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.