Question: Take the old fashioned relationship with the doctor, add all of the modern technology conveniences, incorporate integrative approaches to wellness, think out of the box a bit, and remove the barrier of what insurance is willing to pay for or not for primary care services — what do you get?

Answer: #AwesomePrimaryCare with Dr. Vasanth Kainkaryam.

Over 250,000 Americans across the country have joined this movement and enrolled in a DPC practice. For a monthly cost (similar to the cost of a cell phone bill or gym membership), you receive unhurried and convenient access to your physician, who truly becomes your Primary Care Partner. Check out www.dpcnation.com for more information and learn more about Dr. Vasanth Kainkaryam.

Your monthly membership with no long-term commitment includes:

Unhurried personalized in-person or video office visits

Unlimited e-mail and text access to your physician

Near wholesale-rate (lower price) medications

Near wholesale-rate (lower price) labs through partner lab vendors

Access to knowledge of medical specialists through e-consults at affordable rates (compared to in-person specialist visits)

Care coordination if admitted to the hospital

Free ear acupuncture treatments by your physician for stress, anxiety, depression, and addiction (NADA protocol)

Free ear acupressure bead treatments by your physician for stress, anxiety, depression, and addiction (NADA protocol)

Discounted body acupuncture treatments by a physician

One free body acupuncture treatment at the end of every 6 continuous months of membership (pending availability)

Discounts and coordinated services with Health Partners

Option for continued relationship when abroad (for frequent visitors to the US) with continued benefits of e-consult and care coordination with doctors abroad

Medical weight management program (coming 2020)

Option to enroll in medical cost sharing with

So… you may have heard of concierge medicine, and then there’s traditional medical care… what’s the difference between all these models?

Traditional Medicine

  • Bill health insurance
  • Copays every visit
  • Care is limited by what insurance will pay for
  • Large panel sizes
  • Less time with patients (acverage 7 minutes) Limited time to spend with patients due to high volume demands

Concierge Medicine

  • Many still bill health insurance
  • High yearly membership fees in addition to billing insurance
  • Cost can be prohibitive to the commoner and targets the wealthier population
  • Very low patient panel sizes
  • Longer appointment times

Direct Primary Care

  • Does not require health insurance (though catastrophic coverage recommended)
  • Affordable membership fee (accessible to the commoner)
  • Low patient panels (300-500)
  • Longer appointment times
  • Flexible care modalities due to payment from patient as opposed to from insurance
  • Recognized by the Affordable Care Act
  • Doctor tries to help you save money