A different type of family medicine
The direct primary care model means the doctor does not participate in insurance plans, and the enrolled patient pays a periodic membership fee rather than paying for every visit. The patient does not have a co-pay, and the membership fee goes directly to the practice instead of a third party.
According to dpcfrontier.com, there are nearly 850 DPC practices in the
Dr.
Todd said she was inspired to start her own DPC clinic after attending a conference where many doctors discouraged by the standard insurance model spoke of the benefits of direct primary care. Todd said she shared their frustration.
She said the increasing overhead costs associated with insurance forces doctors into seeing more patients in a shorter period of time. She anticipates the direct primary care model will change that.
"It lets us focus on more personalized care and longer visits," she said.
A typical family medicine practice could see about 2,000 patients, she said. Her plan, now, is to see 500 to 600 patients, all of whom can also contact her through text, email and webcam if they cannot make it into the office. Since she charges a monthly fee, a patient can visit as often as he or she sees fit.
"They could come in every day if they wanted to," Todd said.
She said even those who have good insurance find the direct primary care model appealing because of the personalized attention.
"They see the value of being only one of 500 patients in a clinic," she said.
Dr.
He said high-deductible plans and rising costs make health care unaffordable for too many people. He also said the demands placed on doctors to comply with insurance plans means they are spending more time on the computer than with their patients.
"That's not what I went to medical school for," he said.
He said direct primary care can be more cost-effective for the patient and it lets them know exactly how much they are paying for health care. For example, both Todd and Story can sell patients medicine wholesale out of their offices.
Story said community members encouraged him to start his new clinic, which began in January. It, too, is a relatively small office that he said leads to more personalized care for his patients. He handles most family medicine services, including chronic health problems.
Todd, a former Army doctor and most recently a family doctor at Moscow Medical, treats everyone from newborns to the elderly. Her practice includes a wide array of services, among them are minor skin procedures, reproductive health and mental health. Todd believes she can take care of up to 90 percent of a patient's needs.
"The idea is to avoid urgent care unless it's truly an emergency," she said, adding that she recommends patients have catastrophic insurance to cover emergency hospital visits.
Monthly membership fees for both doctors vary based on age, and a package deal for families is offered. Both clinics require a one-time registration fee.
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