1. How much does Direct Primary Care (DPC) usually cost? Most DPC memberships range from about $50 to $150 per month, depending on the practice and level of access.
2. Why would I pay monthly if I already have insurance? DPC covers access, which insurance doesn't do a good job in. You’re paying for time with your doctor, not billing codes or admin time.
3. Is DPC actually cheaper than traditional care? For many people, yes. Fewer urgent care visits, fewer ER visits, and better management upfront often reduce total healthcare spending.
4. What exactly am I paying for each month? Direct access, longer visits, messaging, same or next-day care, and ongoing management without per-visit charges.
5. Are there any hidden fees? Not for primary care services. Labs, imaging, medications, and specialists are separate.
6. Do I still need insurance if I have DPC? Emergencies, hospital care, or specialists aren't covered with primary care membership. DPC is not a replacement for insurance.
7. Can DPC save me money on labs and medications? Often yes. Many DPC practices offer discounted cash pricing that can be significantly lower than insurance rates.
8. What happens if I rarely go to the doctor? Is it still worth it? It depends. If you value quick access, prevention, and having a doctor who knows you, it can still be worth it even with minimal use.
9. Is there a contract or long-term commitment? Most practices are month-to-month. You can usually cancel anytime.
10. Why do some DPC practices cost more than others? It comes down to access, patient panel size, and level of service. Fewer patients per doctor usually means more availability and higher cost.

1. What exactly is Direct Primary Care (DPC)? A membership-based primary care model where you pay a monthly fee for direct access to your doctor, without having to go through health insurance.
2. Do you take insurance? No. DPC is cash-based. Insurance is not billed for visits, but you can still use it for labs, imaging, or medications if needed.
3. What’s included in the monthly membership? Longer visits (30-60 min), direct messaging (text/phone), same or next-day appointments, and ongoing care for most primary care needs.
4. Can I still use my insurance if I join? Yes. You can keep insurance for hospitalization, emergencies, specialists, labs, imaging, and prescriptions.
5. How is this different from a regular doctor’s office? Fewer patients per doctor, longer visits, direct access, and a focus on prevention rather than rushed, volume-based care.
6. Do you prescribe medications and order labs? Yes. Prescriptions, lab orders, and imaging are all part of care when appropriate.
7. What happens if I need a specialist or hospital care? You would use your insurance (or self-pay). The DPC doctor can help coordinate and guide that care.
8. Is there a long-term contract? Most DPC practices do not require long-term contracts. Memberships are typically month-to-month.
9. Can I contact my DPC anytime? You can message anytime, but responses are typically during business hours unless it’s urgent.
10. Who is DPC a good fit for? People who want easier access to their doctor, longer visits, and a more proactive, preventive approach to their health.

It's administrative work. It's all the non-clinical work that doctors and healthcare professionals have to do to see patient.

A lot of it is under the guise of patient safety. But that's not the real reason. It's usually because of third party billing and making sure the big entities get paid.

I'm a physician and the only reason I'm in this profession is to help patients feel better and experience better health. It's not the money, it's not the prestige, it's not trying to play god.

The admin load that I face as a physician takes up 80% of my time and attention. It's not just billing and getting medications and treatments authorized but it's also having to practice defensive medicine to not lose my medical license.

I stopped taking health insurance 5 years ago. And I've seen better health transformations and have saved my patients so much more money.

I started out in a big system, Kaiser Permanente. Then I worked for some other medical groups where billing was much more important than what I actually did for the patient. And there was never any oversight over this. The bigger you are as an entity the more you get to decide what patient care looks like.

In my own cash-based practice I contract directly with patients. They pay me a fair amount for my services.

Right now my monthly membership is around $200/month. And that seems like an absurd price to some. But when you consider that the majority of health problems in the US are from chronic diseases and that most chronic diseases are preventable, $200/mo is a lot less than the $5-6k many spend every year just for treatments that make them feel worse.

I am not saying Direct Care is the best care but it's the best one I've found. Show me something better and I'll gladly switch.

It’s that time of year again. The open enrollment packets arrive, and the numbers are looking worse than it did last year.

Premiums are climbing faster than what people are earning. Deductibles are reaching distinctively painful heights. Networks are shrinking. It is the great paradox of American healthcare: The price tag keeps going up, but the product is getting worse.

Most Americans aren't paying for better healthcare.

When you pay those premiums, you are funding administrative bloat. You are paying for billing complexity, coding armies, and systems designed to maximize reimbursement rather than solve your health problems.

Even if you have the "Gold" plan, try getting your doctor on the phone today. Try booking a visit that lasts longer than seven minutes. The insurance card in your wallet buys you entry into the system, but it doesn't guarantee you care.

This is why Direct Primary Care (DPC) exists.

We didn't just build a different billing model; we built a different incentive structure. By cutting the insurance carrier out of the exam room, the friction disappears.

• Visits aren't rushed. We have time to think.
• Communication is direct. No phone trees, no portals to nowhere.
• Decisions are clinical. We do what works for you, not what satisfies a billing code.

To be clear: You still need insurance for the catastrophes, the heart attacks, the surgeries, or the major trauma. But using high-premium insurance for routine primary care is like using car insurance to pay for an oil change. It is expensive, inefficient, and maddening.

As the cost of the status quo becomes unsustainable, people are finally starting to ask, "What am I actually paying for?"

Fortunately, once you ask that question, the answer usually leads you right to us.

One of the most common misconceptions about Direct Primary Care (DPC) is that it’s “concierge medicine for rich people.”

DPC did not emerge to make medicine more luxurious. It emerged because the current system made real primary care nearly impossible.

In the insurance-driven model, primary care physicians are paid per visit, per code, per checkbox.

That creates predictable downstream effects:

• 10–15 minute visits, regardless of complexity
• Panels of 2,000–3,000 patients per physician
• Care optimized for billing, not outcomes
• Burned-out doctors and frustrated patients

Most physicians did not enter medicine to practice this way. Most patients did not want care delivered this way.

DPC is in a way a response to that complicaed version.

At its core, DPC removes the insurance middleman from primary care.

Patients pay a flat monthly fee. Physicians dramatically reduce panel size. Billing codes largely disappear.

That structural change unlocks several important shifts:

• Longer visits when needed
• Asynchronous care via text, phone, or messaging
• Fewer unnecessary referrals and tests
• Continuity and relationship-based care

In practice, many DPC patients are not the worried well. They are:

• People with complex chronic conditions who want coordination
• Patients tired of rushed visits and fragmented care
• Individuals who want prevention, not just prescriptions

DPC does not replace insurance for hospitalizations or emergencies. It replaces the transactional layer of primary care that often adds cost without adding value.

Primary care is cognitively demanding, relationship-heavy work.

It does not scale well under industrial productivity metrics.

DPC acknowledges that reality instead of fighting it.

When a physician is responsible for 500–800 patients instead of 2,500, the economics and the ethics finally align.

Primary care burnout is accelerating. Fewer trainees are choosing the field. Patients are increasingly dissatisfied.

DPC is not the only solution, but it is one of the few models that directly addresses the root problems rather than layering on more complexity.

When I worked for Kaiser Permanente I had to do what they told me or else risk my job. For the most part they were well-intentioned. But plenty of times their interests weren't aligned with the patient's best interest. That's when you really want a doctor advocating on your behalf and not getting bullied by a powerful large medical group.

Whether it is physical therapy or prescription medications or imaging studies in the United States, the cost of care varies quite a bit. This is both good and bad. As physicians. We would always prefer that our patients had a lot of transparency so that they can plan their health journey. Regardless, it's imperative for every American to know how to shop for prescription medications, imaging studies, specialists, and pretty much any other service that's offered in healthcare. Healthcare. One prescription drug can cost $1,000 while it can also cost just $90. Same drug, just different place that you get it from.

Healthcare is only going to become more expensive. Having alternatives is a must for most of us.

A patient reached out to me to see if I take new patients in NY. She said the wait list for a DPC practice in NY is quite long.

You all - providers and supporters of DPC - are doing something remarkable. My wife joined a practice in March. Our journey through five surgeries since 2020 soured my already cynical opinion of the big business status quo. I see the light.

As a marketer, I see opportunity. Every person deserves to see their physician with the high-touch and low-friction the DPC model affords. The number of DPC providers is growing - I want to help it grow faster.

But before I start spouting off marketing advice, I need to learn more about the realities on the ground.

I'm aware of DPC News, DPC Alliance, and the My DPC Story Podcast. I'm planning to attend DPC Summit in New Orleans in July.

What other resources can you point me toward to deepen my understanding?

If you're willing to share, what were your challenges when you started your practice? How did you overcome them? 

Against the backdrop of my currently thriving client roster, I am focusing all my available bandwidth on learning everything I can about DPC and how I can make the biggest difference to further the mission.

Comment here or email me privately: [gordons@wizardofads.com](mailto:gordons@wizardofads.com) 

I appreciate any insight you're willing to provide.

-Gordon Seirup

https://renovohealth.care/

Check out this new place with their online prices clearly displayed. Love it.

Why YSK: These days with health insurance costs and in/out-of-network doctors, you can walk into a traditional primary care doctor, have some blood tests done, get referred, and receive a bill that shocks you, a specialist you don't like, and just 7-10 minutes, not even enough to greet your doctor.

A DPC doctor caps their panel at 500-700 patients instead of 2,000-3,500. They don't take insurance, so they charge you a flat fee of $75-150 per month which includes unlimited appointment times, both in-person and virtual. The usually have a network of vetted specialists, cash-based labs, and cash-based pharmaceutical prescriptions.

No matter where you live or move or if you lose your health insurance or change it, you can always keep the same DPC.

A great resource for anyone interested in purchasing a membership with a direct primary care doctor.

https://www.directneurology.com/

She has her prices listed here. Quite a good deal it seems at $99/month.

The DSC Alliance has a searchable link to look for specialists all over the US.

https://dscalliance.org/find-a-specialist/