California Direct Primary Care: Your 2024 Complete Guide

California Direct Primary Care: 2024 Guide

Selecting a California Direct Primary Care Provider

To access California DPC services, begin by choosing a Direct Primary Care physician servicing your area. Sign up for a membership with them for a flat-rate monthly fee, typically ranging between $75 and $110.

With this membership, you’ll have unlimited access to primary, preventive, and (sometimes) chronic care services. If these services are provided by your selected DPC physician, you won’t need to pay extra.

Your DPC provider will usually have you sign a Direct Primary Care patient agreement, outlining the services they’ll provide and your responsibilities as a patient. This agreement will cover membership fees, who’s included in your plan (either yourself or your entire family), and the consequences of nonpayment. It also outlines the facility’s legal practices, such as privacy statements.

The patient agreement specifies which services your provider doesn’t cover and clarifies that your membership fee isn’t comprehensive health insurance. Many DPC facilities offer various membership options, allowing you to choose the most budget-friendly solution.

Keep in mind that a DPC membership won’t cover prescriptions, hospitalizations, or most specialty care. You’ll need to select an additional health plan. Numerous budget-friendly options exist, including healthsharing, accident insurance, or a high-deductible health insurance plan with a lower premium.

The Growth of California Direct Primary Care Clinics

Due to the improved DPC healthcare model, California DPC providers often report greater job satisfaction, deeper patient relationships, and better health outcomes. However, some providers have yet to transition from accepting traditional insurance to Direct Primary Care. Although the number of DPCs in California is currently small, it will continue to grow as people embrace this option and demand more DPC providers.

The past two years have witnessed a healthcare revolution in terms of availability and choice. Direct Primary Care is poised to become an essential component of the modern, financially conscious healthcare landscape.

Insurance and DPC

DPC providers don’t accept health insurance. Instead, members pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to covered services provided by the provider.

This option is typically more affordable than conventional insurance plans. However, since life may present additional medical expenses like surgeries, accidents, or extended hospital stays (as well as non-covered services), we recommend obtaining supplemental coverage, such as a healthshare plan. You can also contribute to a health savings account, and your employer may provide resources for investing those deposits for future financial success.

Regarding insurance: If you opt for additional coverage with an insurance plan, you can’t apply DPC membership

costs toward your deductible. Additionally, you cannot use your health savings account to pay for direct primary care, but you can maintain an HSA and contribute to it for other non-DPC services.

Why Healthshares Appeal to California Direct Primary Care Members

Healthsharing organizations are popular among DPC members because DPC membership doesn’t cover surgery, hospitalizations, lab tests, or most specialist visits. However, the low monthly cost of a DPC membership combined with a healthshare membership is often more affordable than a health insurance plan—excluding additional co-pays and deductibles you’d otherwise face.

Healthshares, like DPC Direct, provide peace of mind for healthcare coverage. The DPC Direct plan is tailored specifically for DPC members. Since your DPC membership covers preventive and routine care, most healthcare costs are already handled, making the DPC Direct plan very budget-friendly.

Many healthshare plans also offer 24/7 video and telehealth conferencing along with other benefits (such as discounts on dental, vision, and hearing care) to further reduce healthcare costs.

California Direct Primary Care FAQs

Healthcare can be complicated! Our Personal Benefits Planners are ready to help you navigate through the information with a quick phone call or appointment. For a brief overview, here are some frequently asked questions to provide the key points.

When might a DPC membership and healthshare plan not be suitable for me?

If you have a severe health condition or medical needs that might require extensive attention for many years, a traditional health insurance plan may be more suitable for you. Consult one of our Personal Benefits Planners for assistance in deciding.

How quickly can I get an appointment with my DPC provider?

You can generally secure same-day or next-day appointments with ample availability. Since providers aren’t overwhelmed with patients from the area who use certain insurance, they can serve a comfortable number of patients without overcrowding or burnout.

Are there any hidden fees I should know about?

Each DPC practice has its list of covered services, outlined in your patient membership agreement. You can always review the services your DPC provider covers, and they will inform you upfront about any costs associated with external services (like labs). Your physician won’t usually charge you for treatments provided in their office.

Where Can I Find A DPC Practice?

Use the map below to find a DPC practice in your area. Note that some may not be accepting new patients at this time.

The drop pins that are Blue are DPC offices with whom we have a personal relationship, and that are currently accepting new patients. You can also see past issues of our DPC Newsletter that we mail out to our DPC Partners. (Attention doctors and patients: if you do not see your DPC clinic on the map, please click here to add your clinic.)