What if your primary care doctor had time to talk to you?

It sounds almost too good to be true, but that’s the idea behind Direct Primary Care (DPC). This growing movement puts the doctor-patient relationship front and center.

I chatted with Dr. Chantel Oldenkamp, a DPC doc, to get the inside scoop on how this works—and why so many folks are looking for a way out of the usual healthcare maze. The biggest difference? Time and access.

Forget the endless insurance paperwork. With DPC, you pay a simple monthly fee—Dr. Oldenkamp charges $149—and that gets you unlimited visits, in-house testing, and as much back-and-forth with the office as your heart desires. Since DPC docs keep their patient lists small, they can actually spend real time with you. We’re talking hour-long appointments instead of the 15 or 20 minutes that have become common in traditional primary care. No more waiting weeks to snag a spot on the calendar.

Your doctor is actually accessible.

What really jumped out at me when I talked with Dr. Oldenkamp? Communication is everything. And that starts with direct access to her patients. Her patients can text her directly—no more getting lost in a phone tree or waiting for a call back that may or may not come. When something weird pops up (not quite an emergency, but enough to make you Google it at 2 a.m.), it’s a relief to know you can reach out.

But it’s not just about convenience. For Dr. Oldenkamp, good medicine starts with good conversation. And when she actually has time to listen, ask questions, and get the full story, she can tailor her care to you—not just slap a band-aid on whatever fits into a rushed 15-minute slot.

But wait—what about insurance?

This is an important distinction: Direct Primary Care doesn’t replace health insurance. Instead, it works alongside it.

You’ll still want insurance for the big stuff—hospital stays, emergencies, specialists. In fact, DPC and a high-deductible plan can be a pretty smart combo. Think of it as separating your everyday primary care from the insurance system. Your monthly DPC membership covers your relationship with your primary care doctor, while insurance remains there for the big-ticket medical expenses and care outside the practice.

And no, it isn’t the same as concierge medicine.

DPC and concierge medicine might look like twins from a distance—both offer longer visits, easy access, and a closer relationship with your doc. But the real difference? Price tag and how it all works.

Concierge practices can charge substantially higher annual membership fees and may offer a broader range of services. DPC is designed to make this kind of personalized primary care more accessible, with a simple monthly fee and a focus on primary care itself.

Dr. Oldenkamp’s office is actually in a house, so it feels more like visiting a friend than sitting in a sterile waiting room. The whole vibe is cozy, personal, and yes, refreshingly human.

Back to What Being a Doctor Should Be

Here’s the bigger question that kept coming up: What happens when doctors don’t have enough time with their patients?

Dr. Oldenkamp thinks the current system makes it nearly impossible for doctors to do what they were trained to do. With jam-packed schedules and mountains of paperwork, there’s barely any time left for the real conversations that help doctors see the whole person, not just a chart. That is what DPC is trying to change.

With fewer patients and less insurance red tape, the doctor can spend more time listening, explaining, coordinating care, and following up. Like the good old days!

When a patient needs to see a specialist, the relationship doesn’t end at the referral. Communication and coordination remain part of the primary care doctor’s role.

Could this be the future of primary care? Dr. Oldenkamp is optimistic about Direct Primary Care and hopes the model will keep growing.

Dr. Oldenkamp is optimistic about Direct Primary Care and hopes the model will keep growing. It makes sense. The healthcare system can feel like a maze—complicated, impersonal, and impossible to navigate. DPC tries to simplify one very important piece of it: the relationship between you and your doctor.

For $149 a month, you get unlimited visits, in-house testing, and direct access to your physician—with appointments that can actually give you time to talk. 

Want to learn more about Direct Primary Care? Dr. Oldenkamp can explain how the membership works, what services are included, and whether the model might be a good fit for you.

Find out more: https://madisondirectprimarycare.com