Learn more about the Ryan Harth Steigerwald Medical Center and the Direct Primary Care mission.
Direct Primary Care is a medical practice model that provides access to quality healthcare with a simple and affordable membership fee structure. There are no fee-for-service payments and no third-party billing. The relationship exists strictly between a patient and his or her physician. Trust and communication are enhanced because the patient remains at the center of the relationship. (From Direct Primary Care (dpcare.org))
Direct Primary Care allows physicians the freedom to practice medicine while keeping the patient first in the relationship. The physician works for the patient, not the other way around.
Better Health Outcomes
Because the DPC model enhances the doctor-patient relationship. DPCs provide better access to physicians, empower an authentic therapeutic relationship and offer comprehensive patient care.
Lower Costs
Cost of care is transparent. The physician bills the patient directly, so they can submit to their insurance or a health-sharing community. Some services are included in membership, while some have additional costs.
Actuaries Report | direct-primary-care (dpcare.org)
Enhanced Patient Experience
Patients experience improved access to their RHS physician, little wait time and longer appointments (in person, or by phone or video). This helps to create a genuine therapeutic patient-doctor relationship.
We do not bill insurance. We bill the patient who may then submit to their insurance company or health share. We do not bill Medicaid or Medicare. We provide primary care services only. Your membership fee DOES NOT cover hospitalizations, specialty care, medication, imaging, etc. In other words, if you have a serious medical emergency, you will need to use your personal insurance to cover those expenses.
It is recommended that patients maintain a catastrophic care insurance policy, such as a high-deductible PPO, for emergencies and other high-cost and hospital-based healthcare services
The RHSMC membership fee can be paid by using your HSA/HRA/FSA. You are encouraged to pay at 6- or 12-month intervals to use this type of account.
Of course. In those cases, we bill on a fee-for-service schedule. No membership is required.
We take cash, check and credit card. A credit card needs to be on file with us for automated billing.
We are available to our members at all hours; however, life- or limb-threatening problems need to be handled by emergency services at 911. If you have a medical concern that you don't think can wait until routine business hours, you can reach out to your physician. A physician will answer your message as soon as possible, but there may be a time delay because we do not operate a true emergency service. After-hours calls between 9PM- 5AM are billed at $100/hour rounded to the nearest 5 minutes.
The physicians do not have admitting privileges at any hospital; however, we are happy to contact your hospital doctors and pay a visit if warranted.e