DIRECT PRIMARY CARE (DPC)
Due to Dr. Lauer’s ongoing health struggles, he is no longer able to see patients and unfortunately must cancel all future scheduled appointments with him. If you have an appointment scheduled with him, our office will be in touch with you about assisting in transferring your care. If you are experiencing urgent health issues, please call 911 or present to an Emergency Department in addition to transferring your care to a different provider. Twin City Family Medicine will remain staffed until October 27, 2024 to assist patients with transferring their care
WHAT IS DIRECT PRIMARY CARE?
Direct Primary Care is an established practice model which allows doctors and patients to have a relationship which does not involve insurance companies. Your doctor is employed by YOU. In this alternative payment model, patients pay a monthly membership fee and the doctors provide the professional service. Patients have a direct relationship with their doctor!
We can spend the appropriate amount of time with each patient. Included in the monthly fee, patients have easy access to the physician via phone, email, and in-person visits. There are no co-pays or additional fees for procedures! Many in-office tests are included free with membership (such as COVID, FLu, Strep, and Urine tests). Labs are are offered at deep discounts by Quest Lab, up to 90% discount from insurance based prices. In addition to providing accessible, quality health care, Direct Primary Care offices often have medication dispensaries on site, and we can provide DPC patients with these at free or very little cost. Medications are purchased in bulk and dispensed at wholesale prices and MOST ARE INCLUDED with the subscription fee to our patients.
DPC takes out the middle man, cuts through the layers of complexity and provides good, old-fashioned customer service just like in the golden years of family medicine.
WHAT IS INCLUDED?
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Annual wellness visits / physical with lab review
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12 visits per year in addition for whatever matters come up. Acute illnesses usually treated the same day, or within one-two business days
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Management of chronic medical issues
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Minor surgical procedures and some joint injections (nominal fee to cover supplies)
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Freezing of warts and other skin lesions
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EKGs
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Finger stick blood testing and urine tests
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Laboratory tests sent to outside labs provided at our cost plus a $10 draw fee (Often at a 90% savings compared to other laboratories)
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Many generic medications are available in office or on order at just 10% above wholesale cost, and most antibiotics are INCLUDED IN YOUR MEMBERSHIP
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E-mail and telephone access directly to your physician
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SMS Text messaging during business hours
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No co-payments or scheduling fees
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Every visit with your personal physician, not a physician assistant or nurse practitioner who did not go to medical school
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Vaccines for children provided at no cost, supplied by the state of Maine
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When MRIs are needed, we send our patients to facilities that provide better service and offer cash discounts (such as Rayus Radiology)
WHAT IS NOT INCLUDED?
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Inpatient care of hospitalized patients
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Nursing home visits
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Colonoscopies
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X-rays, Ultrasounds, CT scans or MRIs
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Specialty consultations
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Legal proceedings and depositions
WHAT IF I NEED NON-COVERED SERVICES?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an affordable avenue to top-tier primary care services. Twin City Family Medicine strongly encourages patients to have some type of health insurance plan to cover catastrophic medical expenses. Types of plans may include, but are not limited to: commercial health insurance policies, Medicare, or other government funded insurance. We also recommend that patients with high deductibles consider funding a Health Savings Account (HSA) to cover out of pocket expenses up to the deductible.
IS DPC RIGHT FOR ME?
The best candidates for DPC want to utilize a breadth of services from our community-focused medical practice and carry medical insurance that is not in-network with TCFM.
State Law allows DPC doctors to process referrals at the IN-Network level for insurances in which we do not participate.
Questions? Feel free to call our Billing Manager, Robin Tripp, at (207) 637-5029 or email her at robin_tripp@outlook.com, to discuss your individual, couple, or family needs.
DPC SUBSCRIPTION RATES
INDIVIDUAL
CHOOSE ONE:
$100/month
$300/ quarter
$600 every 6 months
$1,200/year
Individual Child
$200/year
if enrolled with an adult parent
For new patients, there is a one-time enrollment fee of $100.
COUPLE
CHOOSE ONE:
$183/month
$500/quarter
$1,100 every 6 months
$2,200/ year
For new couples, there is a one-time enrollment fee of $183
FAMILY
$233/month up to 4 ppl.
$700/ quarter up to 4 ppl.
$1,400 every 6 months up to 4 ppl.
$2,800/ year up to 4 ppl.
Each additional child, add $200.
For new families, there is a one-time enrollment fee of
$233.