If you have an HSA or FSA through your employer, there’s an important benefit many people overlook: You can often use those funds to pay for direct primary care (DPC).

A Direct Primary Care (DPC) doctor is a primary care physician who works outside the traditional insurance model, offering care through a simple monthly or annual membership fee.

Here’s what that actually means in practical terms:

What is DPC?

Instead of billing insurance for every visit or service, a DPC doctor:

• Charges a flat membership fee

• Provides unlimited or very generous access to primary care services

• Spends more time per patient

• Keeps a much smaller patient panel

The goal is to remove insurance-driven constraints so care can be more personal, accessible, and proactive.

What the Membership Typically Includes

While details vary by practice, most DPC models include:

• Office visits (often same-day or next-day)

• Longer appointments

• Direct communication with your doctor (phone, text, email)

• Preventive care and chronic disease management

• Care coordination and advocacy

• Basic in-office procedures

FSAs and HSAs allow you to set aside pre-tax dollars for qualified medical costs—stretching your healthcare budget further than a traditional savings account. Because these funds aren’t taxed as income (or subject to payroll taxes), they can meaningfully reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

What’s the difference?

• FSA: Employer-owned, use-it-or-lose-it, but your full annual contribution is available at the start of the year.

• HSA: Individually owned, rolls over year to year, higher contribution limits, and stays with you even if you change jobs (available with high-deductible health plans).

How this applies to direct primary care:

Many out-of-pocket medical expenses—such as visits, copays, prescriptions, and certain services—are HSA- and FSA-eligible, even when provided through a concierge or direct primary care practice.

In general, if an expense would be covered or reimbursable in a traditional medical setting, it may also qualify when paid through concierge care.