With more people losing or walking away from health insurance due to rising premiums, a growing alternative is filling the gap. Direct Primary Care offers an affordable way for those who can’t afford ACA or other insurance plans — along with people who have gone uninsured for years — to build and maintain an ongoing relationship with a primary-care doctor.
Direct Primary Care (DPC), sometimes called direct patient care, is a membership-based model in which patients pay a flat monthly fee directly to a primary-care provider instead of relying on insurance.
The model has expanded rapidly across the country and is now widely available in Kansas, east Wichita, and the Kansas City metro. Although still unfamiliar to many, it continues to grow because patients who use it recommend it to friends and family.
How Direct Primary Care Works
Most DPC clinics charge $40 to $100 per adult per month, with lower fees for children and family bundles. That membership typically includes:
- Routine primary-care visits
- Sick visits
- Preventive care
- Virtual consultations
- Ongoing chronic-disease management for conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol
- Basic in-house testing such as labs or simple diagnostics (varies by provider)
Because clinics don’t bill insurance, patients avoid co-pays, deductibles, and surprise costs. Many practices also offer labs, X-rays, and other essential diagnostics at near-wholesale pricing, reducing out-of-pocket expenses significantly.
Family nurse practitioner Chela Love, who operates a direct-care practice in east Wichita, says the biggest benefit for patients is the ability to build a real relationship with their primary-care provider.
Without insurance restrictions controlling scheduling and visit times, Love says providers can focus on understanding the whole person and keeping patients healthier long-term. Her clinic offers in-house labs and diagnostics at discounted rates and aims to keep patients out of the emergency room and urgent care whenever possible.
What Direct Primary Care Is — and What It Is Not
DPC is designed for everyday care: annual checkups, illness visits, medication adjustments, preventive screenings, and the long-term management of common chronic conditions. It gives patients predictable monthly costs and reliable access to a provider who knows their history.
However, DPC is not health insurance. It does not cover:
- Hospital stays
- Surgeries
- Emergency-room visits
- Specialist care
- High-cost imaging (CTs, MRIs)
- Expensive prescriptions
People who rely on DPC alone still risk substantial medical bills if a major illness or accident occurs.
Who This Works Well For
DPC is often a good fit for:
- People dropping ACA plans due to rising premiums
- Younger adults who don’t qualify for subsidies
- Families wanting predictable monthly costs
- Gig workers, contractors, and the self-employed
- People who have gone uninsured because traditional insurance feels out of reach
- Anyone needing steady support for common chronic conditions
Covering Major Medical Needs
With their primary-care needs taken care of, many DPC patients cover potential major health-care costs by adding a high-deductible or catastrophic insurance plan. These plans — often with deductibles between $5,000 and $9,500 — offer lower monthly premiums and provide financial protection if hospitalization or surgery becomes necessary.
Finding a DPC Provider Near You
Dozens of clinics in Kansas and the Kansas City metro now offer this model. To explore your options, search for “Direct Primary Care” along with your city. For those priced out of traditional insurance, this growing model may offer a practical, affordable path to ongoing, relationship-based primary care.