How Does Direct Primary Care Revolutionize Primary Health Care Services?

With sick patients lining up in the waiting room just to get a subpar face-to-face consultation with their general physician, visiting the primary care clinic in Manhattan is nothing less than a frantic supermarket. It is overcrowded with people, but all you could hear are coughing, sniffling, and sneezing sounds. You came to the primary care clinic for your ailments, but it looks like another predicament is waiting for you.

And suppose you are one of the lucky ones who does get called in on time for their appointment, you get a huge copay waiting for you to receive the moment you leave the room. Paying a $2000 deductible on top of high insurance premiums as well as co-pays per visit is downright robbery, but Manhattan has thought otherwise – finally.

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a leading subscription-based healthcare model which deals with almost all of the aspects of primary care, but better. Now growing in the States, DPC in Manhattan might be the most revolutionary form of physician practice which not only makes administrative matters easier but also relieves patients from insurance companies altogether. 

What is a DPC Healthcare Service

To elaborate concisely, DPC is a membership-based model which instead of offering fee-for-service care, offers a fixed fee on a holistic preset of services that patients can choose for themselves. These services aren’t limited to consultations with family care physicians for common ailments and minor procedures; these also include lab and screening tests as well as vaccinations and easily accessible medication refills.

24/7 Accessibility:

Most DPC models such as the one at Manhattan Medical Arts, NYC, also include 24/7 telehealth services, meaning you could directly talk to your healthcare provider without booking an appointment down the line. The fun part is that you don’t need to worry about scrambling money for a copay whenever you contact your direct primary care doctor. You can simply FaceTime your DPC physician and if necessary, book a same-day or next-day appointment. 

Variety of Healthcare Services

People suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes, chronic kidney disease, or cardiovascular diseases often turn up to their primary care provider regularly for follow-up consultations and medication refills. With medications available at wholesale prices and absolutely no extra charges for recurrent visits, DPC may just help improve the quality of life of people with chronic diseases.

In addition, DPC also encompasses lab and imaging tests in its subscription plans, as well as full body physicals without any extra charge. DPC also offers routine screening as well as regular vaccinations as per schedule and direction by the State. 

Limited Patient Panel:

Each DPC practice caters to a maximum of 800-1000 patients per physician in contrast to tending to over 2000+ per panel in traditional primary care. With a limited patient panel, a DPC physician can extend over 30 – 60 minutes of a personalized one-on-one session with a patient which, inconveniently, would hardly amount to 10 – 15 minutes in traditional primary care.

A limited patient panel in DPC also allows the physician to tend to each patient with complete peace of mind. Instead of hurrying over the consultations, a DPC provider will be able to carefully listen to their patient’s problems and address each one of them comprehensively and attentively.

No Hidden Deductibles or Copays

With DPC, you can reserve your insurance plan for emergencies and procedures that cannot be tended to in primary care. Once you subscribe to a fixed upfront pricing subscription plan, there will be no hidden costs unless the one is written on paper next to your cohort of services. To put this simply, DPC has no room for insurance in its exclusive patient-physician relationship.

Does It Cost Higher Then Insurance and Regular HealthCare Services

Insurance has its perks, but in primary care, it is better that it sits out of the party and makes way for doctors to take matters into their own hands. 

Monthly insurance premiums may cost you as much as $400 (or even more depending on the plan and the insurer you’re opting for) and if you add deductibles and copays to the cost, you might be spending more dollars unexpectedly and unknowingly. 

In traditional primary care, your case is usually referred to a specialist after specialist after a series of tests have been carried out. As the average primary care physician cannot find the time to listen to all of your concerns, the case is forwarded to specialists who might have an inkling about your condition. 

This too is mitigated by insurance companies as a gimmick to lure patients to spend more money on visits with specialists for consultations or procedures. But, this is also the insurer’s way of looking out for the family medicine practitioner. By ordering a broad bandwidth of tests and referrals to specialists, the insurance company is minimizing the risk of lawsuits and liabilities due to the primary care physician’s lack of concern and attention to detail.

How Direct Primary Care Is Helping People In Manhattan

New York is home to a population of at least eight million people – with healthcare needs that have been scattered to different primary care providers as per insurance companies. Direct Primary Care is already a hit in Colorado and several other counties in the USA, and vows to revolutionize the healthcare system in NYC as well.

Direct Primary Care is currently being offered by Manhattan Medical Arts’ team of expert in-house primary care providers. With a subscription model starting from $99 for services inclusive of telehealth, medication refills, and discounts on imaging and screening tests, it is time to embrace health for a prosperous and hearty family. 

Disclaimer
This blog is for informational & educational purposes only, and does not intend to substitute any professional medical advice or consultation. For any health related concerns, please consult with your physician, or call 911.