#DPC

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Shane Purcell, MD - Founding member, Direct Primary Care Alliance
DPCAlliance.org

A lot of reform in health care happens with employees in larger companies. What are called “Rosetta”-type advisors are using “carrots” to cajole workers to go to more “independent” physicians, both to save the CEO money and to improve the quality of the employee experience.

As these “direct”-contracted group plans proliferate, specialists become happier, as it reduces their reliance on the hamster wheel of coding-based reimbursement to which they’re subjected by insurance companies. The missing piece of this upgrade in group health has been the out-of-pocket exposure via primary care.

Specifically, high deductible plans discourage workers from seeking care, and fee-for-service primary care visits are too short to really boost the health of the employee. A growing cohort of doctors are now charging not per appointment, but rather monthly.

This “subscription” payment restores time for the patient, which allows the doctor to relearn the “art” of medicine. With the 1st dollar covered in “Direct Primary Care” (DPC) arrangements, employees no longer face the barrier of out-of-pocket costs. Able to resolve 80% of episodes, DPC docs also know where to refer for cheap labs, imaging centers, pharmacies & specialists. Despite charging monthly, DPCs SAVE money by reducing the over-utilization of specialist referrals.

Seeing DPC savings, are CEOs agreeing to the monthly payment? Dr. Purcell will answer that question, as well as how employers, doctors, patients, and agents can support DPC growth. A DPC doctor himself, Shane speaks from experience, both with his patients and with other practices ramping up nationwide. He also advises us on what changes in Congress are needed to make health care better for the doctor-patient relationship.

Jeffrey Gold, MD - Founder, Gold Direct Care
GoldDirectCare.com

In the subset of big company health benefits advisors that are actually CUTTING costs for CEOs, one tool helping them save money for the boss is the giving for free to all workers a primary care doctor who can be called on repeatedly with no extra charges.

Sick of chasing insurance billing or tolerating hospital-enforced protocols, many primary doctors are going independent, making money from monthly charges of $75/month or up to $200 for a family. The doctor no longer has to speed patients through the hamster wheel, never looking at them as they fill out electronic billing codes to maximize profit for the hospital system. Chronically ill patients can see the doc for as long as needed, and as many times per month as necessary - or just text whenever help is needed.

So-called “Direct Primary Care” (DPC) docs know the local pharmacist for cheaper prescriptions, the best labs for tests, and the right specialist for any referrals. They can protect you when hospitalized - something about which Covid has taught us is CRITICAL!

With hour-plus-long appointments, patients and their doctors open their minds about alternative, or integrated care, and natural alternatives if pharma’s miracles fail to heal long-term, chronic diseases. GOOD primary care can resolve 80% of sicknesses or other episodes, so they save patients money, hassle, and pain. It’s such a bang for the buck that many employers pay the DPC cost for workers, who love the convenience.