Private Health Insurance Direct Questions

What is direct primary care?

Direct primary care (DPC) is a physician-practice model in which patients pay a flat monthly or annual membership fee directly to a primary-care practice for routine visits, in place of billing insurance for those services (HHS ASPE — Direct Primary Care research brief).

Reviewed by Jason Burns, Editor & Steward · Last verified 2026-07-19

What it means

  • DPC practices typically do not bill health insurance for member visits.
  • Members still carry a separate insurance plan for hospital and specialty care.

Action steps

  1. Confirm what specific services the DPC fee covers.
  2. Pair DPC with a private ACA-compliant plan for catastrophic coverage.

Risks & deadlines

  • DPC is not health insurance and is not a substitute for one.

Sources

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