Direct Primary Care in 2015: A Survey with Selected Comparisons to 2005 Survey Data

Introduction Direct primary care (DPC), a fee for membership type of practice, is an evolving innovative primary care delivery model. Little is known about current membership fees, insurance billing status, physician training, and patient panel size in DPC practices. This study aimed to obtain current data for these variables, as well as additional demographic and financial indicators, and relate the findings to the Healthy People 2020 goals. It was predicted that DPC practices would (1) submit fewer claims to insurance, (2) have decreased membership fees, (3) be primarily family medicine trained, and (4) have increased the projected patient panel size since 2005. Methods An electronic survey was sent to DPC practices (n = 65) requesting location, membership fees, projected patient panel size, insurance billing status, training, and other demographic and financial indicators. Data were aggregated, reported anonymously, and compared to two prior characterizations of DPC practices done in 2005. Results Thirty-eight of 65 (59%) practices responded to the 2015 survey. The majority of respondents (84%) reported using an EMR, offering physician email access (82%), 24-hour access (76%), same day appointments (92%), and wholesale labs (74%). Few respondents offered inpatient care (16%), obstetrics (3%), or financial/insurance consultant services. Eighty-eight percent (88%) of practices reported annual individual adult membership rates between $500 and $1,499, decreased from 2005 where 81% reported greater than a $1,500 annual fee. The proportion of practices who submit bills to insurance decreased from 75% in 2005 to 11% in 2015. Fifty-six percent (56%) of practices reported projected patient panel size to be greater than 600, increased from 40% in 2005. Family medicine physicians represented 87% of respondents, markedly different from 2005 when 62 - 77% of DPC respondents were general internal medicine physicians. Conclusions Most DPC practices no longer submit to insurance and are family medicine trained. Compared with the previous sampling, DPC practices report decreased membership fees and increased projected panel size. These trends may signify the DPC movement's growth in application and scope.