Written by Kyle Rickner, M.D.

Family Practice Physician
CEO and Founder of Primary Health Partners

At 8 a.m. a few weeks ago, I received a text from one of my patients, John, about some abdominal pain. By noon, we were face-to-face in my office, figuring out the next steps for the treatment of an umbilical hernia that would not reduce. He was in surgery by 10 a.m. the next day, and back to work within the week.

Would that process have been as smooth in our traditional healthcare system? Most likely not.

Especially when you factor in that John was actually a few hours outside of town when he first reached out. But as a Direct Primary Care Physician, I’m able to meet my patients where they’re at – in the exact moment that they need care. Sometimes that’s in the form of an urgent text or a virtual visit. Or even a last-minute office visit. Because I’ve capped the number of patients I take on – considerably fewer than the healthcare industry’s expected average – I was able to make room for John.

Within minutes of John’s diagnosis that day, I was on the phone with a surgeon who is also a “preferred provider” through his employer. The surgeon was able to see him that same afternoon. He recommended immediate intervention and scheduled surgery for the next morning.

We’re all familiar with the runaround that can often come with traditional healthcare – it can be challenging at times. For patients. For us physicians. For employers.

The Employer’s Perspective

“John’s experience is exactly the kind of care I want for my employees. He didn’t go to the emergency room, he didn’t go to a non-preferred surgeon, and he didn’t inadvertently create a claim on my health plan that would have cost double or triple what it should have. Catching John in the moment he needed care, as only Direct Primary Care can, didn’t just save me time and money in the short term…HE got the very best care experience available. As a small business owner, I was spared the compounding effects of an expense that unexpected large claims create for my business’s health plan for years to come.

What Does it Cost?

Primary Health Partners charges a very reasonable membership fee (currently $79/month for adults 18 and above, and $49/month for children from birth through age 17). Most families also purchase inexpensive High Deductible Health Plans for major medical needs that they purchase through the Healthcare Marketplace or through an employer. Most patients do not ever have to file insurance claims through their HDHP because, as a DPC, we are able to meet most of their needs through virtual visits and in-office care.

How to De-mystify DPC?

So, how do we actually demystify costs for employer groups? How do we even get in the door in the first place? We begin by providing world-class care for our patients. Then, THEY tell their stories. WE tell their stories. Relentlessly. To anyone who will listen.

Dr. Kyle Rickner is a Board-Certified Family Practice Physician who graduated from Southern Nazarene University in his native home state of Oklahoma and from Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Ohio. He completed a Residency at Great Plains Family Medicine in Oklahoma City and then began his career as a physician in the U.S. Army, where he served at Fort Bragg in North Carolina as a staff physician and as a battalion surgeon in the 82nd Airborne Division. After retiring from the military, he practiced in both private group practices and corporate medicine settings before discovering the magic of the Direct Primary Care model, where he is able to continue to innovate, restore the doctor-patient relationship, and participate in
IRB-approved clinical research. Primary Health Partners is a multi-site Direct Primary Care practice based in Edmond, Oklahoma.

Like many other DPC practices, this model of care is bringing common sense to the chaos of medicine by championing a TRULY affordable provider-to-patient relationship. Dr. Kyle Rickner (one of the practice’s founders) and the team of physicians and other providers who work at Primary Health Partners help patients and employers achieve desired health outcomes through a transparent, patient-centered approach. The team at Primary Health Partners cares for thousands of patients on behalf of their employer partners through a nationwide affiliate network.

Learn more by visiting www.primary-healthpartners.com