- Comprehensive primary care and prevention services
- Direct agreement between doctor and patient
- Monthly fee or retainer: payer agnostic
- Medical services; not insurance or health plan
- Defined in the Affordable Care Act and by state statute in 11 states.
The discussion was led by Elisabeth L. Righter, MD, past chair of the American Academy of Family Physicians Commission on Quality and Practice whose scope of work included DPC, and Ryan Kauffman, MD, who effective January 1 started a DPC practice in Bellefontaine, OH.
There are DPC practices in at least 37 states; the median monthly fee is about $80 per month. DPC can reduce health costs by 20% according to 2013 data from Qliance. There are approximately 6 known DPC practices currently operating in Ohio.
DPC is sometimes confused with concierge medicine; however, DPC is completely outside insurance while in concierge medicine the physician/provider access fees are paid for “non-covered” services and the patient bills insurance for covered services in a fee-for-service environment. Also, DPC is more affordable that concierge medicine.
The AAFP has been involved in sponsoring DPC workshops one of which will be held in Detroit on Saturday, April 2. The AAFP also supports an AAFP DPC Member Interest Group for AAFP members who are interested in connecting with other members who are practicing in the DPC model.
A recent AAFP membership survey shows that 2% of respondents say they are practicing in a DPC setting and that 0.1% of respondents say their practice is actively transforming into a DPC practice.
- The AAFP DPC Webpage
- The AAFP DPC Policy
- AAFP DPC FAQ
- The AAFP DPC Toolkit
- The DPC Coalition
- The website of Phil Eskew, a family physician and a lawyer who recently finished residency and is starting a DPC practice
- Reid Blackwelder, MD, Family Medicine On Air, discussing DPC with medical students
- A student view on DPC
For members who are interested in DPC, the OAFP will use its communication vehicles to educate and inform about the DPC model. With regard to DPC legislation which would clarify that a DPC membership agreement is not insurance and is not subject to regulation by the state department of insurance, the OAFP Board of Directions adopted a neutral position on draft legislation leaving open the possibility of offering technical assistance as legislation is prepared for introduction. The OAFP could consider revising that position once legislation is introduced and can be further examined.