We all feel it! Insurance premiums keep going up, and networks getting smaller making it harder and more complicated to get the care your family needs. If you are like most people you pay monthly premiums that are higher than your mortgage payment and just pray no one gets sick because you can’t afford to go to the doctor if they do. If this sounds like your family you are probably wondering why you even have insurance. What if it didn’t have to be that way? What if you could see the doctors you want to see, when you want to see them? What if when you saw those doctors you paid a fair price for your treatment. What if you knew what it was going to cost BEFORE you had the procedure done? Does this sound too good to be true?
In the old days, general practitioners were the doctors you went to with all your basic health concerns. And in the old days, they were there for you, provided most of your care, screening and preventive services, and generally worked with you in a symbiotic relationship to keep you well and treat what ailed you.
In the last generation or two, insurance companies and large, corporate health institutions inserted themselves into this relationship and made it harder for you to see your primary care doctor and for your doctor to have the time to wholly care for you. Not only did that relationship become more complex but the price for that care has quadrupled because so many entities are involved. (www.kansascitydirectprimarycare.com)
Direct Primary Care is the straightforward relationship between you and your doctor, just like how it used to be. From the American Academy of Family Physicians website: (www.aafp.org/about/policies/all/direct-primary.html) The Direct Primary Care (DPC) model is a practice and payment model where patients/consumers pay their physician or practice directly in the form of periodic payments for a defined set of primary care services. DPC practices typically charge patients a flat monthly or annual fee, under terms of a contract, in exchange for access to a broad range of primary care and medical administrative services.
What this means for you:
No copays
Extended visits with your doctor
Direct access to your doctor by phone, text, email and in person
Same day or next day appointments
Wholesale pricing on medications, labs and imaging
Interested in finding a Direct Primary Care Clinic near you? Check out these links – make an appointment (free) and go meet the Doctor. Find out about them and their practice and how they can help your family stay well!
For a listing of clinics in and around the KC Metro area, check out www.midwestdpcalliance.org or for a list of clinics nation wide check out https://mapper.dpcfrontier.com/
Stayed tuned – next month we will discuss how to protect your family from the high costs of ER visits, hospitalizations and surgeries.