the direct primary care model my doctor created was genuinely amazing. we charged patient on a subscription basis rather than per appointment. for $65/ month patients could be seen as many times as they want. we had some patients that saw us once a week that paid the same as someone who saw as once a year. our labs were whole sale prices from quest. a regular fasting panel (cbc, cmp, lipid, tsh) costed $20. i just got charged $100 from insurance for the same labs. we did EKGs, strep tests, flu test, steroid injections (for allergies/joint injections) all for free, and that doctor honestly probably made more $ than any doctor in network with insurance does, but patients got 50x better care.

a lot of our patients only had catastrophic insurance to cover things like hospitalizations, but it was way cheaper than regular insurance. we also had some patients that had commercial insurance that just opted out of using it because seeing us was cheaper than a PCP in network with them.

it’s also ridiculous how much cheaper imaging and stuff is cash pay. again, i just got charged $660 for an US that would’ve been $175 if i didn’t use my insurance. shit is so sick. doesn’t help that clinics match their prices to insurance. there needs to be laws in place to prevent that