Do I still need insurance if I have a DPC membership?

Yes, insurance is necessary for emergencies and for certain things that I can’t provide like surgery or hospitalization. For cost efficiency, I recommend choosing a high deductible plan which allows you to save money on insurance premiums while having coverage in place for unexpected emergencies. After that, I will provide as much care as possible within the practice to make it so you never have to use your insurance. Think of health insurance like car insurance, it’s there only for the big things, not the oil changes and tire rotations. Doing it this way can save a lot of money.

Can I still use my insurance if I have a DPC membership?

Insurance will not cover your monthly membership fees at a DPC practice, and we don’t bill insurance for any of the labs we draw or medications we stock. If desired, your insurance will still cover any order that I send to a hospital lab such as for labs or imaging studies or medications that I send to pharmacies. However, depending on your insurance plan and deductible, it is possible that the cash prices we offer through our clinic may be lower than these prices even after insurance adjustment.

What additional costs might there be with a DPC membership besides the membership fee?

The membership covers the cost of all office visits and communications as well as basic testing performed with equipment we have within the office like EKG and point-of-care Ultrasound. Testing such as labs that are drawn in the office but sent out to a laboratory will be charged separately at deeply discounted prices compared to hospital labs. Medications stocked in the office will also be charged separately at wholesale pricing.