Dr. Moole said he grew frustrated admitting patients to the hospital because they lacked a doctor who could provide preventive care. “Then their blood pressure got out of control, gave them a stroke or heart attack, and I’m admitting them into the hospital for reasons that could have been prevented by a $10 pill,” Dr. Moole said.
Doctors offering direct primary care work with compounding pharmacies and medical labs to offer discount or wholesale-priced medications, services and tests to their patients. Dr. Moole also advised buying a high-deductible insurance policy to cover catastrophic care. This model has been compared to car insurance — auto owners pay to maintain their vehicles but retain insurance for large, expensive accidents. Some plans available at HealthCare.gov, like bronze or, for certain applicants, catastrophic coverage, have high deductibles but provide all the Affordable Care Act protections.
Before signing up with a direct primary care doctor, review your last several years of medical care with the physician, along with projected future needs, such as colonoscopies, vision care and treatments for diabetes or other chronic conditions, plus tests and specialist care, such as OB-GYN treatment. Shopping for a high-deductible insurance policy will also require checking the fine print to see whether your particular conditions are excluded and to identify any limits or caps on treatment.
Short-term policies
These limited policies, sold by private insurers, usually have low premiums and can be used as a bridge until you find other coverage. Under federal law, new policies are restricted to three months, and a total of four months with any renewal. But since August 2025, the Trump administration has said it won’t enforce those limits and is creating new rules for these policies. In any event, you should check the rules of your state, since it may maintain its own limits.
You’ll need to shop very carefully for these policies, which are exempt from Affordable Care Act requirements, meaning they can deny coverage for pre-existing conditions and don’t have to cover essential benefits, such as mental health or maternity care. The policies can have strict dollar limits and coverage caps, and set prices based on age, health status, gender and other factors.