DIRECT PRIMARY CARE, EXPLAINED

What if healthcare

were actually this simple?

Direct Primary Care removes many of the barriers between you and your physician creating a simpler, more personalized approach to everyday healthcare.

Instead of billing insurance for routine primary care - you pay a predictable monthly membership fee and receive direct access to a physician who has the time to know you, listen to you, and care for you.

Discover How It Works ↓

THE TRADITIONAL MODEL

Somewhere along the way,

Every visit generates billing, coding, claims, administrative work, and overhead. Physicians are often left caring for large patient panels while trying to squeeze meaningful healthcare into increasingly short visits. This leaves both the physician and patient frustrated.

Insurance was initially designed to protect us from large, unexpected medical expenses. Today, it often sits between patients and their physicians - even for routine primary care.

healthcare got complicated.

The result?

SHORTER VISITS

LONGER WAITS

Less time to ask questions and understand the whole picture.

Weeks to see a physician who actually knows you.

MORE BARRIERS

LESS CONNECTION

Phone trees, portals, copays, billing, and insurance requirements.

Healthcare can begin to feel transactional rather than personal.

WHAT IF WE SIMPLIFIED THE RELATIONSHIP?

TRADITIONAL PRIMARY CARE

INSURANCE

YOU

DOCTOR

Insurance is involved in paying for routine primary care, bringing billing and administrative requirements into the relationship.

DIRECT PRIMARY CARE

YOU

DOCTOR

One direct relationship.

Direct Primary Care removes the middleman from the relationship.

SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS DIRECT PRIMARY CARE?

between you and your physician.

A direct relationship

Direct Primary Care, or DPC, is a membership-based model of primary care. Instead of billing insurance for routine primary care services, patients directly pay their physician a monthly membership fee.

That membership provides access to services such as routine visits, preventative care, chronic disease management, acute care, and direct communication with your physician.

Because the practice isn’t dependent on generating insurance claims for every interaction, DPC physicians can care for smaller patient panels and spend more time with each individual patient.

That changes the experience of primary care.

Healthcare feels different when the relationship comes first.

PERSONALIZED CARE

Your doctor actually knows your story. Your history. Your goals. Your previous conversations. You are no longer starting from scratch.

MORE TIME

Enjoy un-rushed visits where the focus is on you, not a computer screen. No more limiting your visit to just one concern.

EASIER ACCESS

See your physician when you actually need care. Smaller patient panels make same-day and next-day appointments possible.

Predictable pricing means no copays, no surprise bills, and greater peace of mind. Enjoy discounted labs and imaging.

PRICE TRANSPARENCY

DIRECT COMMUNICATION

Fewer layers between you and your physician. Questions shouldn’t always require another office visit.

BUT WHAT ABOUT INSURANCE?

DPC doesn’t replace insurance.

Direct primary care and insurance serve different purposes.

Your DPC membership covers the primary care relationship and services included at your practice. Health insurance remains important for larger, unpredictable expenses such as:

Emergency Care

Surgery

Hospitalization

Specialist care

Advanced Imaging

Think about your car insurance.

You carry car insurance for the large, unpredictable expenses such as a major collision.

Imagine filing an insurance claim every time you needed an oil change, new windshield wipers, or routine maintenance.

The administrative costs alone would cause your premiums to skyrocket.

Think of DPC as the healthcare you use. Insurance is the protection for the healthcare you hope you don’t need.

TRADITIONAL PRIMARY CARE VS DIRECT PRIMARY CARE

TRADITIONAL MODEL

No additional co-pays

DPC MODEL

Monthly membership

Intentionally small patient panel

Insurance billed for routine care

Co-pays may apply

Large patient panel

Average face-to-face appointment time 7 min

30-60 minute visits

Communication through staff/portals

Pricing can be difficult to predict

Communication directly with your physician

Transparent pricing

WHO IS DIRECT PRIMARY CARE FOR?

You don’t have to be sick

to want better healthcare.

I WANT A DOCTOR WHO KNOWS ME.

Because better care begins with a physician who knows more than what's written in your chart.

I WANT TO BE PROACTIVE.

You want more than a yearly physical and a call if something is abnormal.

I WANT HEALTHCARE TO BE SIMPLER.

You value easy access, transparent pricing, longer appointments, and fewer barriers between you and your doctor.

DPC can be valuable whether you visit your physician frequently or simply want the peace of mind of knowing someone is there when you need them.

DIRECT PRIMARY CARE AT THRIVEDPC

Meet Thrive Essential

Thrive Essential brings the Direct Primary Care model to life with personalized, relationship-based primary care for individuals and families.

Same or next day visits

Direct physician communication

Transparent monthly pricing

Longer visits

Learn more

EXPLORE THRIVE ESSENTIAL →

Yes. Direct Primary Care is not health insurance and does not replace it. Your DPC membership is designed to cover the routine primary care services included in your membership, while health insurance remains important for larger or unexpected medical expenses such as hospitalization, emergency care, surgery, and specialty care.
Many patients choose to pair DPC with insurance that primarily protects them against these larger healthcare expenses.
Membership typically includes many of the primary care services you use most, such as routine office visits, preventive care, annual physicals, sick visits, chronic disease management, and direct communication with your physician.
At ThriveDPC, your Thrive Essential membership is designed to give you more time, easier access, and an ongoing relationship with a physician who knows you.
No. Routine primary care visits included in your Thrive Essential membership do not have an additional per-visit copay.
Instead, you pay a predictable monthly membership fee, allowing you to seek care when you need it without wondering what another office visit will cost.

Yes. Your DPC membership doesn't prevent you from using your health insurance for healthcare services outside the membership.
Depending on the service, you may choose to use your insurance or take advantage of available cash-pay pricing for labs, imaging, medications, and other services.
Direct Primary Care doesn't replace specialty, emergency, or hospital care.
If you need a specialist, Dr. Town can help coordinate your care and make an appropriate referral. For emergencies and hospital services, you would use your health insurance according to your plan.
Dr. Town can then help with follow-up care and provide continuity after you return home.
Absolutely. You don't have to have a chronic medical condition or frequently visit the doctor to benefit from DPC. Having more time with your physician creates an opportunity to focus on prevention, understand your individual risk factors, and address concerns before they become larger problems.
Good primary care isn't only about being there when you're sick. It's about helping you stay well.