There is NO Easy Button for DPC

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Let’s talk about why finding DPC is easy for employers. Well, not really. In fact, there is NO easy button for finding great DPC clinics. It takes some work. There’s no vetted website that lists awesome DPC docs. Beware of businesses that claim they have connections with all the best DPC clinics. Let’s see how to find DPC docs.

AI Summary:

There is no “easy button” for employers looking for real Direct Primary Care (DPC).  Employers are facing big 2027 insurance premium hikes (12–25%+) and are increasingly interested in DPC or self-funded plans that include DPC for better access, lower costs, and fewer ER/urgent-care/referral visits. But signing up is not simple.Two problems are growing with demand:

  • Third-party “middleman” aggregators promise to match employers with local DPC clinics quickly. These can sound convenient, but someone still has to verify the clinics actually deliver real DPC value.
  • Some clinics brand themselves as DPC without the mindset or scope. They may function more like limited “band-aid stations,” use mid-levels as the main providers, or focus on side services (hormones, Botox, peptides, etc.) instead of comprehensive primary care that reduces downstream utilization.

Dr. Purcell’s advice: do the work. Talk to a benefits advisor or HR, ask other local employers who already use DPC, and meet the physicians face-to-face. Key questions include how long they’ve practiced DPC, their clinical focus and scope, who patients actually see, costs, and whether they can keep people out of urgent care, the ER, and specialist referrals.DPC is more than a payment model—it’s a patient-first mindset. Skipping vetting risks a poor experience that can give the whole model a bad name. He points people to [email protected] and his book on working with employers for more detail.

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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.