The details of direct primary care

The New York Times examines the emergence of direct primary care in the health care marketplace and links this concept back to concierge medicine. In a separate New York Times story, one health industry expert offers his take on how to control costs while improving access to care -- it comes down to thinking like an investor.

The New York Times: More Care Up Front For $54 A Month
Direct primary care derives from an unlikely source: the so-called concierge practices that began appearing a decade ago, catering primarily to the affluent. Concierge practices generally do not accept insurance, either; instead, members are charged thousands of dollars annually for unlimited access to their doctors (Japsen, 5/21).

The New York Times: A Long View On Health Care: Think Like An Investor
Could health care costs be reined in by improving access to preventive care? It's an idea that appeals to policy makers and many public health experts, but the evidence for it is surprisingly hard to pin down. … We put some of these questions to Dana Goldman, director of the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics at the University of Southern California and founding editor of the Forum for Health Economics and Policy. What follows is an edited version of our conversation (Kolata, 5/21).