The Economics of Direct Primary Care: Why the Numbers Work
If you’re a PA sitting in a traditional clinic right now, you probably feel the financial squeeze from every angle:
Productivity quotas that force you to see more patients just to keep your paycheck steady.
Student loans that push you toward specialties you don’t even love.
Rising overhead and shrinking reimbursement that make primary care feel impossible to sustain.
It’s no wonder so many clinicians are leaving primary care behind.
But here’s the truth: the problem isn’t primary care. It’s the insurance-driven business model behind it.
Direct Primary Care (DPC) changes that. And when you see the numbers, you realize why it’s one of the most sustainable ways to practice medicine today.
Why the Traditional Model Fails Clinicians
In insurance-based clinics, the numbers are stacked against you:
A primary care panel often sits at 2,000–2,500 patients per clinician.
Overhead is sky-high because of billing staff, coding, and claims management.
To cover costs, you’re pressured to cram in as many visits as possible. That leaves you burnt out and patients dissatisfied.
You don’t control your revenue. Insurance companies do.
How DPC Flips the Script
DPC cuts out the middlemen. Patients pay a flat monthly membership (usually $50–$100) that covers their primary care. No insurance billing, no coding games.
This creates three big economic shifts:
Predictable Revenue – Memberships mean recurring monthly income.
Lower Overhead – Without billing staff or claims processing, overhead drops by ~40%.
Smaller Panels, Bigger Impact – A sustainable DPC panel is 600–800 patients, not 2,500. That’s more time for patients and less burnout for you.
My Story: From Bankrupt to Thriving
When I started my own DPC practice, I wasn’t sitting on a pile of savings. In fact, I was bankrupt from a previous business endeavor and only had just over $2,000 to put into the practice.
That’s it. No investors. No big SBA Loan.
And yet, within two years, that small start grew into a thriving practice that now covers both my personal living expenses and the costs of running the clinic.
How? Because the economics of DPC actually work.
My overhead was lean from day one.
My revenue was predictable month after month.
I wasn’t chasing CPT codes. I was building relationships with patients who valued the care.
If I could start from bankruptcy and build a sustainable DPC, it shows just how accessible this model really is.
Why This Matters for PAs
PAs are often told they can’t have financial control. We’re told that we’ll always depend on physicians, hospital systems, or insurance reimbursement. DPC proves otherwise.
You don’t need millions to start. You don’t even need six figures. What you need is a plan, a lean setup, and the courage to step off the treadmill.
The Bottom Line
The economics of DPC are simple:
Lower costs.
Predictable income.
Sustainable panels.
It’s not just about making money. It’s about building a practice that lets you love medicine again. All without sacrificing your financial future.
