, they can easily work around the fees, as most patients aren’t exactly well-off.
Con: The Membership Fee Cannot Be Considered As a Deductible
Since Direct Primary Care is categorized as a health plan by the IRS, its monthly fee cannot fall into the category of a deductible. Meaning you’ll need to pay for the membership and your paired health plan without the possibility of one covering the other.
