FAQ

No, All of your primary care services are a direct contract similar to a cellphone or gym contract.

Your insurance will not cover DPC services, such as membership fees, but it may cover imaging studies or laboratory tests ordered by the DPC provider. This decision will be up to the insurance company. Each member is encouraged to inquire with their insurance company as each insurance policy is so different on what is and isn’t covered.

DPC does not replace insurance but does complement it. Patients are encouraged to carry some form of insurance in the case of emergency/catastrophic injury or illness.

At Align DPC we limit the patient panel to about 10% of a traditional physician panel. This allows ample room for same or next day appointment availability. Also, once a patient is established, some medical issues may be handled over the phone, if the patient prefers or is not able to come to the office, even if traveling throughout the country!

Calls, texts, and emails will be answered as quickly as possible. The provider may not respond immediately to late night inquiries. Same or next day visits will be available. Your doctor will respect the importance of your time and asks the same in return. When your doctor is out of town, another physician will be available for any urgent office visit needs. All situations that can be handled electronically will still be handled by your primary doctor.

House calls will not be a regular service but may be considered as a result of certain circumstances. An additional fee may be required for this service.

Using a credit card or checking account, membership fees and costs of certain procedures and materials may be auto-drafted. For patients without insurance or who are self-insured, lab tests are available at discounted rates using our lab partners.

Written notice must be given 30 days in advance to terminate the membership as defined in the patient agreement.

With your free consultation you can speak directly to Dr. Barragan and learn what is included and ask any questions you have to discuss your healthcare goals. This allows you to make an informed decision.

We recommend our patients have some type of major medical insurance. Most often our patients chose a high deductible plan to cover hospitalizations. Often coupling our membership with a high deductible insurance plan can lead to savings of hundreds of dollars each month.

Probably! An executive order was signed recently that allows for DPC membership to qualify as an HSA/FSA allowable expense. We recommend that you check with your HSA/FSA company for further details.

While both provide excellent care and access to your doctor, concierge medicine still bills insurances and requires copays. Additionally concierge medicine typically costs upwards of $10,000 a year. Direct Primary Care is a contract directly between the physician and the patient, without insurance interference. We do both provide for longer visits, same day/next day access and direct contact with the physician via phone/text/email. DPC provides concierge services that anyone can afford. DPC is not concierge, but it is an excellent way to not only have a great relationship with your doctor but also a great way to take the best care of yourself, affordably!

Yes. In a traditional insurance based office, you are vying for your physicians time with thousands of other patients. In direct primary care, the number of patients is 1/10 of that. This allows for time to be available daily for any concerns our members may need addressed. Additionally, you will have ability to contact the doctor directly via phone/text/email.

Primary care services should never be so expensive that people are limited in accessing them. Unfortunately, insurances have increased prices despite the fact that delivering the care hasn’t changed much in the last few decades. By removing the insurance constraints, Align Direct Primary Care can transparently offer our services at prices that are affordable.

Yes. Dr. Barragan and Align DPC do not bill Medicare, but we can still order labs and radiology tests and refer to specialists. Unfortunately, some Medicare replacement plans, whether HMO or PPO, require that your PCP be “in-network” or they will not pay for any of Dr. Barragan's orders. We recommend that you contact your Medicare insurance provider to see if this includes your plan.

By providing unprecedented access and longer visits for our patients we aim to prevent or reduce hospitalizations and specialty referrals. We are able to refer to specialists in most cases, though some HMO or PPO plans require the referring physician be in network, please check with your insurance provider if this is the case or if you are unsure.

Yes. Often we can save businesses up to 50% on their medical expenses and provide a higher level of care. DPC is an ideal choice for small business as it helps with retention, fewer days missed from illness due to lack of access to a physician and a better overall feeling of support within the culture of a business.

We maintain the utmost standards of privacy. We are never obligated to provide any third party with a copy of your records unless you specifically ask that we do so.