Direct Primary Care
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, the direct primary care (DPC) model gives family physicians a meaningful alternative to fee-for-service (FFS) insurance billing, typically by charging patients a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee (i.e., a retainer) that covers all or most primary care services including clinical, laboratory, and consultative services, and care coordination and comprehensive care management. Because some services are not covered by a retainer, DPC practices often suggest that patients acquire a high deductible wraparound policy to cover emergencies and to be compliant with Affordable Care Act mandates.
DPC benefits patients by providing substantial savings and a greater degree of access to, and time with, physicians.
- Decreased practice overhead
- Fewer medical errors/less exposure to risk
- Improved practice collections rates
- More time with patients
- Reduced patient volume
- Zero insurance filing.
DPC and concierge care are not synonymous. In practices offering concierge care, the patient typically pays a high retainer fee in addition to insurance premiums and other plan obligations (e.g., copays, out-of-pocket expenditures), and the practice continues to bill the patient’s insurance carrier.
The AAFP supports the physician and patient choice to, respectively, provide and receive health care in any ethical health care delivery system model, including the DPC practice setting.
AAFP Resources
- DPC FAQ
- DPC Policy
- DPC Toolkit
- DPC Webpage
- DPC Management Solution Completes Successful Innovation Lab: HintOS Facilitates the Transition From FFS to Direct Primary Care (AAFP News, March 1, 2022)
- Direct Primary Care: A Snapshot (Fresh Perspectives, August 20, 2019)
- Take Note of Growing Demand for Subscription Services (Fresh Perspectives, February 22, 2019)
- eat the Clock: Why I Chose Direct Primary Care (Fresh Perspectives, January 15, 2019)
- Rural Locums Provide Balance for Urban Doc (Fresh Perspectives, August 6, 2018)
- AAFP Survey Reveals DPC Trends (In the Trenches, June 19, 2018)
- Physicians Offer Hands-On Advice on Launching a DPC Practice (AAFP News, June 26, 2017)
- Embracing DPC Takes Dedication, Sacrifice, Says Physician (AAFP News, June 23, 2017)
- I’m Standing Up for Direct Primary Care (Fresh Perspectives, February 24, 2017)
- Direct Primary Care Is a Sensible Workforce Solution (Leader Voices, January 3, 2017)
- House Bill to Expand Direct Primary Care wins AAFP Support (AAFP News, September 27, 2016)
- Family Medicine On Air: A DPC Discussion with Reid Blackwelder, MD, and Medical Students
- AAFP Showing Strong Support for DPC (In the Trenches, June 21, 2016)
Additional Resources
Additional Information
- Cash for Care: Model Discarding Insurance for Alternate Payment Sees Healthy Growth (Chattanooga Times Free Press (March 31, 2020)
- DPC Language Inserted into State Budget Bill (Weekly Family Medicine Update, May 7, 2019)
- Direct Primary Care Legislation Advances in the US House (Weekly Family Medicine Update, July 31, 2018)
- OAFP Board Explores DPC Model (Weekly Family Medicine Update, February 10, 2016)
- AAFP Supports Federal DPC Legislation (Weekly Family Medicine Update, September 29, 2015)