Direct Primary Care (DPC)
Beaufort Memorial makes proactive, preventive healthcare simple and affordable.
When you sign up for Direct Primary Care (DPC) membership through your employer, you'll be able to access your DPC primary care provider for annual check ups, chronic disease management and sick care without a visit fee or copay. It's all covered in the monthly membership fee. (Health insurance is still recommended to cover catastrophic health needs.)
Business owners interested in offering employees affordable preventive care may call 843-522-5173 to discuss enrollment.
Member Benefits
Direct Primary Care provides non-emergent primary care services, including:
- An annual physical or women's health exam
- Up to 30 in-person or telemedicine visits per year
- Routine laboratory studies
- Electrocardiograms (EKG), as clinically indicated
- Annual flu vaccinations
Types of Included Visits
With DPC membership, you can be seen in the clinic or via video call for short-term (acute) illnesses, management of long-term (chronic) conditions and basic preventive care to help you live your best life. Common reasons for a visit include:
- Annual physical/wellness visit
- Asthma
- Bronchitis
- Cancer screenings
- Canker sores and cold sores
- Common cold
- Cough
- Diabetes
- Diarrhea and constipation
- Earaches and ear infections
- Fever
- Flu
- Headache and migraine
- Head lice
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Insect bites and stings
- Insomnia
- Pink eye (contagious conjunctivitis)
- Rash
-
Respiratory infections
-
Routine vaccinations
- Seasonal allergies
- Sexually transmitted diseases
- Sinus infection
- Sore throat
- Urinary tract infections
- Vomiting
- Women's health exam (including breast and pelvic exams)
- Yeast infection
Eligibility
Beaufort Memorial works with area business so they can offer Direct Primary Care membership to their employees. Businesses can offer membership to their employees (regardless of full-time/part-time status) and those employees' covered beneficiaries, age 13 and older, who are NOT eligible for Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare. There are no income thresholds affecting eligibility. Speak to your employer or call 843-522-5173 to find out if membership is available at your organization.
Enrollment & Costs
Beaufort Memorial’s Direct Primary Care program requires an annual membership that renews each year on Jan. 1. Membership is a flat $50 per month and includes all the services listed above (without copay or visit fees). In addition, your DPC provider will assist you with finding affordable options for prescriptions and any other screenings or diagnostics not covered by the membership.
Employers may elect to cover program costs for employees or offer to have member fees deducted from their employees’ pay. Program participation can be canceled by the employee with 24 hours’ notice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is it?
DPC is an innovative alternative healthcare model improving access to primary care with a simple, flat, affordable membership fee.
Services include non-emergent primary care services, including: one annual physical per year along with EKG (if clinically warranted) and wellness panel of labs; point-of-care lab testing to include Urine Dipstick, blood glucose test, Flu Test and Strep test; and, women’s annual exam service will also include breast and pelvic exams (PAP smear performed at patient's option, lab evaluation is an additional expense). Patients will also be provided with 30 additional visits per year to include virtual/telehealth visits and sick visits (additional visits will be billed at $126 per visit). All patients will be encouraged to schedule an appointment with 24 hours’ notice.
If you need to see a specialist or order additional services your provider will help coordinate your care using MD Save, a healthcare market place where you can purchase visits and services at low rates, and other low-cost alternatives.
Your provider will work with you on basic medication management and prescription assistance. Please note: the practice DOES NOT dispense medications or prescribe controlled substances, including opioids, benzodiazepines and stimulants.
Who is eligible?
DPC membership is offered through participating employers. Eligibility is limited to those businesses' employees and their covered beneficiaries, age 13 and older, who do NOT qualify for Medicare, Medicaid or Tricare. Each patient must execute a DPC Agreement with the practice to acknowledge the terms and conditions.
If your employer extends benefits to your spouse and children, age 13 and older, those individuals can be added as DPC members (membership fees are billed to the employer). As this is a service and not a health insurance plan, membership can only be offered to those who meet the eligibility requirements listed above.
Yes. If you change jobs but are still working for an employer who offers DPC, you may keep your membership and coordinate payment of the monthly fee with your new employer.
No. If you are eligible for Medicaid you cannot participate in Direct Primary Care.
Patients may terminate their contract at any time with 24 hours’ notice. The practice may terminate with 30 days’ notice.
How do I schedule/cancel appointments?
Call 843-522-7190, to schedule or cancel an appointment. Please schedule at least 24 hours in advance.
After an initial physical/welcome visit, patients will be provided access to our patient portal. DCP patients have the ability to self-schedule appointments within the patient portal.
Same-day appointments cannot be guaranteed. We encourage patients to schedule at least 24 hours in advance but they are welcome to call to see if we can fit them in.
The practice does not provide urgent or emergency care. If you need urgent or emergent care please visit your nearest ER or visit our Express Care Clinic. Please note: you will be billed for services provided outside of the Direct Primary Care practice.
Originally developed in partnership with 