Frequently Asked Questions

In an insurance based primary care practice, doctors are compensated based on how they bill and the quantity of patients they see, rather than on the quality of care they provide.

In a DPC practice, quality of care is the number one priority. By cutting down on the panel size of patients from approximately 2500 to fewer than 1000 patients, doctors working in a DPC practice are able to spend unlimited time with patients; patients have easier access to appointment times; patients are guaranteed to see their immediate medical team, not an ever rotating stream of providers; patients are able to reach out to their doctor via e-mail, cell phone and text messaging.

These are just some of the benefits of a DPC practice.

Gold Direct Care (GDC) does not accept insurance. GDC will charge a flat fee paid by the patient at monthly or annual intervals that will cover all comprehensive primary care services.

We encourage patients to retain an insurance policy in the event of catastrophic illness or hospitalization.

No, it is not insurance nor does it replace it. Insurance is an important part of specialist and hospital care. Similar to automobile insurance, the modern health insurance system was originally designed to pay for rare, unpredictable, and extremely expensive problems. It is essential when patients need things like emergency care, an operation, chemotherapy treatments, or hospitalization.

Yes, your insurance plan will continue to operate “as usual” at other doctors’ offices, hospitals and pharmacies.

This depends on the type of insurance you carry. HMO plans are not compatible with a DPC practice as patients are required to retain an in-network PCP who can refer to in-network specialists. PPO plans and health shares are much more lenient in this regard and tend to complement a DPC Membership quite well.

However, the hope is that by spending more time with your primary care physician, the need to refer you to a specialist will decrease significantly. In the possible event that you do need to see a specialist, we will work on your behalf to coordinate this.

GDC also employs a service called RubiconMD which allows our clinical team to consult with some of the top specialists across the country.

Patients of GDC receive a comprehensive 60min annual exam; same or next-day 30min appointments for urgent clinical needs; minor office procedures (EKGs, skin biopsy procedures, stitches); in-house lab draws and specimen collection; access to discounted direct pay rates for labs, imaging and other services.

As a Gold Direct Care patient you will also have access to your doctor outside of office hours via email, cell phone and text messaging as well as video visits.

We have also partnered with a local benefits counselor who can assist patients in selecting an insurance or health share plan that pairs well with a DPC Membership.

Yes! We offer 30-minute non-clinical meet-and-greet appointments with Dr. Gold. You can ask him any lingering questions you may have about GDC or DPC in general. Fill out the form on this page or Call / email us today!