Membership Fee: In concierge medicine, there is an annual fee (which tends to be higher) that can be paid in full or split up, but the contract is for the entire year which covers a comprehensive physical with screenings. In DPC, members typically pay a low flat monthly fee that covers unlimited patient visits and free comprehensive health examination with lab work, with no long-term contracts or enrollment fees.
Insurance Billing: Most traditional concierge medicine physicians continue to accept insurance plans and government programs, and patient visits are billed in the traditional manner. DPC doctors do not bill or accept third party (insurance) reimbursements for the services we provide in our clinics. The membership fees paid by the patients cover clinic visits, procedures, sports physicals, annual health screening and some services such as labs, imaging, etc. are charged separately at up to 85% off retail pricing.
In-Network Referrals: A concierge medicine physician generally remains affiliated with insurance networks and, therefore, can refer to specialists who are also within the patient’s network. A DPC doctor is an out-of-network provider, so referrals to specialists or for special lab testing are given to whichever specialist who can provide the right care for the right time at the right cost.