Direct Primary Care Agreements: How it Works and What to Consider

direct primary care agreements

direct primary care agreementsBy: Susan St. John

As the provision of health care services continues to evolve, many practitioners are contemplating creating membership-based services for their patients through Direct Primary Care Agreements (“DPCA”). Although DPCAs are not necessarily a new concept, the Florida Legislature enacted a bill during the 2018 legislative session making DPCA’s exempt from the Florida Insurance Code. Thus, DPCAs are not a form of insurance subject to regulations of insurance products but are private contracts between practitioner and patient for specified health care services. Here is how the DPCA concept works.

DPCAs are private contracts between patients and primary care providers. Section 624.27, Florida Statutes, defines primary care provider as a provider licensed pursuant to Chapters 458, 459, 460, and 464, or a primary care group practice, who provides primary care services to patients. Included under this broad definition of providers are: allopathic doctors, osteopathic doctors, physician assistants, anesthesiologist assistants, chiropractors, RNs, LPNs and ARNPs.Continue reading

When A Patient’s Rx is Termination

terminating a patientBy: Dave Davidson

There will likely come a time in your practice when you find yourself considering whether you should maintain a relationship with a patient.   It may be that the patient is non-cooperative.  Or the patient may refuse to pay his or her bill, or to follow a reasonable payment plan.  Even more significantly, the patient may have engaged in behavior that is disruptive to your practice.  For whatever reason, you are questioning the value of the relationship.

In those situations, the law does allow a physician to terminate a patient from his or her practice.  However, careful analysis must be done in these situations, and there are several steps that should be followed. The risk of a claim of abandonment or of professional negligence makes it important to protect yourself, your practice, and the licenses of the providers within your group. You may already have a process spelled out in your policies and procedures, and if you do, that process should be followed.  However, make sure your policy at least covers the points below.Continue reading