by
Elizabeth Walters
A new non-insurance-based trend in Kansas healthcare offers a monthly payment alternative. As businesses continue to struggle with the increased costs of employee benefits, more companies are switching to on-site direct care providers.
The Direct Primary Care (DPC) model is an alternative to traditional fee-for-service healthcare that bypasses insurance and other third-party payers by operating under a flat patient fee.
Under the model, participating practices are membership based. The average patient panel for a DPC facility is roughly one-third the size of a traditional office.
Dr. Josh Umbehr — cofounder and family physician at Atlas MD in Wichita — said he always knew he wanted to work under with the model since he opened doors in 2010.
“We started the practice because we saw how much the current system was failing doctors and patients,” Umbehr said. “Patients were frustrated with long wait times, short visits, unpredictable copayments and deductibles and the ever-rising cost of insurance premiums. While doctors were struggling with burn out, frustration for not being able to give each patient as much time as they need or being able to help them find affordable medications or labs etc.”
At Atlas, Umbehr charges monthly fees of $10 for children and $50 to $100 for adults (based on age). Umbehr said it’s like subscribing to a doctor.
“We’re Netflix for the price of well, maybe now two or three blockbuster movies,” Umbehr said. “I get thousands of movies, for direct care, unlimited home visits, work visits, offices, it’s free telemedicine visits, we have no co pays for anything, then we can do any procedure in our offices free of charge, we can also continue to push that value proposition by dispensing meds and labs from our office.”
Part of the reason Umbehr took his practice in this direction is because of his frustration with insurance companies. He explained that doctors practicing under the traditional model are now forced to “play the game.”
“Now that’s your real customer,” Umbehr said, referring to insurance companies. “How you have to chart —and billing — function to make the insurance company happy. You don’t check all the boxes you don’t get paid.”
Doctors aren’t the only ones unhappy with insurance policies—businesses also face hard hits when it comes to deductible raises and charges they are forced to put onto employees. Umbehr said everyone wins under DPC.
Matt Beier, director of employee initiatives at Advisors Excel, said the DPC model has benefited the company since adopting it in 2019. With an on-site medical provider, the program has been popular amongst employees.
“We just thought it was a unique benefit offer that would be a better thing for our employees,” Beier said. “Our employees can reach out to their provider via text or email, really, any time they need them.”
Advisors Excel sees perks as well when it comes to the costs. Beier noted how the DPC model impacts the number of claims within traditional insurance benefits.
“Every time they go to the doctor, there’s a claim,” Beier said. “Whereas, every time they go to our primary care provider, there is no additional claim.”
Right now, there are 13 DPC provider locations in Kansas. The DPC model continues to grow each year as more and more businesses jump on the trend.
