The high costs of insurance premiums and out of pocket expenses are growing concerns for many patients.
According to the report of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in the US, there has been a 3.9% increase in the money spent on the healthcare sector making it up to $ 3.5 trillion or $10739 per person.
It accounted for 17.9% of GDP of the US. One reasonable option for patients concerned with the high cost of healthcare services is direct primary care (DPC) which will not only save them money but also provide them with a premium primary healthcare experience.
Direct primary care is a membership based care model that provides important services at a lower cost.
For DPC patients make direct payments monthly or annually to the health care provider instead of involving any health insurance company.
The cost usually includes $50 to $100 per month and covers all basic primary care services.
This DPC model provides patients with a range number of benefits such as.
Here is Why This is The Answer to Rising Healthcare Costs:
Frequent Visits and Personalized Care
It allows patients to make frequent visits to healthcare providers. In direct primary care (DPC) practices healthcare providers such as Craft Concierge deal with a small number of patients as compared to traditional practices, where healthcare providers have to deal with a very high number of patients.
The direct primary care model allows patients to have personalized care and more time with their health care providers who usually address their problems thoroughly without any rush.
Upfront Pricing
Another benefit is that DPC provides price transparency, which makes patients clear about their monthly or annual fees.
Easy Access to Healthcare Professionals
Direct primary care (DPC) doctors also allow patients to consult even during non office hours. They respond to their queries and answer house calls when necessary.
Discount on Additional Services
Many DPCs offer discounts on generic prescriptions, labs, and radiological and imaging procedures.
All these favors add more value to DPC services.
The patients who require frequent visits to healthcare physicians, DPC is the most favorable option for them as it could cost less compared to the high cost of traditional insurance plans.
Many patients want to avoid high insurance payments for primary care.
DPC can prove to be more cost effective and convenient for patients with chronic diseases that require ongoing specialty care, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension.
Patients who do not own health insurance and happen to go for urgent care or visit to the emergency room, from one such encounter they can save money which can cover the cost of their one year DPC plan.
More savings can be made by availing wholesale pricing on labs and radiology centers.
So, patients who do not possess enough money to have health insurance or a high deductible health plan can make great savings through direct primary care services.
When you use health insurance you need to meet the costs of deductible and coinsurance but when you go for direct primary care the DPC offices cover on average 85% of the total health care needs.
You can make almost 20% to 30% savings if you associate your DPC with a high deductible health plan.
Direct primary care (DPC) services are now getting popular among patients conscious of healthcare facilities and the high costs of healthcare services.
It is estimated that more than 900 DPC practices are now operating across the different states of the United States.
A growing number of patients are now getting the benefit of cost saving and premium healthcare services with the DPC plan.
DPC models also provide great benefits to healthcare providers.
DPC practices provide healthcare professionals with the opportunity to spend enough time with their patients without worrying about attending a great number of visits made obligatory by insurance reimbursement.
They can set their fees rather than involving a third party.
Furthermore, it also reduces their administrative burden and leaves them with greater clinical autonomy.
What You Should Remember?
Direct primary care services are the most cost effective model for patients as compared to other traditional health care practices.
It allows doctors more time with patients and personalized care for each patient.
The greater number of benefits provided by DPC encourages healthcare providers and patients to promote health and well being.