Tired of Insurance? How Healthshares and Direct Primary Care Restore Sanity to Healthcare

A sense of hesitation often surrounds the conversation of healthcare coverage for families here in the Raleigh area. They’re ready for something different, but almost always have one big concern: they think joining a direct primary care (DPC) practice means they have to toss their insurance card out the window.

In reality, it’s about choosing a better partner.

To be perfectly honest, I hate insurance companies. They don't work for the patient, they don't work for the doctor, and they certainly don't work for your health. They are the middlemen that have turned a sacred relationship into a series of codes and rushed, 10-minute appointments. That’s why I left the system—to work directly for you.

The Power of Healthshares and DPC

Many of my patients are moving away from traditional insurance altogether in favor of Healthshares (like Zion, Sedera, or Liberty). A healthshare is not insurance; it’s a community of health-conscious people who share each other’s larger medical bills. You pay a monthly share amount (often much lower than a traditional premium), and when a major medical event happens, the community steps in to cover the costs.

These programs are a natural fit for direct pay primary care because they encourage you to have a strong relationship with a primary doctor who can keep you out of the hospital. As a doctor of osteopathic medicine (D.O.), I am trained to look at the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. This unique perspective allows us to catch and treat issues early through lifestyle changes or osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT), often resolving a problem before it ever turns into a major health crisis. By investing in this relationship-based care upfront, you’re not just saving money; you’re staying healthier, which makes the entire healthshare community more sustainable.

Your Front Line and Your Safety Net

Think of your healthcare like your car insurance. You wouldn't use your auto insurance to pay for an oil change or new windshield wipers; the premiums would be outrageous! You save that insurance for the major accidents.

The traditional insurance system tries to manage every “oil change” (like a simple physical or a sinus infection), which is why costs have skyrocketed. When you utilize direct pay primary care, you handle your day-to-day health through a flat, transparent monthly membership.

This allows you to carry a healthshare or a major medical catastrophic policy for the big things—like surgery or hospitalizations—while I handle everything else with a level of detail the traditional system simply doesn't allow.

Transparency: Why Cash Pay Isn't Always DPC

It is important to note that not all cash pay doctors are created equal. You may find clinics that accept cash, but they often operate on the same high-volume, high-markup model as big hospital systems. They might fix a single issue, like a hormone imbalance or a specific injury, but they often do so without the context of your long-term health history—and at a premium price.

At True Insight Direct Care, a core pillar of direct pay primary care is wholesale transparency. I don't mark up your health for profit. For example, I recently saw a patient who was quoted over $300 for a lab panel at a traditional clinic. Through my direct pay primary care practice, that same panel cost just $79. That’s because I work directly with labs and vendors to get the lowest possible price, and I pass those savings straight to you without a cent of markup. Whether it's labs, imaging, or medications, we work for you—not an insurance company, and certainly not a corporate bottom line.

Restoring the Relationship

At the end of the day, healthcare should be about the person sitting in front of me. By pairing direct pay primary care with a smart healthshare strategy, you gain the peace of mind that comes with emergency coverage, without sacrificing the deeply personal, one-on-one care you deserve.

If you’re ready to experience medicine where you are heard, seen, and truly cared for, I’d love to welcome you to the practice. Contact us or schedule a free meet & greet to get started today!