- Catastrophic / wraparound coverage
- Insurance a member keeps alongside a DPC membership to cover specialists, hospitalization, surgery, and emergencies — care that primary care doesn't handle.
- Concierge medicine
- A membership model, usually with higher fees, where the practice typically still bills insurance for visits on top of the retainer — distinct from DPC, which generally doesn't bill insurance at all.
- Direct Primary Care (DPC)
- A primary care model where patients pay a flat recurring membership fee directly to their physician or nurse practitioner for unlimited primary care, instead of the practice billing insurance for visits.
- EHR (Electronic Health Record)
- The software a practice uses for charts, scheduling, and messaging. DPC practices favor lightweight, membership-friendly EHRs built for direct care rather than insurance billing.
- Fee-for-service
- The traditional model where a practice bills an insurer for each visit or service. DPC replaces fee-for-service with a single flat membership.
- HDHP / HSA
- A High-Deductible Health Plan paired with a Health Savings Account. Many DPC members pair a low monthly membership with an HDHP to keep total healthcare costs down.
- In-office dispensing
- Providing common generic medications directly from the practice at or near wholesale cost — a frequent DPC perk that saves members money and time.
- Local SEO
- Optimizing a practice's website and Google Business Profile so nearby patients find it in local search and maps. It's a primary growth channel for new DPC practices.
- Membership agreement
- The contract that spells out what a DPC membership includes, the fees, and the terms. A compliant agreement is required to operate in most states.
- Membership fee (PMPM)
- The recurring per-member-per-month amount each patient pays. In DPC it's commonly $50–$100 per adult, often with lower rates for children and families.
- Membership medicine
- An umbrella term for practices funded by recurring patient memberships rather than fee-for-service insurance billing. Direct Primary Care is a form of membership medicine.
- Patient panel
- The number of active members a practice cares for. Solo DPC practices often target 300–600 members — far smaller than the 2,000+ typical of insurance-based primary care, which is what allows longer visits.
- Retainer
- A recurring fee paid to retain ongoing access to a clinician. In DPC, the membership retainer replaces insurance billing for primary care.
- Telehealth
- Virtual visits by phone, video, or secure message — typically included in a DPC membership at no extra charge.
- Wholesale / pass-through pricing
- DPC practices often negotiate wholesale rates on labs, imaging, and medications and pass the savings to members at little or no markup.
