How the DPC Model Applies to Family Medicine That Covers Parents and Their Children
People searching for a family doctor in Overland Park, Brookside, or downtown Kansas City usually have the same set of questions about our direct primary care model: “Do you really do same-day and next day appointments?” and “So, I can contact my doctor directly 24/7 whenever I need them?”
When developing a model for direct primary care for families, Dr. Burns, lead physician and founder of ProPartners Healthcare, knew the traditional healthcare model wasn’t beyond improvement. As a longtime practitioner of family medicine, Dr. Burns was already familiar with the patient pain points of long wait times, short doctor’s visits, and “nickel and dime” fees that drain a family’s budget.
The direct primary care (DPC) model addresses all that and more, providing families with 24/7 direct access to their physician via phone, text, and email, same-day and next-day appointments, and the absence of copays, office visit fees, and dealing with insurance providers. Instead, the DPC model provides primary care services under an affordable, flat monthly fee. Plus, families can get treatment and preventative care from a physician who actually knows them, thus, improving the overall quality of care.
Let’s take a look at one family’s healthcare journey as they make the switch over from a traditional model to the DPC model.
In accordance with HIPAA compliance laws and regulations, names and personal details have been changed to protect the identities of patients.
Family Medicine Patient Profile: The Smith Family
Devon and Patty Smith were both in their late-40s, raising two athletic teenage boys and a daughter with a penchant for competitive dance and gymnastics. As far as families go, they were as active as they come. Baseball, football, and basketball were regular features in their schedule. Plus, nine-year-old Susie Smith was making her mark in the gymnastics world.
When the Smiths signed up with ProPartners Healthcare, it was because they had one major complaint: all the barriers that stood between them and their family medicine doctor. For example, when one of their kids sustained a minor sports-related injury, their regular provider could never see them promptly. Typically, they had to wait at least a couple weeks, and so they racked up a lot of bills settling for urgent or emergency care.
Further complicating matters, Devon had long been nursing an ongoing lower back issue that required him to see a specialist. The Smiths had health insurance through Devon’s employer, but they still wanted to find a way to reduce their costs while improving their physician access. Our DPC model accomplished both.
Phase One: Simplifying and Consolidating
The Smith family was doing the same thing that most American families do, which is piecemealing their medical care using a variety of specialists, urgent care and ER visits, pediatricians, and other physicians. As you can imagine, this ended up costing them a substantial amount in medical expenses when factoring in all their copays and coinsurance.
By transitioning to ProPartners Healthcare’s family medicine DPC model, all five members of the Smith household could receive personalized care for a flat fee of $220 per month, a substantial savings compared to what they were used to. The DPC model also simplified things by getting all their primary care through one provider. Dr. Burns was able to handle all their medical care, which meant Devon’s orthopedic specialist was no longer needed, nor were their kids’ pediatrician.
Phase Two: Addressing Acute Injuries
Both Smith sons were year-round athletes, which meant that they were at high risk for incurring acute injuries. The Smith daughter, although not involved in contact sports, was also high risk due to the demands of competitive dance and gymnastics.
During their first year of membership, there were numerous instances of sprained ankles, strained hamstrings, and possible fractures that required closer inspection. Because the Smith family’s DPC membership covered everyone in the household, it meant that Mr. or Mrs. Smith could directly contact Dr. Burns whenever the kids were dealing with an injury.
It also meant that the Smiths could arrange for a same-day in-office visit and get X-rays and other lab work at-cost rather than paying coinsurance through their insurance carrier. For example, one of the Smith boys took a nasty shot to ribs during a kickoff return. Within 48 hours, Dr. Burns was able to confirm that his ribs were not fractured, and he was clear to keep playing if he chose to do so. He recommended a rib cage protector as well.
The Smith family required more appointments than the average family due to their children’s active lifestyle; however, because of the DPC membership’s flat fee model, their medical expenses never spun out of control like it had frequently done before.
Phase Three: Providing Family Medicine For the Entire Household
What the Smith family really loves about the DPC model is how ProPartners Healthcare served as a “one-stop shop” for certain forms of preventative care. For example, when flu season rolled around, they were able to get flu shots for the entire family in one fell swoop. The same applied to their COVID booster shots.
The other advantage of working with ProPartners Healthcare is that it allowed the Smith family to receive treatment from a doctor who took the time to get to know them. By exclusively seeing one physician as opposed to several, the Smiths were able to get greater insight into preventive care, especially in regard to preventing sports-related injuries with their kids and managing Devon’s chronic lower back pain.
Find a Family Doctor In Kansas City Who You Can Count On
As a provider of direct primary care for families, ProPartners Healthcare delivers expert care that’s both affordable and accessible. By capping our family memberships at $220 and doing away with copays, coinsurance, and the complications of dealing with insurance providers, the DPC model simplifies family healthcare access while reducing cumulative medical expenses.
For questions or to schedule a preliminary meeting with a physician to learn more about the DPC model, contact ProPartners Healthcare at (913) 451-5709 or email us using the contact form on our website.