Lehigh County Health & Medicine Spring 2020 - 27

L C M E D S O C .O R G

DIRECT PRIMARY CARE

Preserving the Patient-Physician Relationship
* generic medications dispensed from the office
at near wholesale cost
* same day/next day acute/sick appointments
* prolonged appointments, averaging between
30-60 minutes to discuss multiple medical issues
* the physician's direct email address and cell
phone number for after-hours urgent access
(most insurances charge extra for this service)
* unrestricted office visits
* joint injections
* nebulizer treatments
* spirometry
* skin lesion removal
* suturing
* EKGs
* pulse oximetry
* rapid strep tests
* urine dips
A new model of primary care is emerging in
Pennsylvania and across the country.
It's called Direct Primary Care (DPC), and it's
being fueled by independent physicians opening
small, private practices. DPC is an innovative, patient-centric, value-based form of healthcare delivery,
bringing back distant memories - for those who
remember - of the "old-fashioned" family doctor.
This grassroots, physician-led medical movement began over a decade ago, with a spike in
the number of practices opening during the
past 2-3 years. Independent DPC physicians
innovate and respond to the needs of patients
who find our current healthcare system broken,
expensive and inefficient. DPC physicians do
not participate with insurance. This allows DPC
physicians to eliminate the red tape, and the
middlemen, from the exam room. The results
are lowered overhead costs, with savings being
passed onto patients. DPC is lowering the cost
of primary care while giving physicians more
time with their patients to focus on patients'
medical issues. Over 1000 practices across the
country are providing patients with increased
access, attention and affordability. This makes
DPC a truly, patient-centric option.

As a subscription-based model (think Netflix or
Costco), DPC charges a periodic medical service
fee which includes a wide range of primary care
services. DPC costs less than a monthly cable or
cell phone bill, and eliminates the need for co-pays,
co-insurance, and deductibles. Fees range from $19$100 per month, usually age-based, with regional
and market variations seen between offices.
While not a substitute for health insurance which
covers expenses outside of the scope of primary care,
or for catastrophic issue(s), High Deductible Health
Plans, employer-sponsored plans, health sharing,
and short-term plans all pair well with DPC. Employer groups, in particular, are realizing significant
savings and are seeking DPC arrangements with
employer-sponsored plans. Medicare and Medicaid
patients also find value and join DPC practices. The
uninsured are finding DPC which can help them
get affordable primary care.
All services are transparently explained in Patient
Agreements which patients sign when they join a
DPC office. Value-added benefits include:
* deeply discounted prices for laboratory tests
* deeply discounted prices for radiology studies

DPC physicians work hard to keep patients
out of the ER/Urgent Care/hospital. Imagine the
efficiency and convenience of talking to your own
personal physician who knows you and your medical
history when needed after office hours - and then
get seen the next day in the office if necessary, all for
no extra cost. Direct Primary Care is changing the
delivery of primary care by providing affordability,
access, and attention to patients.
The Pennsylvania Direct Primary Care Association® is a
non-profit organization dedicated to representing all independent DPC offices in Pennsylvania. This year, the organization
was the proud recipient of the Pennsylvania Medical Society's
first annual Practice Innovation Grant to educate about the
affordable, attentive, and accessible medical care provided to
patients of independent DPC offices.

Pennsylvania
Direct Primary Care
Association

Changing
the Delivery
If you are a patient, employee or employer and want to learn
more about
DPC,of Primary Care
www.padpca.com
please reach out to any of the DPC physicians listed on the website of the
Pennsylvania Direct Primary Care Association® https://padpca.com.

SPRING 2020 | Lehigh County Health & Medicine 27

http://www.LCMEDSOC.ORG http://www.padpca.com https://www.padpca.com

Lehigh County Health & Medicine Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Lehigh County Health & Medicine Spring 2020