The Many Benefits of Direct Primary Care for Aging Adults

Direct primary care is an innovative alternative to conventional primary care that aims to give patients full access to comprehensive primary and preventive health care services by taking the middleman — or health insurance companies — out of the physician-patient relationship. 

At Direct Primary Care New Braunfels in New Braunfels, Texas, our seasoned team of board-certified providers is pleased to offer a full scope of direct primary care services for patients of all ages in the greater San Antonio area. For an affordable flat fee, we provide complete, as-needed access to:   

• Prompt consultations
• Routine physical exams
• Preventive screenings
• Chronic care coordination
• Medication management
• Essential lab services
• Healthy lifestyle support

Here, Dr. Thomas Kay and nurse practitioner Becky Spencer discuss the many benefits of direct primary care for a patient population with health demands that tend to require more frequent and consistent medical care: aging adults. 

Freedom of personal choice 

Direct primary care patients have the freedom to choose their own medical provider. In sharp contrast to the standard insurance-based model of being randomly assigned to a primary care home and specific provider, this freedom of choice gives aging adults a great deal of say in both where and from whom they receive their regular primary and preventive health care services. 

Zero additional costs

With direct primary care, one affordable monthly (or annual) fee covers all the primary care services a patient may need — and there are no deductibles to meet or separate copays to hand over for each separate consultation, visit, treatment, or procedure. 

The elimination of extra out-of-pocket costs at the time of service means aging adults are more likely to seek the care they need when they need it.   

Prompt access to full care

No one wants to wait for months to have a routine checkup or take care of a recommended preventive health screening, but that’s often what happens with insurance-based primary care providers, who usually serve a very large patient base. 

 But with direct primary care, there’s no waiting — older adults can get in to see their chosen provider in a timely manner, scheduling general services like physicals at their convenience, and same-day appointments when an acute health need requires prompt attention.

Consultation convenience

Direct primary care providers don’t have to worry about whether a patient’s insurance will cover telehealth services. Accordingly, aging adults can connect directly with their chosen provider in a multitude of convenient ways, as needed. 

 This includes accessing care anytime via phone, text, email, or video chats, all of which can be more efficient and convenient than in-person consultations, depending on the situation.

Plentiful one-on-one time 

Appointment efficiency and profitability are primary focuses of the insurance-based primary care model. The only focus of the direct primary care approach — again, in sharp contrast — is providing quality care that helps improve patient health. 

 Without the burden of health insurance bureaucracy and paperwork, direct primary care providers can spend less time on administrative tasks and more one-on-one time with patients. For aging adults, quality care means not being rushed through any health visit. 

High-quality care approach 

By removing common obstacles to care like copays and deductibles, long wait times, and impersonal “efficient” visits, direct primary care has one focus: providing comprehensive, high-quality health care that keeps patients healthy. For older adults, this approach makes chronic disease management and prevention that much easier. 

Affordable and accessible 

The monthly premiums, deductibles, copays, and bureaucracy that comes with standard health insurance and Medicare usually make preventive care far more expensive and complex — and far less accessible — than it should be. 

While it’s important to have health insurance for specialist care, surgery, and emergency health needs, direct primary care is a straightforward, affordable way for aging adults to get ready access to the primary and preventive health care services they need to stay healthy.

Expert direct primary care 

Are you interested in benefiting from direct primary care? Our board-certified providers at Direct Primary Care New Braunfels can help. Call or click online to schedule a visit at our office in New Braunfels, Texas, today.