Direct Primary Care (DPC)
Personalized, Comprehensive Care
A relationship is the cornerstone of great care.
With Direct Primary Care (DPC), your physician comes to know you, your medical history, and your goals and preferences. Unlike a typical physician office, with panels of 2000-4000 patients, DPC is a “micropractice” limited to about 500-800 patients. Visits are unhurried, usually 30-60 minutes, and can often be scheduled the same or next business day. Care is individualized, and can be provided in-person, by email, text, phone, or video chat, saving you time, money, and travel when appropriate. After-hour calls are answered by your doctor. Visits, calls, and email/texts are all included in the membership, without extra fees or co-pays.
Care, convenience, and cost savings all in one place.
Because there is no barrier to access, we can better manage urgent or complex medical conditions and decrease unnecessary emergency and specialists’ visits, saving you time and money. This model also encourages wellness visits as you are already paying a monthly membership fee. Preventative and proactive care decreases risk of future chronic illness and other medical conditions. We want to optimize your health and wellness!
At Vineyard Health, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) is included, to optimize function and manage chronic pain without sedating/addictive medications. Lifestyle Medicine is also incorporated into my philosophy of care, with instruction on nutrition, exercise, sleep, mindfulness, and more. For those later in life or with life-limiting conditions, Palliative Care is included.
Patient advocacy and insurance
DPC avoids the cost and burden of intrusive insurance companies and third-party payors, which reduces the overhead of additional staff just for billing and coding, saving time and expense, which is passed on to the patients. We do not bill insurance, and are not beholden to them. We are advocating for you, for your individual best care and treatment options. Your records are private, only shared as required by law or with your permission.
Insurance is not required to be a member, but it is still recommended for emergencies, hospital care, specialists, or surgery. DPC is not insurance, and covers only usual primary care services delivered by your DPC physician. If you do not have traditional insurance, there are other options available to help offset unexpected costs of care, such as catastrophic plans and healthcare sharing plans. Just ask to be referred to an insurance broker if you have questions/interest.
Transparency
DPC is a membership, with flat monthly fees that are clearly posted, and no hidden charges. Any additional costs (pathology, meds, labs, supplies) are discussed up front, so there are no surprises. Wholesale medications and discounted lab savings are passed on to you, as a benefit of membership.
Covered Services:
Annual Physicals
Visits/exams for urgent and regular follow up
Pre-operative exams
Phone calls, emails, texts
Nutrition & Lifestyle counseling
Chronic Illness Management
Palliative Care
OMT (osteopathic manipulative treatment)
Laceration repair (glue, staples, stitches)
Pap Smear**
EKG
Urine Dip
Strep test
Pregnancy Test
These additional services will be added as the practice grows (no additional expense to the members):
Breathing Treatments
Spirometry
Finger Stick Glucose, Lipids/Cholesterol
Joint Injections
Cyst removal/drainage
Skin biopsy/ Lesion removal**
Ingrown Toenail Removal
Cryotherapy
And more…
Services Not Covered:
Medications (wholesale costs for direct pay)
Lab Work (discounted labs available for direct pay)
Radiological Studies (discounted services available)
**Pathology Fees (discounted for direct pay)
Immunizations
Any care/services not provided by your DPC physician within their normal scope of care (other healthcare professionals, other offices or facilities, services provided by other entities).