Direct Primary Care or “DPC” means your primary care works directly for you—not an insurance company, healthcare system, or any other outside entity.

You pay a simple monthly membership fee that covers most or all of your primary care needs.

Medications, tests, and referrals can still be covered through insurance, but I do not bill insurance for my services, and I do not make a profit from ordering extra tests or treatments.

My only financial incentive is to provide you the best possible care in a way that feels right to you.

Having a DPC membership might mean you can pay less for insurance by choosing a less expensive health plan, but DPC is not insurance and does not completely replace insurance.

DPC membership includes unlimited access to your primary care for preventive care, chronic condition management, and unexpected illness or injuries - without charging copays or deductibles. But if you need an expensive test or medication, surgery, specialist, or visit to the hospital, you will likely still need to use your insurance for those expenses.

Also, health insurance is required by both Federal and Massachusetts law.

There are several ways DPC can actually reduce many people's total healthcare spending.

1. DPC often pairs best with a high-deductible health plan, where you pay a lower monthly premium to the insurance company, and instead use that savings toward your DPC membership.

2. High-quality, accessible primary care can often diagnose and treat you more accurately and more quickly, by seeing you when you need to be seen, taking the time to listen carefully, and ordering tests judiciously. Unlike hospitals or other corporate systems, I don’t make extra money by over- or under-treating you.

3. High quality primary care can also prevent some hospital visits, and decrease the need for specialists to manage many common health conditions. 

In these ways, DPC may be able to reduce both your out-of-pocket costs, and insurance premiums, and can end up saving many people money overall.

It should feel that way, and there are many similarities.

However, the Direct Primary Care movement is different from “concierge” care in a few ways:

1. DPC strives to be reasonably-priced and straightforward, whereas some concierge fees can be much higher, and they may try to upsell you on low-value, high-cost services.

2. Concierge practices often still bill insurance on top of the membership fees, but DPC does not bill insurance at all—which means no copays, no deductibles, and no surprise bills from your primary care.

3. Concierge practices often require you to undergo expensive tests that are not covered by insurance, whether you want them or not, in order to justify billing both you and your insurance separately. But in DPC, there are no required tests—we are free to individualize your care to meet your personal health goals.

I can still order medications, tests, and referrals to be covered through insurance, including Medicare. The pharmacy, lab company, hospital system, or specialist will bill your insurance themselves.

If you have an HMO plan, including most Medicare Advantage plans, specialist referrals will still need to be approved by an in-network PCP. The good news is, I may be able to help you choose an in-network PCP who will work collaboratively with me in coordinating your care.

DPC is a great option for small businesses seeking to provide cost-effective healthcare benefits to their employees. Please contact us if you are a business interested in exploring group rates.

Primary care should be accessible, personal, and high quality. But the health insurance industry has helped create a system where primary care is forced to become impersonal, rushed, and full of distractions—all while actually increasing the overall cost of healthcare.

In addition to practicing as a primary care physician, I have worked for years to better understand, navigate, and improve the healthcare system from within organizations. But unfortunately, it has only continued become more and more challenging to practice in an insurance-based payment system.

Eventually, I adopted the growing Direct Primary Care payment model for my own practice, to restore integrity, quality, and sustainability to my work.

I can order tests and treatments to be covered by Medicare or MassHealth, but I do not bill those programs for my services, so the membership fee is still necessary.

I am personally supportive of the concept of universal access to healthcare, and worked for more than 10 years in community health centers, caring for those in need. Unfortunately, the reality is that corporate interests, lobbying, excessive bureaucratic hurdles, and countless other barriers to care, have made both our federal and state healthcare programs untenable for primary care—especially independent primary care physicians.

Yes, you can cancel at any time, for any reason, either via the membership portal or by contacting us directly. All registration fees and monthly membership fees are non-refundable.

As Lotus Primary Care grows, we will be able to provide a limited number of free memberships for individuals and families who are economically disadvantaged. If you believe you may qualify, please contact us to ask about requirements and availability.