What Is Direct Specialty Care?

Happy New Year! As I prepare to open Direct Podiatry Arizona in Tempe, AZ, I wanted to make a blog post on my practice model, called Direct Specialty Care. Here, insurance is not billed. How can people be seen without a doctor without insurance? You the patient, first can schedule an appointment online through my patient portal here. At Direct Podiatry Arizona, and many direct care or cash practices all across the country, there are usually no long wait times to schedule an appointment or no long wait in the waiting room. This is because, in a cash practice, the number of patients that we see is drastically lower than in your typical insurance practice.

Price transparency is also a hallmark of direct specialty care practices as well. Many direct care or cash practices have their prices listed on their website. For example, my fees are listed here. If not, feel free to call or email the office to have the price of your treatment told to you. If this is not possible, the price of your treatment will be told to you after your exam, or consultation. No surprise bills, no copays, deductibles. This I'm often told is one of the patient's favorite aspects of direct care.

Once you come to my office, you are seen, and treated, and your fee is paid at the end of your visit. Linked below is a YouTube video from The Direct Specialty Care Alliance breaking down this model further, and explaining some common questions. I also have a FAQ page on this site that addresses additional questions. Below this video is a transcription of the audio. Thank You so much to DSC Alliance for creating this valuable piece of education for patients. For a deeper dive into their work, this is their homepage: https://dscalliance.org/

"Are you a patient desperate to find a specialist physician?

Did you get a referral from your Primary care physician and you can't find a specialist in your network for the next 4-6 months?

Did you feel rushed in your last 7-minute appointment?

Are you frustrated by the lack of transparency regarding the cost of your care?

….or despite paying more and more for healthcare insurance each year you receive less for your medical care?

You are not alone. There are millions of patients who feel the same.

What Is Direct Specialty Care?

Direct care is the practice of old-fashioned medicine where the doctor and the patient have a direct relationship. This way, contract patients directly with their doctor. Patients have the advantage of not needing a referral to see the specialists they need. It is simple: patients call and make appointments with the specialists they need when they need them. it the most without endless waiting times or interference between the patients and the physician. Patients are examined, diagnostic tests are performed, and they receive treatment. The payment for the service is made directly to the doctor's office. It is that easy.

Patients, regardless of whether they are healthy or are in urgent need of seeing a specialist, know that you have options. You are empowered to spend your money on the services you need when you need them the most. Your life and health are valuable, and your disease does not wait to get a pre-authorization for the tests or the treatment you need. Contracting with a direct care specialist, like me and many others, has many incredible benefits:

Get the Specialist That You Want and Need.

Receive Adequate Time With Your Physician

Ask Questions and Receive Answers.

Direct Communication With Your Physician (Email, Text, or Call). Personalized Care.

Affordable, Transparent Pricing- you do not pay copayments, and you will not receive surprise bills.

Your direct care physician worked hard to offer you significantly Discounted Costs and Prices disclosed in advance to you.

Conclusion: Direct specialty care restores the relationship between you, the patient, and the specialist physician. Direct specialty care offers you time, value, expertise, and access to your doctor, personalized care, and excellent medical with affordable and transparent pricing.

You, the patient, have the power to decide what is best for you and where your money goes.

The future of healthcare is in your hands."

Key Takeways

For patients who are frustrated with the weeks or months-long wait it can take to see a new doctor, rushed appointment times without your issues being truly heard, long waiting room times, surprise bills, or being treated like a pariah because of lack of health insurance coverage if you are uninsured, direct specialty care is a refreshing answer to these issues in the modern American healthcare system. If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of having a direct specialty care doctor, I have a blog post on that topic here.

Schedule Your Appointment At Direct Podiatry Arizona Today

Are you looking for a direct-care podiatrist in Phoenix? My name is Dr. Tarr, and I am the owner of Direct Podiatry Arizona in Tempe. To view my available appointment times, click here.