Frequently Asked Questions
About Direct Primary Care (DPC)
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A Direct Primary Care, or DPC, is a membership model of healthcare that puts patients first by giving patients easier access to their physician and removing the barriers of insurance and corporations in primary care. Instead of seeing thousands of patients, we carry only a few hundred, assuring we can provide our patients with the care and attention they need.
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Individuals signing up for Direct Primary Care (DPC) are typically seeking affordable, accessible, and personalized healthcare, often opting for it if they are uninsured, or have high-deductible plans, or want to avoid insurance hassles. It also appeals to anyone desiring longer, more personalized frequent visits with their physician.
Who is signing up for DPC?
Individuals and Families on a Budget: People looking for transparent, predictable monthly costs for primary care services without hidden fees.
High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) Holders: Those with "catastrophic" insurance or high deductible plans who want to manage routine care expenses directly.
Those on a cost sharing health program needing an in person primary care physician
The Uninsured: People who need affordable access to care but do not have traditional insurance coverage.
People Seeking Better Access: Patients wanting same-day/next-day appointments, direct, easy communication with their doctor, and longer, unhurried visits.
Those Managing Chronic Conditions: Individuals who benefit from proactive wellness plans, consistent care, and a strong, ongoing doctor-patient relationship.
Small Business Owners: Offering DPC as a cost-effective alternative to, or supplement for, traditional health insurance for employees.
Key features driving sign-ups:
No Insurance Involved: The model acts as a "direct-to-consumer" approach, bypassing traditional insurance, which often lowers costs.
Convenience: Includes easy access via telemedicine, phone calls, and texts.
Comprehensive Care: Covers routine check-ups, preventative care, and sometimes discounted labs or medications.
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Direct Primary Care isn’t just for people who see their doctor often. It’s for anyone who values having a trusted physician who knows them and is easy to reach when something does come up. You can have the time you need when you need it. With visits that are up to 10 times longer than the average rushed visit, you can accomplish more with fewer visits.
Even if you rarely need appointments, your membership provides important benefits, including:
A doctor who understands your history and health goals
Preventive care and screenings to help you stay well
Quick access for new concerns, big or small
Help deciding whether something can be managed at home or needs urgent care
Coordination if you ever need labs, imaging, or specialists
Many patients find peace of mind simply knowing they can reach their physician without worrying about surprise bills or rushed visits.
Membership & Billing
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We do not accept insurance but highly encourage our members to carry some form of insurance that can help cover the cost of high cost medications, specialist care, emergency room visits and hospital costs.
Direct primary care may be a great option for those carrying health sharing programs, or high deductible insurance plans.
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ACH, Zelle, Credit card, Debit Card, HSA card
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Notify our team, your membership will be canceled at the end of the month you cancel in. If you are in an annual plan, please do the same and refer to the patient agreement regarding the refund.
Scheduling & Office Policies
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Our goal is to provide hassle free and convenient health care. If something comes up, please let us know and we are happy to reschedule appointments. There are no penalties for no show or cancellations.
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No, but we have very accessible same-day/next-day scheduling.
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All emergencies should be handled with 911 or in the emergency room. Members will be given several methods to contact our team for urgent or non urgent matters.
Scope of Care
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We do not practice chronic opioid management.
We are not allowed to handle worker’s compensation cases.
We do not primarily manage moderate to severe psychiatric disorders. (We do support all of your other primary care needs)
Vaccine Policy & Preventive Care
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Yes. For pediatric patients, we generally follow the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended immunization schedule. This schedule is evidence-based and designed to protect your child, your family, and the broader community from serious, preventable illnesses.
We are not a good fit for families wanting to use alternative or delayed vaccine schedules.
While we do not require the HPV, flu, and covid vaccines, they are recommended.
We are always happy to talk through why each vaccine is recommended and answer any questions you have — education and trust matter here.
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That’s completely understandable—and welcome. We believe informed parents make the best decisions. We are happy to spend time discussing the science, risks, benefits, and rationale behind each recommendation.
We understand why parents encounter conflicting information—there is a lot of it online. Our role is to help families separate credible evidence from misinformation and to recommend what has been shown, repeatedly and reliably, to keep children safe. That’s why we follow properly assessed, evidence-based pediatric vaccine schedules.
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Yes. Legitimate medical exemptions , like medically-documented allergies or contraindications, are reviewed and honored on a case-by-case basis.
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At Through Time Primary Care, we are deeply committed to evidence-based preventive care and to keeping all of our patients safe and healthy. For this reason, we follow the evidence-based American Academy of Pediatrics vaccination schedules as part of routine care.
We understand that families may have questions or concerns, and we are always happy to have thoughtful conversations about vaccines and the science behind them. However, because maintaining these shared standards of care is important to the safety of our Through Time Primary Care community, we may not be the best fit for families that wish to opt out of recommended vaccines or vaccines schedules for non-medical reasons. I am happy to talk more about why!
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I strongly recommend both the flu and HPV vaccines because they are safe, well-studied, and effective.
The flu vaccine helps protect against seasonal influenza, which can lead to serious illness—especially for young children at risk (< 4 years old), older adults, and people with chronic medical conditions. It is not a live vaccine any longer and is safe for those with egg allergy.
The HPV vaccine protects against several cancers, including cervical cancer and certain head and neck (throat) cancers, as well as genital warts.
I’m always happy to discuss the benefits of these vaccines and answer any questions.
That said, choosing to decline the flu vaccine or HPV vaccine alone will not prevent a child or adult from joining or remaining in the practice.
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While the COVID-19 is safe and effective at preventing serious disease and recommended for right patient, declining COVID-19 vaccination does not prevent you or your child from being a patient in the practice.
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Absolutely. We encourage it. If you have concerns, questions, or want to understand the reasoning behind recommendations, we’re always happy to have an open, judgment-free conversation—Schedule a Meet and Greet visit today!
