Why a Direct Primary Care Physician Could be the Best New Healthcare Solution in Colorado
With health insurance premiums continuing to climb each year, many individuals and families are seeking more affordable and predictable healthcare options.
One increasingly popular solution in Colorado is Direct Primary Care (DPC).
This membership-based model offers patients a straightforward and cost-effective way to manage their primary healthcare needs without the financial guesswork associated with traditional insurance.
DPC is now available in many areas across the state. As more people discover the benefits of this simplified approach, DPC is quickly becoming a go-to option for routine and preventive care.
Here’s what you need to know about how DPC memberships work and why they might be the right choice for your healthcare needs.
What is a Direct Primary Care Physician?
A Direct Primary Care Physician is a subscription-based primary care program.
In exchange for a monthly fee, patients can receive unlimited primary care visits with their doctor. This includes routine services like lab tests and checkups, as well as preventive care benefits designed to keep you healthy.
Direct Primary Care is not the same as health insurance. It does not include coverage for ER visits and hospital bills.
This means that DPC members have a greater financial risk if they get in an accident. For this reason, most DPC members are advised to pair their membership with a low-cost emergency protection program, like healthcare sharing.
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What Are the Benefits of Direct Primary Care?
- DPC is more affordable than health insurance. With some plans costing as little as $100 per month, DPC can save many thousands of dollars over traditional insurance.
- DPC creates better doctor/patient relationships. With more time to spend with their clients, DPC physicians are reporting stronger relationships with their patients, and increased job satisfaction as a result.
- DPC provides unlimited primary care. In exchange for your monthly membership fee, you can see your primary care doctor as much as you need. This makes it easy to stay healthy and monitor potential issues before they get bad.
- DPC visit times are more than twice as long on average: With a traditional primary care provider, an average visit would be between 12 to 15 minutes.
Compare that to DPC providers, who have average visit times of 30 to 60 minutes. This is because doctors have less paperwork and data entry to worry about. - Transparent upfront pricing with direct primary care: Traditional health insurance plans often leave you in the dark about the exact cost of your medical visit.
After deductibles, copays, and coinsurance are factored in, and with discounts negotiated between healthcare providers and insurance companies, you may still end up with an unexpected out-of-pocket bill.
Direct Primary Care simplifies this process with transparent, upfront pricing.
You’ll know the exact monthly membership fee for unlimited basic primary care services.
If additional or specialized services are needed, such as lab tests or advanced procedures, DPC practices provide a clear breakdown of any extra charges, so you won’t encounter surprise bills.
The Catch: DPC Memberships Do Not Cover the Cost of Surgery, ER Care, or Hospitalization
While DPC offers affordable and convenient access to routine and preventive healthcare, it’s important to recognize its limitations.
DPC memberships do not function as comprehensive health insurance and therefore do not cover costs related to hospitalization, emergency room visits, or medically necessary surgeries.
This leaves members financially vulnerable if they face a major medical event. For instance, a single day in the hospital can easily exceed $10,000, and emergency surgeries or critical care services can quickly multiply those costs.
To protect against these significant financial risks, most DPC members pair their membership with a high-deductible health insurance plan or a health sharing program.
These options provide crucial coverage for emergencies while keeping overall healthcare expenses manageable.
How DPC Memberships Can Work with Health Sharing Plans
The biggest advantage of a DPC membership is the unlimited access it provides to routine and preventive healthcare.
By allowing patients to see their doctor as often as needed, DPC helps keep you healthy and enables early detection of potential health issues before they become serious or expensive to treat.
This level of consistent, personalized care can improve long-term health outcomes, making it an appealing option for many.
However, it’s important to recognize the limitations of DPC. Memberships do not cover emergency services, surgeries, or hospital stays.
If you’re in an accident or require extensive treatment for a sudden illness, you could face significant out-of-pocket expenses. For this reason, pairing your DPC membership with additional coverage is a wise strategy.
Health sharing plans, like DPC Direct, are designed to work seamlessly with your DPC.
MPB Direct provides financial protection against large, unexpected medical bills, giving you peace of mind without the high cost of traditional insurance.
Some MediShare members can use their health sharing benefits to help cover the cost of DPC memberships, making it even more affordable.
Together, DPC and a health sharing plan offer a balanced, cost-effective healthcare solution.
You get unlimited access to high-quality primary care, coupled with the security of knowing you’re protected from major medical expenses—all while potentially saving thousands of dollars compared to conventional insurance plans.
Direct Primary Care Memberships in Denver and Beyond: Colorado’s Newest Healthcare Solution
Direct Primary Care is now available to individuals who live in the Denver and Front Range area.
DPC is also available to residents of Colorado Springs, Durango, Pueblo, the San Luis Valley, and more. You can visit the Direct Primary Care Coalition to see if there’s a DPC provider in your area.
If you’re interested in enrolling in a health sharing program that works with your DPC, click here to schedule a consultation with your Personal Benefits Manager.
Leslie Alford is a Personal Benefits Manager at ColoHealth. Her aim is to help you make smart and informed healthcare coverage decisions that will fit your needs and budget. Read more about Leslie on her Bio page.
