What Is Direct Primary Care?
DPC is a healthcare model that cuts out the insurance middleman for primary care. You pay your doctor a flat monthly fee and get unlimited visits, same-day appointments, and direct access.
How DPC Works
In a traditional practice, your doctor sees 2,500+ patients and spends most of their time on insurance paperwork. In a DPC practice, your doctor sees 400–800 patients, spends zero time on insurance billing, and passes the savings to you.
You pay a flat monthly membership fee — typically $75–$150 for adults and $25–$50 for children. In return, you get:
DPC vs. Traditional Primary Care
| Feature | Traditional | DPC |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $300-500 (premiums) | $75-150 |
| Copays | $25-75 per visit | $0 |
| Wait for appointment | 2-3 weeks | Same day |
| Visit length | 7-10 minutes | 30-60 minutes |
| Text your doctor | No | Yes |
| Lab costs | Retail pricing | Wholesale (90% less) |
| Patients per doctor | 2,500+ | 400-800 |
What DPC Does NOT Cover
DPC covers primary care only. You still need coverage for emergencies, hospitalization, surgery, and specialist care. That's where health sharing plans or catastrophic/HDHP insurance come in. The combination of DPC + health sharing + HSA is the full stack.
2026: DPC Is Now HSA-Eligible
As of 2026, the PRIMARY Act allows you to pay DPC membership fees with pre-tax HSA dollars (up to $150/individual, $300/family per month). This effectively makes your DPC membership 20–37% cheaper depending on your tax bracket.
Finding a DPC Doctor
There are over 2,700 DPC practices across all 50 states. Use our DPC Finder tool or browse directories like DPC Frontier Mapper and the DPC Alliance to find practices in your area.
See How Much You Could Save
Take our free savings assessment and get a personalized plan for your family.
This guide is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or insurance advice.