What is direct primary care? Affordable health care without insurance hassles

Oct 24, 2025 by AFP

Health care in America has major problems.

You see it every day with skyrocketing insurance costs, no transparency, endless paperwork, and doctor burnout, while you’re stuck in the middle.

Every bill, form, and “covered” charge that isn’t actually covered reminds us that the system no longer works for people — it serves bureaucrats and insurance companies.

There’s a better way, and it’s called direct primary care.

How DPC works

DPC is a model where you pay your doctor directly, usually through an affordable monthly fee, in exchange for standard primary care services. Think of it as a streaming subscription for health care.

There is no insurance company middleman, no surprise bills, and no unnecessary red tape. Just you, your doctor, and real care when you need it.

With DPC, doctors limit their patient load so they can actually spend time with you. That typically means:

Same-day or next-day appointments, rather than visits scheduled weeks in advance
Unlimited visits and direct communication by phone, text, or email
Routine checkups and services like testing are included
Transparent pricing that lets you plan, not guess
Often, you get deep discounts on lab tests and generic drugs
And the best part? It’s affordable, typically costing less than $100 a month

If you think this sounds preferable to the impersonal and ineffective insurance-based system, you’d be right.

Why health care is so expensive and frustrating

Every step in the health care system adds a new layer of cost and confusion. Insurance companies, billing departments, and government regulations all take their share.

Instead of better care, you’re paying for the middlemen.

That’s a big reason premiums rise faster than paychecks and simple care has become painfully complex.

Doctor burnout means impersonal care.

For most, the days of deeply personal relationships with your doctor are long gone.

Instead of receiving patient Christmas and birthday cards, most doctors receive endless insurance and government paperwork.

This overwork has led to burnout.

In fact, 60% of general care physicians say they’re burned out.

They’re swamped with endless administrative tasks, insurance rules to navigate, and impossibly high patient volumes.

That burnout isn’t just bad for doctors; it hurts patients, too.

When physicians are overworked, care becomes rushed and impersonal.

Why DPC can work for everyone

When bureaucracy disappears, relationships emerge.

Doctors can finally focus on healing and preventative care instead of coding, billing, and disputes with insurance companies.

This freedom leads to better outcomes and happier patients.

Lower costs: DPC clinics typically offer near-wholesale prices on labs and prescriptions, and often have agreements with specialty care clinics. These savings are passed to you.
Better access: No middlemen means faster, more personalized care for you and your family.
Real trust: Making costs available up-front makes the doctor-patient relationship much more reciprocal. After all, you’re a patient, not a line item.

Doctors regain their purpose. Patients regain control. Everyone wins — except those who profit from endless red tape.

The working-class tax bill expands DPC.

You might be wondering why more Americans don’t have DPC plans. The answer won’t surprise you. Government rules and tax regulations have stifled this innovative and cost-saving coverage option, making it harder for Americans to access plans.

The good news is that President Trump’s working-class tax cuts bill, signed into law in July, contains provisions that allow Americans to use their tax-free health savings account funds to pay for DPC. That’s like getting a 25% discount! Right off the bat, some 75 million Americans have access to an extra affordable DPC plan — real change toward health care freedom.

And that’s just a first, great step. We’re working to take it to the next level and expand this powerful model beyond primary care to include your favorite specialists, imaging centers, and other facilities.

The bigger picture: A Personal Option for health care

Here at Americans for Prosperity, we see a future where individuals can embrace medical freedom through the Personal Option.

This effort is about freedom, choice, and affordability. It expands access to money-saving options like DPC and health savings accounts.

By giving you more choice and control over your own health care decisions, a Personal Option would lower costs and make it easier to see the doctor you want, wherever and however you want. A Personal Option is customized health care to fit your individual needs.

There’s so much work left to do.

Even with our recent successes, the battle isn’t won yet — and we won’t rest until every American has access to these money-saving coverage options!

Your voice can help push this movement forward by learning more about direct primary care and signing the Personal Option petition to support genuine health care reform.

Because real reform is possible when people like you advocate for health care that’s personal, not political.