Welcome to the inaugural article in our “Inside Direct Primary Care” series, where we take an in-depth look at real-life clinics and healthcare providers who have chosen to operate under the direct primary care (DPC) model. Our goal is to highlight key principles behind direct primary care, celebrate the people and organizations making a difference in their communities, and unpack how these clinics offer patient-centered care focused on affordability, accessibility, and meaningful relationships.
In this first edition, we turn our attention to a practice in Seneca called Ardane Medical. In a recent news article, they were recognized for their work in reducing healthcare costs for patients, enhancing the patient experience, and revitalizing the traditional doctor-patient dynamic. The story of Ardane Medical presents many of the hallmarks of great direct primary care programs—transparent pricing, limited patient panels to ensure deeper personal relationships, cost-conscious care decisions, and a renewed sense of purpose for clinicians seeking to avoid burnout.
Below, we will walk through the key points of the Ardane Medical story, highlight the specific direct primary care principles that make it so effective, and call out the individuals who deserve recognition for their innovation and commitment. We will then put all of these insights together, presenting how other clinics, employers, and patients might benefit from direct primary care.
The Ardane Medical Difference
Ardane Medical has adopted a cleanly structured model based on a flat membership fee of $75 per month. This monthly fee covers access to essential primary care services, removing insurance billing complexities from everyday visits and consultations. By sidestepping fee-for-service billing, patients and providers alike know exactly what to expect financially—there are no unknown co-pays or unforeseen deductibles.
What stands out about Ardane Medical’s approach?
- They Don’t Accept Insurance for Routine Care
Contrary to the norm of billing insurance for every patient visit or procedure, Ardane Medical leaves insurance out of the equation whenever possible. Patients don’t need to show their insurance cards or worry about how office visits are coded. The monthly membership covers it all. - Personalized, On-Demand Doctor-Patient Relationship
Beyond that modest monthly cost, patients also enjoy direct communication channels with their doctor, including texting and calls. If a patient’s prescription needs to be refilled while traveling, they can quickly send a note to the doctor and get the prescription updated—no need for a lengthy phone tree or two-week wait times for a simple medication request. - A Smaller Patient Panel
Typical insurance-driven primary care practices often have a panel of around 3,000 patients or more per doctor. In a direct primary care setting like Ardane, that number is often limited to around 500–600 patients per doctor. This allows for ample time during patient visits and fosters deeper trust and rapport. As a result, doctors can see and address multiple concerns in one sitting, rather than forcing patients to return repeatedly for separate appointments. - Cost Transparency
Labs and exams are offered at cost—patients can see exactly what they are paying for. There is an on-site pharmacy with non-controlled medications at cost, further decreasing total prescription expenses. These measures work to eradicate hidden markups that can appear in traditional health systems.
The Essence of Direct Primary Care
Ardane Medical’s success mirrors many of the core direct primary care tenets. If you are new to DPC, here are the primary pillars that are evident in Ardane’s model:
- Flat, Transparent Pricing
A monthly (or annual) membership fee acts as a subscription for primary care services. The membership approach simplifies expenses for patients, eliminates confusion about billing codes, and gives patients a clear expectation of cost. In some DPC clinics, pricing is scaled to account for families, seniors, or those with financial hardships, making membership even more accessible to diverse populations. - Enhanced Access and Communication
With fewer patients per physician, doctors offer same-day or next-day appointments, longer visit times, and 24/7 phone or text access. This encourages patients to stay in close contact about preventative care, symptom changes, or prescription updates. Many patients report that the direct communication puts them at ease, knowing they don’t have to jump through hoops to speak with their care team. - Reduced Administrative Burden
By removing insurance claims from most primary care interactions, doctors spend less time doing paperwork and more time giving patients thoughtful care. This not only decreases overhead costs (i.e., no entire back office of coders to manage thousands of insurance claims) but also combats the widespread physician burnout caused by the complexities of reimbursement. - Greater Autonomy for Doctors
Doctors working in a direct primary care environment typically enjoy more freedom in shaping their practice. Clinical decisions come from patient-clinician conversations, not from insurance restrictions, coverage limitations, or demands to quickly turn over a high volume of patients. Clinicians can take the time to address the underlying issues behind a patient’s symptoms, build patient trust, and deliver the best possible care. - At-Cost Services and Partnerships
DPC clinics often develop relationships with labs, imaging centers, and pharmacy providers, enabling patients to receive everything from blood tests to MRIs at a significantly reduced price. Transparency around the true cost of care fosters informed decision-making and creates a sense of partnership between patient and provider.
Praising Those Who Make It Work
In the case of Ardane Medical, Doug Anderson (the office manager) is praised for guiding patients and the practice through an effective, insurance-free model. He ensures the billing process remains simple and user-friendly. Another key figure is Dr. Sandra Nieves Rosado, whose passion for patient-centric care led her to leave a typical insurance-driven setup. She’s lauded for her commitment to robust physician-patient communication and to addressing the underlying frustrations many patients face in traditional healthcare systems (like long wait times, feeling rushed, and a lack of personalized attention).
Why is this praise deserved?
- Innovation: Implementing a lower-volume, subscription-style care model is a gamble in a market where insurance is deeply entrenched. Ardane’s leadership took that leap, proving it can work in a small town like Seneca.
- Transparency: In a world where medical bills often come with hidden fees, the staff at Ardane has made cost clarity a foundational principle. By providing labs, tests, and pharmaceuticals at cost, they have built a transparent healthcare experience that underscores trust.
- Impact on Lives: Stories include the discovery of severe diabetes in an employee who had no idea they were in such critical need of care. Detecting this early likely saved the patient from more severe complications, and it happened because the DPC model encourages thorough, unhurried check-ups and fosters consistent patient engagement.
- Commitment to Physician Well-Being: Dr. Nieves Rosado is an example of a doctor who values her own quality of life and recognized that the conventional insurance-based model was hurting her ability to deliver personalized care. Her shift to direct primary care not only benefits patients but also helps her maintain a sustainable work-life balance, preventing burnout that is all too common in healthcare.
Deeper Dive: Employment-Based Partnerships
One of the most intriguing aspects of the article is the notion that direct primary care can be paired with either a high-deductible insurance plan or a catastrophic coverage plan for patients who value extreme flexibility. Through such a blend, employers can lower their overall health insurance costs, while still providing employees with everyday health needs and wellness services.
How Employers Benefit
- Lower premiums on the high-deductible insurance plan
- Tangible perk in the form of immediate, high-quality care for employees
- A workforce that catches illnesses earlier, saves on expensive urgent care visits or hospitalizations, and experiences fewer days off due to mismanaged chronic conditions
How Patients Benefit
- They still have insurance coverage for serious or emergency conditions
- They receive most primary care services at no additional out-of-pocket cost beyond the monthly fee
- They build a stable, ongoing relationship with a specific provider, rather than shuffling between doctors or urgent care centers
Real-World Impact: The Diabetes Example
Perhaps one of the most powerful anecdotes from Ardane Medical is about the employee who discovered, during a routine check-up, that they had serious diabetes. Without Ardane’s thorough evaluation, it is entirely possible this condition would have remained undiagnosed until it led to a high-cost emergency situation. In a typical model, where patients often delay preventive visits due to co-pays or scheduling hurdles, conditions like diabetes, hypertension, or high cholesterol can quietly worsen.
The direct primary care approach—particularly Ardane’s practice of spending more time on each patient—makes thorough physicals more feasible and frequent. Because the membership fee covers office visits, patients are more willing to come in at the first sign of a problem or schedule recommended follow-ups. Consequently, chronic illnesses are identified much sooner, and the patient is empowered to manage or prevent more serious complications.
A Modern Return to the Old-Time Family Doctor
For those familiar with older depictions of primary care—like the small-town doctor who knows each family personally—the direct primary care model feels like a nostalgic return to simpler times. Doug Anderson specifically invoked that tradition in describing how DPC fosters a bond between doctor and patient, unencumbered by numerous administrative tasks or demands.
Back then, it wasn’t unusual for doctors to visit patients in their homes or know the entire family’s medical history by heart. That personal touch often built trust and improved health outcomes. Direct primary care is a modern reimagining of that concept, pairing a membership fee model with the best of contemporary medicine, digital communication, and streamlined office workflows.
Extended Benefits of Adopting DPC
- Reduced Use of Health Insurance for Routine Issues
By letting patients keep high-deductible or catastrophic coverage for emergencies and major interventions, the day-to-day overhead of dealing with insurance is eliminated. Resources that were once tied up in billing and coding can be used for patient care or for reinvesting in the practice (e.g., new technology, expanded services, or better staff training). - Improved Healthcare Literacy
Because costs are clearly laid out, patients learn more about why certain treatments cost what they do, which fosters better decision-making. For instance, if a blood panel is going to cost $20 at cost, it’s easier for a patient to get that panel done as recommended. If a medication is, say, $4 monthly at the in-office pharmacy, the patient is far more likely to remain adherent. - Healthier Communities
Easier access to primary care often leads to healthier overall communities. With conditions addressed early, costs go down, and individuals can remain more actively engaged in work, family, and community life. The result is an environment where healthcare is a resource rather than a burden. - Natural Fit for Rural or Underserved Areas
Practices like Ardane Medical demonstrate that direct primary care can thrive in small towns as well. Sometimes, rural areas face longer wait times or have fewer doctors available. DPC can be a great fit because each doctor only takes on a certain number of patients, ensuring those 500 or so patients are well cared for, rather than serving 3,000 patients only superficially.
Next Steps for Clinics, Employers, and Patients
If you are inspired by Ardane Medical’s story, here are some suggested next steps:
- Clinics Exploring Direct Primary Care:
- Evaluate your current patient panel size and figure out how many patients you feel you can serve effectively under a direct primary care model.
- Review your overhead costs to see if shifting away from insurance billing can free up significant resources.
- Build relationships with labs, imaging centers, or pharmaceutical distributors willing to provide services at cost or near cost.
- Train staff on transparent communication strategies around fees and membership, ensuring that prospective patients fully understand the financial aspects.
- Employers:
- Explore a partnership with a DPC clinic in your region. You can offer the monthly membership fee as a benefit, or require that employees also carry high-deductible insurance for major medical events.
- Present the direct primary care approach as an option, which might boost employee satisfaction and retention, particularly if your local healthcare environment is otherwise fragmented or cost-prohibitive.
- Patients:
- Research DPC clinics near you; read patient reviews and examine their monthly membership rates, range of services, and lab or prescription costs.
- Consider whether the monthly membership offsets or reduces your out-of-pocket expenses, especially if you frequently visit primary care or need regular prescriptions.
- Remember that DPC is often scalable—a single parent might pay one monthly fee, while a family might opt into family memberships that cap the total cost for multiple children.
Conclusion
Ardane Medical in Seneca is an inspiring example of how direct primary care blends the best elements of old-fashioned medicine (deep personal relationships, house-call-like attention, community focus) with the efficiencies of modern health care (telemedicine, membership-based pricing, cost transparency). By removing insurance from routine care, DPC clinicians can concentrate on what matters most—providing thorough, patient-centered healthcare.
Doug Anderson and Dr. Sandra Nieves Rosado exemplify the passion and ethics behind this movement. Through their practice, they have shown how a smaller patient panel, transparent services, and dedicated physician access can change the dynamics of primary care for the better. Their efforts deserve praise for:
- Uplifting Patients: Ensuring that healthcare is delivered in a timely, compassionate manner
- Innovative Practice Management: Offering membership-based pricing that reduces overhead and confusion
- Focus on Early Detection: Encouraging routine, thorough exams that can catch illnesses like diabetes before they escalate
- Physician Wellness: Building a practice that is healthy and fulfilling for doctors as well
The direct primary care model has come a long way in recent years, and stories like Ardane Medical’s confirm that this trend isn’t just a niche phenomenon. It’s an increasingly popular approach that stands to reshape how consumers and employers approach healthcare—whether in urban centers or rural communities.
For those seeking a more direct, personal relationship with their physician, an end to opaque billing practices, and a model that captures the spirit of a local family doctor, DPC remains a compelling solution. We hope this “Inside Direct Primary Care” feature illuminates the benefits you can find in clinics like Ardane Medical, and we look forward to exploring more of these success stories in future posts.
Stay tuned for the next installment, where we’ll visit another direct primary care practice that is breaking barriers and lifting communities through high-touch, patient-focused medicine. If you know of a DPC clinic or healthcare professional blazing a similar trail, feel free to let us know—we’d love to shine the spotlight on them in an upcoming issue of Inside Direct Primary Care.
Summary
- No Insurance, Low Monthly Fee
- Ardane Medical in Seneca charges a flat monthly fee of $75 for patient access to their services.
- Office manager Doug Anderson emphasizes that removing insurance from the process allows for more time with patients and straightforward billing.
- Deep Patient-Doctor Relationship
- Patients can text the doctor directly for prescriptions or concerns—even when traveling—which leads to immediate and more personalized care.
- By capping their patient panel at around 500 rather than 3,000, the doctors can spend more time per patient and schedule same-day or next-day visits.
- Transparency & “At-Cost” Charges
- Labs and exams are billed at cost.
- A pharmacy within the office provides non-controlled medications at cost, reducing total prescription expenses.
- Improved Quality of Life for Doctors & Patients
- Dr. Sandra Nieves Rosado cites frustration in a traditional system where patients wait months for an appointment, are rushed during visits and have insurance-driven limitations on care.
- In DPC, doctors have fewer administrative tasks, spend more time with each patient and enjoy a healthier work-life balance, preventing burnout.
- Impact on Employers & Employees
- Employers can offer direct primary care alongside a high-deductible insurance plan to attract and retain talent.
- A concrete example is given of an employee unknowingly living with severe diabetes, discovered early during a routine physical, likely saving medical costs and improving the employee’s health trajectory.
- Legacy of the “Old” Family Doctor
- Anderson compares the DPC approach to the traditional small-town doctor who knows every patient personally.
- There is no long-term contract—patients can cancel at any time if it doesn’t meet their needs.
Principles of DPC to Highlight
- Direct, Personal Relationship: Patients have immediate, direct access to their doctor (via text, call or office visits).
- Transparent, Flat Pricing: A monthly membership model replaces traditional fee-for-service billing, with labs and medications often provided at cost.
- Smaller Patient Panels: Doctors intentionally limit the number of patients so appointments and care feel unhurried and accessible.
- Physician Autonomy & Reduced Burnout: By opting out of insurance demands and paperwork, doctors regain control over how they practice medicine, leading to better clinician and patient satisfaction.
- Affordability & Simplicity: DPC membership can be combined with or offered in place of insurance; it removes the complexity of deductibles and copays for everyday care and often lowers total costs.
Praise and Why It’s Deserved
- Ardane Medical (Doug Anderson & Team): They merit praise for pioneering an accessible, flat-fee model that removes long waits, streamlines care and helps patients afford essential services. They show leadership by prioritizing relationship-based medicine.
- Dr. Sandra Nieves Rosado: She deserves recognition for her courage to leave a traditional healthcare system that she found limiting and for championing a practice model focused on personalized attention. Dr. Nieves Rosado’s story highlights the passion and compassion behind DPC, as well as her commitment to a balanced life that benefits both her and her patients.