What is Direct Care?

As the name suggests, direct care describes a relationship between a healthcare provider and a patient that does not involve intermediaries such as insurance companies. The direct care practice operates on patient membership fees and does not rely on insurance reimbursements. The independent physician in a direct care practice also does not have to wait for insurance review and approval prior to caring for the patient.

Origin of Direct Primary Care (DPC)

Direct care essentially harkens back to the days of the family doctor who engaged with the patient, taking phone calls and even making house calls as needed. The provider contracts directly with the patient for basic healthcare services, much as it was in the days before health insurance outpaced out-of-pocket pay as the primary revenue source for medical practices. The trend is now turning back to direct care as a preferred model of care delivery.

The Direct Care Model

The number of direct care practices is growing significantly as patients learn more about the structure of the practice. Many patients do not understand or do not believe the simplicity of the model, as they are used to having to work with insurance companies for their healthcare services. Direct care providers find that they need to educate potential patients as to the direct care model and possibly even convince them that is legitimate.

Direct care practices charge a flat monthly membership fee, typically between $50 and $100 per month. Some practices have tiers of membership levels, based on age primarily. The monthly fee covers basic services such as immunizations, checkups, and visits for illness or injury. Outside services such as lab tests or hospitalizations are generally not covered. For those, direct care patients may carry high deductible, catastrophic insurance.

The Benefit of Direct Primary Care

The direct care model of healthcare delivery benefits patients and independent physicians. For physicians, adopting a direct care model can improve work-life balance, reduce practice overhead, bring higher per patient revenues, and maintain physician autonomy. For patients, direct care can mean a greater degree of access to, and time with, physicians. Improved communication and more regular, engaged care lead to fewer unnecessary tests, less frequent hospital visits, and lower total cost of care.

Download our Free eBook for DPC Physicians

Get expert insights into everything you need to start your own direct care practice with our free eBook

Other content in this stream

• 9 days ago

Elation Health's Clinical-First Approach Continues with New AI Solutions for Primary Care

23 days ago

Building the Future of Family Medicine at the AAFP National Conference 2024

For the second year in a row, and the second time in my life, I recently attended the American Academy of Family Physicians National Conference. Read more here.

23 days ago

Learning from the Future of Primary Care

The AAFP National Conference 2024 was in full swing, and I found myself swept up in a sea of eager faces—the next generation of family physicians ready to shape the future of healthcare.

about 2 months ago

Astrana Health and Elation Health Form Nationwide Partnership to Expand Sustainable Support Infrastructure for Primary Care Physicians

about 2 months ago

MedCity News: Why Are Primary Care Physicians Optimistic About AI?

MedCity News recently published an article featuring Elation's latest survey results on the impact of AI and shared insights from Elation's VP of Engineering and AI Innovation Lead.

about 2 months ago

Kyna Fong in Fast Company: How do we get smart about designing AI for physician trust?

In this piece for Fast Company, Elation's co-founder and CEO, Kyna Fong explores how AI should and can be designed for trust in the healthcare setting.

2 months ago

History of Value Based Payment

Value-based care and its underlying value-based payment schemes are a complete paradigm shift that many believe will improve how the U.S. delivers and pays for care. How did value-based payment emerge

3 months ago

Chapter 3: Driving Preferred Behavior: Changing Incentives & Care Delivery Under Value-Based Care

We’ve established that the U.S. has the most expensive and worst performing healthcare system in the developed world. It’s admittedly a grim situation, but we also know that there are many people who

6 months ago

Chapter 2: Laying the Foundations: The Goals of Value-Based Payment

In this post we'll try understand how value-based care emerged as the hopeful solution and how its reimbursement goals and care delivery differ significantly from those of FFS.

6 months ago

Chapter 1: Value-Based Payment Background: The Need for Change in the U.S. Healthcare System Pt. 2

This post is part of a series of blog posts aimed at unpacking the value based payment for primary care practices looking to make the transition to value based care.

6 months ago

Chapter 1: Value-Based Payment Background: The Need for Change in the U.S. Healthcare System Pt. 1

This post is part of a series of blog posts aimed at unpacking the value based payment for primary care practices looking to make the transition to value based care.

about 2 months ago

Dr. Sara Pastoor and Dr. Andrew Carroll: Is Corporatization Killing Primary Care?

Learn why Dr. Sara Pastoor and Dr. Andrew Carroll see a future for independent primary care emerging in collaborative care models.

2 months ago

Kyna Fong in KevinMD: What if AI focused on respecting the craft of medicine?

The following article is a version of a piece that was published on KevinMD. In it, Elation's CEO and co-founder, Kyna Fong, comments on the importance of developing AI that supports quality care.

2 months ago

Kyna Fong in Fierce Healthcare: The Future of U.S. Healthcare Must be Primary Care-led

Below is a version of an article that was originally published in Fierce Healthcare. In this article, Elation CEO and co-founder, Kyna Fong, discusses the emergence of primary care-led systems of care

2 months ago

AI Impact Survey Infographic

Elation recently conducted a survey to learn from 156 primary care clinicians who are current Elation customers on the specific challenges hindering their craft of medicine.

70% of Clinicians Agree on AI’s Promise to Increase Efficiencies in Care Delivery, Finds Elation Health's Latest Survey Results

Elation recently conducted a survey to learn from 156 primary care clinicians who are current Elation customers on the specific challenges hindering their craft of medicine.

3 months ago

Elation Announces Collaborative Billing: Simplify, Streamline, and Secure your Billing Process

Elation recently launched Collaborative Billing – an integrated billing solution. This integration allows clinicians to use incident-to billing.

3 months ago

How to Choose the Right Value-Based Contracting Model as a Physician

By reading this article, you'll gain valuable insights into the different types of value-based contracting models, their pros and cons, and key factors to consider when selecting a model.

3 months ago

What Does the Future of Value-Based Care Look Like in 2024 and Beyond?

The future of value-based care (VBC) is poised for significant transformation, driven by several key trends that are reshaping the healthcare landscape.

3 months ago

Value-Based Care Analytics: Which Metrics Are the Most Important to Focus On?

This article will delve into the importance of value-based care analytics, the critical metrics to monitor, and how these metrics can lead to improved patient outcomes and overall efficiency.