I’ve interviewed a number of direct primary care (DPC) organizations and asked each what their virtual engagement rate was vs brick & mortar appointments. Virtual visits run from 60 to 90%. of total visits.
“Bill, we can take care of most needs virtually. In some cases when we see a need we call them in for a visit but it’s not that often” one DPC told me recently.
Single membership fees in these plans range from a low of $35 to $90 and higher.
In the alternative a stand-along virtual care DPC is less expensive averaging less than $20. If the virtual DPC provider sees a need they refer the patient to a primary care physician of the patient’s choice.
But there is a much bigger picture to consider – coordination and management of all upstream care is where real savings can be achieved. A well managed brick & mortar/virtual DPC program achieves that goal whereas a stand-alone virtual DPC model does not.
If you are simply looking for convenience the cheaper virtual care DPC plan is for you. If you’re looking for both convenience and significant savings the more expensive model is best for you.
If given a choice what would you do?
