How Does Direct Primary Care Work in Spokane?

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Direct Primary Care in Spokane

Moving to a new city can be really, really tough – especially if you don’t know anyone and aren’t moving here with a spouse, partner or family. Two things that make moving tough? Finding new friends and finding a new doctor!

We ran into the doctor problem when we moved to Spokane, but after much research, we found a really awesome, unique option that works for us called direct primary care.

We have now been DPC members for over four years. Having seen “traditional” doctors in action with family members who don’t have access to direct primary care, I can say without any reservation that direct primary care is the best care.

Below, we’ll share what direct primary care in Spokane is, which direct primary care facility we go to, our experience with direct primary care doctors in Spokane, and more. 

There are a few direct primary care physicians in Spokane, so we encourage you to call around and see if the DPC model works for you and your family. 

New for 2022! Direct Primary Care Gets a New Mental Health Provider

Exciting news for Direct Primary Care members in Spokane! Our Direct Primary Care provider in Spokane has recently added a new service for members and their family and friends. That service? Mental health counseling!

What is a Mental Health Counselor? 

Mental health counselors are professionals who provide counseling services to individuals suffering from emotional or psychological problems. They can also offer support groups and other therapeutic programs.

A mental health counselor helps patients cope with their issues through therapy sessions, group discussions, and individualized treatment plans. Counselors also conduct research to better understand human behavior and promote positive change.

Why would this be necessary in 2022? Recently, the United State Preventative Service Task Force (USPSTF), a division of the Department of Health and Human Services, released suggested guidelines to provide anxiety screening on all adults ages 64 and younger because of a significant increase in anxiety among adults since the pandemic (25% increase globally). It made similar recommendations for children and teenagers earlier in 2022.

Direct Primary Care in Spokane + New Mental Health Provider

Luckily for members of DPC in Spokane, there is now an affordable way to get mental health services. DPC recognized that many people were being charged $120-160/session, putting counseling financially out of reach for many people. Now at Direct Primary Care, 50 minute sessions with provider Jill Howard, MSW, are $60 a session. 

In addition, if DPC members have family or friends who are not DPC members but are looking for affordable counseling services, they can contact Jill for $75 per 50 minute session (or sign up as a member of DPC to get the $60/session rate!)

Last year, when I was dealing with anticipatory grief from my father’s long illness, I was able to take advantage of DPC’s counseling services, and those sessions helped immeasurably. You don’t need to lose someone or be in the midst of a crisis to reach out to DPC’s new counselor (although that’s okay too!)

While you can visit a mental health counselor for any issue, DPC’s provider Jill Howard specializes in:

  • Trauma and PTSD
  • Anxiety
  • Women’s issues

As well as behavioral issues, ADHD, depression, grief, life transitions, self-esteem and more. 

What is Direct Primary Care?

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a broad term for a payment model used by a variety of healthcare providers that attempts to avoid third parties outside the provider and the patient, by cutting out middle parties such as insurance companies and other in-office administration. Instead of fee-for-service payments, patients pay directly to their doctor or the DPC provider, usually in a flat monthly, quarterly, or yearly rate.

Here’s a handy video explaining the challenges of traditional health care and where direct primary care comes in:

Part of the purpose of DPC is to help patients have quicker and more frequent access to their physicians, both face-to-face and on the phone. By paying a “membership fee,” patients can access all of the services that their doctor provides without having to worry about whether their insurance will cover it.

Ideally, this would help to build trust between the provider and the patient, as patients can be more confident when coming forward with their health concerns, and physicians are held directly accountable to their patients. The simplified payment structure can make healthcare simpler for both parties.

Recently, I was able to interview the CEO of Direct Primary Care in Spokane, Matt Dinsmore, about the DPC model, how it works, and how it saved one family hundreds of dollars in lab fees. Take a listen:

How Much Does DPC Typically Cost?

Overall, a typical DPC membership costs around what a typical cell phone bill might cost. At Direct Primary Care, rates are tiered based on the age of the patient. Take a look at the membership plans offered by the primary care facility we go to, Direct Primary Care.

A full list of costs for Direct Primary Care in Spokane (including options for 70+, businesses and more) can be found here.

DPC Membership Planshttps://mydpcclinic.com/

Also, prescriptions can sometimes be lower through a DPC provider, depending on the prescription.

What Can You Expect When You Sign Up for Direct Primary Care?

In our experience, direct primary care is similar to having your favorite doctor, except you can actually get a hold of them when you need them and they answer all of your questions (no matter how obscure or specific!). 

After we did our research and visited Direct Primary Care in Spokane, we signed up and each received a preventive screening, discussed our health concerns, and made sure to download the HIPAA-compliant app DPC uses to communicate with patients.

For a full breakdown on what you can expect at Direct Primary Care in Spokane, check out the video below:

All in all, our experience with DPC in Spokane has been incredible, and a complete difference from how our previous doctor experiences were. Yes, people do get sick on Friday nights, but all I have to do is send a message through the app and I hear back from DPC within hours (or less!).

Your experience may vary depending on your needs, so always do what’s best for you and your family, but our experience has been incredibly positive.

How Does DPC Work with Insurance?

While insurance is still needed to cover major medical costs for services that DPC providers can’t offer, the membership fee is all one needs for the preventative and basic care with a DPC provider. Many physicians will recommend that patients do get some high-deductible health insurance to cover emergencies, more complex health issues, and serious illnesses.

Another option outside of health insurance is a medical cost-sharing network, which can sometimes be joined with membership fees similar to those of DPC. Direct Primary Care in Spokane has seen people use medical cost-sharing networks, or use their own insurance (employer-provided) in conjunction with using DPC.

Some DPC providers say that they can get specialists to give DPC patients similar rates as they would get through insurance, as the specialists are grateful that there is no need to involve a third party.

In our case, our insurance serves us in the event of a major medical emergency (or specialist visits). We use direct primary care for everything else!

How Does Direct Primary Care Work if You Don’t Have Insurance?

Great question! When we first moved to Spokane, this was the exact boat we were in – and actually, direct primary care made our move and transition to Spokane a lot easier and less stressful. With direct primary care, even if you don’t have insurance, you still get primary and preventive care. You receive:

  • Unlimited office visits with no copays or office charges
  • Same or next day appointments
  • 24/7 emergency phone access to a physician
  • At-cost medications, labs, and x-rays

Barring any serious conditions or accidents, most of the time what you need when you call a doctor is a quick check up. Maybe you think you have an ear infection, you need a shot, or it’s time for your annual exam. You don’t need insurance for these types of appointments – you just need direct primary care.

For a breakdown of how direct primary care works for the uninsured, check out this comprehensive video below:

 

How Do Doctors Make Money with DPC?

One of the biggest questions we had when we were considering direct primary care was: how long can this stay in business? It seems like doctors would take a pay cut by providing direct primary care.

On one hand, many doctors who choose to change to DPC do so because they want to see the industry changed. Insurance regulations have helped to create a stressful atmosphere that can lead to physician burnout, and DPC is a way out of that that can help doctors focus on patients.

On the other hand, it looks like the direct primary care model may not only be less stressful, but financially sustainable as well. According to Harvard Medical School’s Center for Primary Care, the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) conducted a study that concluded the DPC model is economically sustainable for doctors/providers.

DPC physicians hope that as more people switch to DPC, more kinds of care can be added and revenue can continue to increase. They also hope that employers can start to see the benefit of DPC over insurance and will start putting money normally allocated to insurance plans into DPC for their employees.

Why Would I Pay More Money to a DPC Provider In Addition to What I Pay Monthly to My Insurance Company?

This is a great question – if you’re paying for insurance monthly, why should you pay more to a DPC provider? Wouldn’t you get the same service by your regular family doctor?

The short answer is: if you’ve found a doctor in Spokane who you like and can see on an as-needed basis, the prices are reasonable (or are covered by your insurance), then DPC might not be for you.

But if you’re struggling to find a doctor here, or you find your doctor unresponsive/unconcerned about your needs/dismissive of you… then you might find a monthly payment for direct primary care better fits with your lifestyle.

How is Direct Primary Care Different from Concierge Care?

Concierge care was just starting to take off in Phoenix when we moved (or, at least we had just found out about it when we were about to move), so when we moved here, I thought direct primary care = concierge care. It turns out, there are a few differences between DPC and concierge care.

Concierge care locks one into a year-long commitment, whereas most DPC agreements are monthly and can be dropped at any time. With concierge care, costs are a little higher, so one can access screenings that may not be covered by traditional insurance or government programs. With DPC fees, one is usually given unlimited visits.

One big difference is that DPC providers usually do not accept insurance and are therefore “out-of-network”, meaning they might not have their referrals to specialists recognized by insurance companies. Another is that the average age of concierge care members is significantly higher, as DPC providers do not accept Medicare.

Additionally, there are many more concierge services available than DPC providers, as DPC is a relatively new concept that is found more in rural areas where access to physicians is more limited.

Direct Primary Care in Spokane

DPC can be found in Spokane at a place named exactly that: Direct Primary Care. They can be found at 212 East Central Avenue #360 and provide plans that are priced based on age. You can visit their website at Direct Primary Care here or give them a call/text at (509) 553-0565.

There are a few other direct primary care options in Spokane, North Idaho, and Liberty Lake. Since we updated this article last in 2021, some of the previous direct primary care doctors have gone out of business.

For now, we will link to our DPC physician (Direct Primary Care) as we can confirm they are still in business and this review is based on our experience with them.

Should You Try Direct Primary Care?

Now, we can’t say for 100% that DPC is right for everyone, nor would we! Health care and medical coverage is very personal, and everyone’s situation is different. However, direct primary care might be for you if:

  • You’re a small business owner and are getting crushed by ACA/Obamacare costs
  • You have a high deductible health plan (HDHP) through your job but want to see a doctor for check ups, physicals, etc.
  • You wish you could spend longer than 20 minutes with your doctor – direct primary care gives you anywhere from 30-60 minutes with your provider
  • You want to be able to talk to your doctor/provider when you need to – Direct Primary Care in Spokane has an app that you can text at any time to ask questions, request an appt., etc.
  • You don’t get sick that often, but when you do, you don’t want to go through the hassle of talking to 2 different billing and scheduling people and being put on hold/re-scheduled to the next day
  • You want a return to the “better days” of doctor care when doctors knew who you were and billing was straightforward, not a labyrinthine process

Have more questions about Direct Primary Care? We encourage you to reach out to any of the providers listed above – they are responsive and want to make sure you get the best service for you, so contact them to learn more and see if DPC is right for you.

 Do you use direct primary care services? Do you have questions about it? Share your thoughts and questions over on our Facebook page!

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