What is Direct Primary Care (DPC)?
DPC is a growing movement with over 1,000 practices across the US. Although DPCs can vary in small ways, they are united in the idea that care decisions should be made between a person and their doctor. Our current medical system with for profit insurance companies can get in the way of that relationship; so to simplify things and offer more personalized care, DPC works around insurance by charging a low monthly membership fee that covers most primary care services.
Can you bill my insurance company?
Billing insurance takes an incredible amount of time and money. Many practices need to hire billers whose job is to bill insurance companies. In order to keep our overhead low (and pass those savings on to you), we do not bill insurance. This allows us to spend more time doing what we were trained to do – take care of you.
Do I need insurance to join?
Although you can receive primary care through Portland Direct Primary Care without insurance, it is still a good idea to have insurance for catastrophic events or unexpected surgery. It is important to understand that a DPC membership is NOT insurance.
If I have Medicare, can I join?
Yes, we would be honored if you choose to entrust us with your care. Although many preventive services are covered by Medicare Part A, seniors are still stuck with the high cost of medication. DPC can help make medications more affordable and give you better access to your doctor. As noted above, we do not bill any insurance providers including Medicare. Due to national regulations those who are enrolled in Medicare are required to sign a yearly contract with their DPC doctor stating they will not bill medicare for any DPC services. Of course a Medicare recipient would still be free to use their Medicare insurance to pay for services from other doctors, such as specialists.
Can you take care of my children?
Of course! Your kids will see a board certified family doctor trained to take care of them from infancy through teenage years and on to adulthood. This is actually a major benefit of joining a family practice - no need to change doctors after your kids reach a certain age. In order for kids to join, we do require that a parent or guardian is part of the practice as well. We would love to get to know the whole family.
Is Doctor Oren nice?
That’s up to you to decide (although most would agree he is a nice guy). We recommend everyone find a primary care doctor that fits their style. As part of the free informational meeting you can “interview” Dr. Oren to see if its a good fit. In the mean-time you can check out this podcast interview to get to know him a little better.
What if I’m considering joining but not ready to sign up yet?
That’s OK. Changing your care to a new doctor is a really big choice, especially if DPC is something you are just learning about for the first time. Because it’s such a big decision, we offer a free visit so you may ask questions and help determine if Portland Direct Primary Care is the right fit for you and/or your family. Head to our contact page to schedule your visit.
What is your privacy policy?
We take your privacy very seriously and for that reason maintain the highest standards of privacy and confidentiality. The structure of DPC does not require us to transmit your information to third party insurance companies which is an advantage over a fee for service practice. You can download an official copy of our privacy policy here.