February 2021 • DALLAS MEDICAL JOURNAL 29
the face of increasing demand, primary
care is commonly described as being in
a state of crisis. DPC, where healthcare
consumers contract with a physician or
physician practice directly in the form
of periodic payments for a defined set
of primary care services, is an evolving
practice and payment model that is
increasingly favored by patients and
providers. By reducing administrative
burdens and allowing PCPs to spend
more time with patients, DPC addresses
many of the challenges facing primary
care, resulting in improved satisfaction for
providers and better care for their patients.
DPC has also shown the potential to
reduce costs for patients as well as
generate downstream savings for the
healthcare system.
In spite of the potential benefits and
growing popularity of DPC, barriers to
wider adoption of the model remain, and
there are ongoing efforts at the federal
and state level to address these barriers.
Although a majority of the states have
passed or are considering legislation to
define DPC as a medical service outside of
state insurance regulation, IRS definitions
need to be updated so that the tax code
conforms with other relevant state and
federal laws in order to permit individuals
who hold HSAs to access the benefits
of Direct Primary Care. In addition,
policymakers should continue to pursue
efforts to include DPC as an option in
public programs, especially Medicaid,
in order to improve health outcomes for
beneficiaries and help reduce the strain on
state budgets and taxpayers. DMJ
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