What is DPC?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a model of practice that establishes the doctor and patient relationship as the center of care. Emphasizing the doctor-patient relationship empowers doctors and patients to take back the control that ought to be inherent to this relationship, focusing on what is right for the individual.
In so doing, DPC eliminates the following non-medically trained business people from the agreement to provide care:
Hospital Administrators
Insurance Companies
Government Agencies
The end result of DPC is a personalized, evidence-based approach to medicine that helps patients:
Get care when they need it
Receive care at a reasonable cost
Establish a genuine doctor-patient relationship with a physician who knows and cares for them
Can I sign up even if I have insurance?
Yes, you can. The subscription is between the physician and the patient only. If you have insurance, this may be used for other healthcare needs, such as:
Hospitalizations
Medications
Labs
X-rays
In some cases, relying on what DPC offers may help you save money.
Why would i sign up for a DPC practice if i have insurance?
That is an excellent question. We actually recommend that you do have insurance. However, insurance is meant to cover the unexpected “catastrophic “ events. Think about it, you don’t use your car insurance to change your oil, right? Health insurance should be the same.
By signing up for a DPC practice, you may be able to adjust your insurance to cover those events. Often, doing so results in significantly lower premiums that easily offset subscribing to receive the benefits of a DPC practice.
In addition, direct primary care allows a patient to get exceptional care, when they need it. This care is provided by a doctor who knows the patient well, and patients don’t have to fear an unexpected bill for simply walking in the door.
These benefits provide a necessary restoration of the doctor-patient relationship, all while ensuring the doctor has the time to walk patients through the healthcare system. This expanded access to the doctor’s time provides a level of comfort and security for patients who need to call, text or come in for a visit.
If you want to enjoy the expanded access and personalized care DPC makes possible, then joining a DPC practice is absolutely worth it.
Why has Dr. Gerchman decided to open a DPC practice?
Doctors and hospitals get paid mainly based on volume and data entry. This is why your doctor usually only spends a few rushed minutes with you, all while they are furiously typing into a computer; the more patients they see and the more they do and enter into the medical record, the more their clinic or hospital gets paid.
The end result of corporate-based models of family medicine is more and more layers between the doctor and the patient. Effectively, this means doctors spend more time documenting and less time with the patient.
This type of system is incompatible with the type of quality, personalized healthcare that the DPC model champions and Dr. G believes all patients should receive.
Can DPC give me better healthcare and save me money?
Absolutely. Most people are paying too much for insurance and getting too little. Combining DPC with a health share or a high-deductible insurance plan can not only lead to better healthcare, it can also save a significant amount of money.
As an example, we were able to save a Portland-based small business with 11 employees about 40% compared to their traditional insurance plan (the 40% included a DPC membership, too!).
What’s the difference between DPC and CONCIERGE medicine?
Concierge medicine bills you AND your insurance. It’s typically for the healthy and wealthy. DPC is often referred to as concierge for the masses because it is high quality, personalized care but the costs are substantially less, making it accessible to everyone.
