What is Direct Primary Care?
First of this is not concierge medicine! This model of care allows the two people most invested in your health--you and your doctor--to be in control of your primary health care. This plan results in significant savings: money, paperwork, and time. You are able to see the doctor you want in a timely way, and your doctor will have the time to thoroughly address your needs. This form of care basically uses a membership model to free people and their doctors from the limitations of the for-profit insurance companies. The immediate goals of a membership are to average out your healthcare costs over the year and to encourage you to come in whenever you need to without worrying about the cost of that particular appointment. Additionally, having members (rather than a typical free-for-service model) allows me, your doctor, to focus on YOU. If you have a question that doesn't require an exam, I can handle it over the phone or by messaging through your secure electronic medical record. If you need a longer appointment, I'm not trying to move you through so I can see enough people to make ends meet. If you need to be seen more often, I see you more often without charging you more. I can practice medicine the way I was trained to and according to my values.
The American Academy of Family Physicians also has a great explanation for Direct Primary Care.
The American Academy of Family Physicians also has a great explanation for Direct Primary Care.
A colleague in Ohio, Dr. Lisa Larkin, developed this video explanation and has given me permission to share it. Feel free to visit her website for more videos: lisalarkinmd.com/
Want to learn more about Direct Primary Care?
DPC Frontier is an excellent place to start. As I mentioned above, the American Academy of Family Physicians has great information.
Want to know who else in Washington is doing this? Ironically, the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner has a list of what they call "Direct Health Practices" and they also summarize aspects of these practices here. And the DPC Mapper shows practices across the country that are part of this movement.
Want to know who else in Washington is doing this? Ironically, the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner has a list of what they call "Direct Health Practices" and they also summarize aspects of these practices here. And the DPC Mapper shows practices across the country that are part of this movement.
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