Direct primary care and “scope of care” bills are gaining momentum nationwide in an effort to curb costs for patients and the healthcare system.

Physicians and patients alike are growing tired of our healthcare system—the endless wait times, hurried office visits, and financial burdens—which is why primary care alternatives, such as direct primary care, also known as concierge medicine, and “scope of care” bills are gaining attention.



“The direct primary care model is more relevant than ever today for two reasons: It enhances the quality and patient experience of primary care, and it can save the system money by managing medical problems before they become more serious and require expensive hospitalization,” Dr. Erika Bliss, President and CEO of Qliance, a Seattle-based network of direct primary care clinics for employers and the general public, tells Healthline.



Direct primary care is when a doctor foregoes a Medicare or other insurance partnership to start an independent practice, and thus sets his or her own rates for patients-—often involving a per-month fee and a per-service fee. Providers say they are abandoning many of the bureaucratic pressures and inefficiencies that come along with the health insurance system.



Bliss cites the Institute of Medicine’s finding that one third of all healthcare may be unnecessary and possibly harmful, wasting up to $700 billion a year in federal funding.



“Scope of care” bills, also lauded as a way to save time and money for patients and the system as a whole, would put more power into the hands of nurses, pharmacists, optometrists, and other providers. If these caregivers can do the simpler tasks involved in testing, diagnosis, and prescription writing that usually fall on the shoulders of already-overburdened doctors, patients can have all their needs met in a single, quick visit.



A package of such “scope of care” bills is currently before the state senate in California.