If you'd like to have a stronger relationship with your primary care doctor — and quick access to them when you want to chat or schedule an appointment — direct primary care may be worth a look. With a DPC arrangement, you pay a membership fee, and in exchange you get unlimited access to certain primary care services, such as disease screenings, chronic-condition management and laboratory tests. DPC practices don't accept health insurance, and you pay the membership fee out of pocket.
Compared with a traditional primary care office, which may manage thousands of patients, a DPC practice sees an average of 413 patients, according to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). With a smaller load, DPC doctors can usually offer same-day or next-day appointments and spend more time with patients.
