Are Labs Really Cheaper at a DPC Office?

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The above example was shared with me, and I asked for permission from Atlas to share it here. And the answer is: Hell yes, labs are cheaper at a DPC office. Now, in my office, we used to round up some of these charges a smidge to cover some expenses and to make it easier to calculate. I believe others may do that as well. But it was still in the 90% off range.

What I truly loved about cheap labs is that it doesn’t destroy patients financially to dig deep to find answers to certain medical issues. With insurance, they WILL NOT allow us to order all the labs needed. You have to fight with prior authorizations with non-medical folk at the company who have no idea what is going on. It’s criminal.

This post is for patients who want transparency and need a good physician to help them out. It’s also for the docs on the fence who are considering DPC. There is a right way to do no financial harm to your patients. This is it.

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About Douglas Farrago, MD

Dr. Farrago is a retired family physician based in Forest, Virginia. Since 2021, he has run DPCnews.com, a leading resource for the Direct Primary Care (DPC) movement. He is the author of three best-selling books on Direct Primary Care: The Official Guide to Starting Your Own Direct Primary Care Practice The Direct Primary Care Doctor’s Daily Motivational Journal Slowing the Churn in Direct Primary Care (While Also Keeping Your Sanity) In 2016, Dr. Farrago conceived the idea for the Direct Primary Care Alliance and co-founded the organization alongside other pioneering DPC physicians. He is widely recognized as a leading expert in the DPC model and frequently lectures to medical students, residents, and practicing physicians on how to successfully start and run their own DPC practices.Dr. Farrago sold his Direct Primary Care practice in October 2020 but continues to receive care there as a patient.