Yesterday, The Wall Street Journal ran an op-ed highlighting the benefits of direct primary care. The article was written by John Carlson, Seattle radio personality and one of the founders of Washington Policy Center. 

As background, many primary care doctors have become tired of government regulations, paper work, and ever-decreasing payments from Medicare and Medicaid. They have elected to practice medicine without the hassles of dealing with insurance companies – both private and government plans.

Doctors who have direct primary care (DPC) practices offer patients 24-hour access to a primary care physician for a fixed monthly price. DPC began as an alternative for wealthy patients (then called “concierge medicine”), but it has become affordable and has expanded into the Medicaid population.