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What is Direct Primary Care (DPC)?

 

DPC is affordable Concierge Medicine for everyone! The membership is similar to a gym             membership, in some cases it is cheaper. (Average gym membership $40 to $115 month)

 

Here are Common patient complaints when they visit the doctor:

 

-Waiting weeks for an appointment

-Required to schedule a new appointment for every health concern

-Being rushed through an office visit

-Seeing the nurse or the physician’s assistant and not the doctor

-Having to come to the office to review test results

-Receiving unexpected bills

-Suffering with sickness because the bills are too expensive

 

DPC is different than “traditional” practices. Here are the benefits:

 

-Same or next day appointments

-Relaxed, un-rushed visits. No need to reschedule for multiple concerns

-See your doctor, not the nurse or PA

-Telemedicine. Speak to your doctor via computer, iPad, text or email

-Direct access to your doctor (receive your doctors personal cell number)

-Billing transparency. No more unexpected bills in the mail

-Discounted medications dispensed at the clinic. (Up to 90% savings!)

-House calls or worksite visits (fee may apply)

-Homebound care

-Patient portal

 

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The Value of Prevention

 

"I never go to the doctor.” For many adults with minor or no medical issues, this is the opportune time to make an investment in your health in order to prevent dysfunction and illness in the future. In our society, we often do not address problems until they interfere with our function, but when it comes to health, there is a lot of value in taking proactive steps prior to something becoming a serious issue.

 

In our current healthcare system we are used to maybe having a 10-20 minute "physical" in which the doctor asks you a bunch of questions, examines you from head to toe, and sends you on your way. Imagine if the doctor had more time to really go into detail about exactly what you are eating, exactly what type of exercise regimen you were doing, or what skills you have to deal with stress. What if you got to follow-up with her regularly by e-mail, phone, text or telemedicine.  A physician to keep you on track and answer questions when they come up. Direct Primary Care offers a more personal relationship with your physician, which can work nicely with a proactive rather than reactionary health strategy.

 

The Membership Could Easily Pay for Itself

 

Regardless of how good your health insurance plan is, you will likely have some sort of deductible. Thus, for a person who rarely utilizes the health system, it is very likely that you may never meet the deductible and end up paying for a large proportion, if not all of your medical expenses when you incur them. If you were to need any sort of blood work or imaging or if we could save you a trip to the Emergency Room, the membership would easily pay for itself. Direct Primary Care is not insurance, but in a way, we might think of DPC as self-insuring against your deductible. If you have a say in your health plan, you may want to consider a high deductible health plan (HDHP), which you could reserve for catastrophic care, and instead put the difference toward a Health Savings Account (HSA) and a Direct Primary Care (DPC) membership. The HDHP/HSA/DPC strategy is ideal for low-utilizers in general, as it would certainly lower overall healthcare costs and increase access to high-quality primary care.

 

There is also another health insurance alternative. Liberty Direct Health Ministry offers affordable health care coverage and is compliant with the Affordable Care Act. They also pay a stipend of up to 75% of our membership fee. Our patients have seen significant savings through Liberty Direct over traditional health insurance companies. For more information about Liberty Direct call our office at 520-352-9171.

 

Young People Also Have Medical Issues

 

Young people are not invincible from medical problems. Adolescents and young adults often feel like nothing could happen to them, but this group does access medical care and has a unique set of issues. Issues surrounding sexuality (contraception, STDs), mental health issues

(anxiety, depression, ADHD), sports-related injuries, skin issues, and substance abuse to name a few. When these issues come up for a young adult, it can be scary and overwhelming, and having a physician who you can easily access, who you can trust makes all the difference.

 

As a society, we need to reframe how we look at primary care. It has the potential to be more than a yearly chore, primary care can have significant impact for a healthy, low-utilizing young adult who wants to take proactive steps for their health and healthcare.

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