Frequently Asked Questions

What is Direct Primary Care?

Direct Primary Care is a healthcare delivery model in which the primary relationship is directly between the patient and the doctor. It is an alternative to the traditional insurance-based, fee-for-service model. In general, direct primary care offers greater access and more personalized care to patients in exchange for direct payments from the patient on a monthly or yearly contract.

Physicians can evaluate the needs and wants of their unique patient populations and practice medicine accordingly. Patients relying on a direct primary care practice can generally expect all primary care services covered, including care management and care coordination seven-day-a-week, around the clock access to doctors, same-day appointments, office visits of at least 30 minutes, basic in office tests at no additional charge.

Because patients have unlimited access to their physician, it has been shown that patients in a direct primary care practice receive a higher quality of care, that is personalized resulting in healthier and more satisfied patients.

How is Direct Primary Care different from traditional primary care?

In a traditional primary care practice, doctors are compensated based on how they code and the quantity of patients they see, rather than based on the quality of care that they provide.

In a DPC practice, quality of care is the number one priority. By cutting down on the number of patients, doctors working in a DPC practice are able to spend a generous time with patients; patients have easier access to appointment times that meet their scheduling needs; patients are guaranteed to see their doctor, not another provider; patients are able to reach out to their doctor via e-mail and cell phone.

These are just some of the benefits of a DPC practice.

How is Direct Primary Care different from Concierge Medicine?

Concierge practices charge an “access fee” for non-covered services which range from $1,600 – $2,000/year. In addition, they still submit bills to the insurance companies for reimbursement for each visit and many require that the patient continue to pay co-payments at the time of each visit. The only difference between a Concierge Practice and other medical practices is the fee charged for non-covered services.

In a Direct Primary Care practice, the affordable annual fee covers both access and most primary care services. There is no billing of claims to insurance companies nor are co-payments collected.

Can I wait and join later?

Yes, but remember, Eagle Direct Primary Care is a membership practice with limited enrollment. Once that enrollment number is reached, a waiting list will be established. Every effort will be made to accommodate interested patients, but the enrollment limit must be honored in order to continue to provide the personalized high quality service to its members.

What happens if I move out of the area after I enroll?

If you move out of the area and are no longer able to be a member of Eagle Direct Primary Care, your medical records will be transferred promptly to your new physician upon receipt of a Medical Release Form. The unused portion of your enrollment fee will be returned to you.

Do I still need to have Health Insurance?

Yes, although you do not need health insurance to become a member of Eagle Direct Primary Care, we recommend that you purchase an insurance plan to cover services such as specialist referrals, diagnostic tests performed outside the office, prescriptions, emergency room visits, hospital admissions and surgeries. We suggest that you address direct primary care with your insurance agent or benefit manager to see what plan would best fit with direct primary care.

Eagle Direct Primary Care is not an insurance company.