This weekend Maryal spoke at the Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Fellows event in Washington, D.C. about the growing impact of the Direct Primary Care clinic model in combating physician burnout and promoting sustainable, relationship-based healthcare, so the next main episode will drop next Sunday.
This episode continues to spotlight the latest issue of “The Toolkit,” a free DPC magazine curated by My DPC Story, designed to support clinics through open enrollment season. The Toolkit offers practical tools, customizable patient resources, and actionable checklists to help physicians and clinics navigate insurance changes and confidently discuss Medicare and healthcare benefits with their patients without feeling like insurance brokers. Listeners will find features on how DPC can help avoid pharmacy surprises and cost spikes, and detailed policy updates like the big win enabling HSA dollars for DPC memberships.
Maryal also shines a light on inspiring DPC leaders who are innovating at the practice level like Dr. Emily Holt and shares information on upcoming events like the DPC Coalition’s webinar on HSAs and the RiseUp Physician Summit for DPC physicians exploring side gigs and direct contracting HAPPENING THIS Oct 23-26th! If you’re a physician looking for meaningful ways to deliver or maintain your delivery of relationship-based care, prevent burnout, and thrive during open enrollment, this episode—and The Toolkit magazine—are essential resources. Download the free issue at mydpcstory.com/magazine and stay ahead in your DPC care journey!
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Episode Transcript
Direct Primary care is an innovative
alternative path toinsurance-driven healthcare.
Typically, a patient pays theirdoctor a low monthly membership
and in return builds a lastingrelationship with their doctor
and has their doctor availableat their fingertips.
Welcome to the my DPC storypodcast, where each week.
(01:39):
You will hear the ever sorelatable stories shared by
physicians who have chosen topractice medicine in their
individual communities throughthe direct primary care model.
I'm your host, Marielleconception family physician,
DPC, owner, and former fee forService.
Doctor, I hope you enjoy today'sepisode and come away feeling
inspired about the future ofpatient care direct Primary
(02:02):
care.
Hey, my DPC story listeners,Marielle here.
I wanted to share something thathappened that was super special
this week.
I had the incredible honor ofbeing invited to speak on a
panel at the Robert Wood JohnsonHealth Policy Fellows Foundation
event in Washington DC andthat's where I'm at recording
(02:22):
here.
It's so truly humbling to bepart of this important national
conversation about healthcarepolicy alongside amazing women.
And you can read more about thaton LinkedIn and our substack.
Um, but to be alongside otherwomen leaders who are making
change happen because they'resharing their stories similar
to.
(02:43):
The physicians who have sharedon my DPC story and because of
me being in Washington DC hereon No King's Day on October
18th, um, I will be dropping ournext main episode.
Next week.
So I don't wanna leave youhanging in the meantime, and I
wanna make sure that you areaware if you're not, please
download the free third issue ofour magazine that my DPC story
(03:07):
puts out, specifically focusedon direct to primary care called
the Toolkit.
It's a free magazine again,focused on open enrollment and
helping your DPC clinic preparefor this open enrollment season
that started three days ago.
So inside the magazine you'llfind an open enrollment feature
that starts with a simple truththat every fall coverage resets
(03:27):
while life keeps moving.
And that is very much true eventhough the government has shut
down.
Formularies are shuffling,networks are tightening and
employers rebid benefits.
And by January 1st, patientswant one thing, confidence that
nothing important fell throughthe cracks.
And we know very well what thatfeels like when we talk with our
patients about their healthcarebenefits from even before we
(03:49):
open our clinics to five yearsplus.
The issue walks through how DPCcan be a steady hand and how
specifically our relationshipbased primary care can help
prevent pharmacy surprises andcost spikes before they even
happen.
You'll also get practical toolslike easy to use checklists, and
scripts you can use in yourvisits, emails, and texts.
(04:10):
So this is a.
Specific issue to help you haveconfident conversations about
Medicare plan changes and howDBC fits into a patient's
overall healthcare picturewithout.
You or anybody else in yourclinic turning into an insurance
broker, there is a deep divearticle on how to prepare for
your DPC for January 1st, 2026,including what dates to mark on
(04:31):
your calendar, examples of talktracks with patients, and what
to clarify about DPC versusMedicare and Medicare Advantage
coverage.
And we have a link in ourmagazine to the Open Enrollment
Survival kit that I put outearlier this week as well, which
includes copy and pastetemplates for texts, emails,
social media, and a customizableone pager in Canva that you can
(04:52):
brand for your own clinic andprint out or use on your FAQs or
presentations that you're doingaround your community.
There's also an article calledDBC at the Crossroads, why the
time to act is now breaking downHow the big, beautiful bill,
quote unquote, and specificallyHR one within the big beautiful
Bill finally allows HSA dollarsto pay for DBC memberships.
it's a huge policy win that hasbeen over a decade in the
(05:15):
making.
And you can read more about it.
In that same spirit, there's acall to action to join the
upcoming DPC Coalition webinaron November 6th at 1:30 PM
Pacific.
It's all about DPC HSAs and thefuture of healthcare policy.
So you can register for thecoalition meeting@dpcare.org.
That's dpc.org.
(05:35):
The issue also featuresinspiring DPC leaders like Dr.
Emily Holt in New Orleans, who'sredefining healthcare in a world
where FQHC models are underpressure.
And Christie Snodgrass, many ofyou might know her, she's a DPC
patient as well as a nurse andfierce patient advocate who's
helping people fight medicaldebt and access fair pricing for
things like imaging andprescriptions.
(05:56):
There's also, it just keepsgoing articles on DPC and
Medicare to opt in or opt out.
What that means for your abilityto do side gigs or direct
contracting.
And an article about healthshares for the self-employed,
exploring alternatives totraditional insurance during
open enrollment, also protectingthe future of DPC from becoming
another corporate venturecapital driven model.
(06:18):
a powerful piece by.
Humanistic benefits advisor, anda good friend Callie Ortega.
there's also examples from DPCdoctors directly about what they
do for their own healthcareplans, for their families and
finally, don't miss the callouts for the upcoming events
that are noted in the magazine,like the RiseUP Summit, a
physician led virtual eventcovering dpc, locums and direct
(06:41):
contracting.
And that's actually coming uplater this week.
So you can sign up forthat@flexmedstaff.com slash
RiseUP.
Definitely check out that summitlineup And if you're practicing
DPC in California or planning onit, early tickets for the 2026
California DPC summit are openfor a reservation right now.
(07:01):
The tickets have not gone live,but they're, the tickets are
able to be reserved and we'vehad.
Over a third of our ticketsalready reserved, so it's gonna
be in Newport Beach in June ofnext year, so definitely get on
that soon.
Cali dpc.com is where you'regonna go to reserve one of those
tickets so while I'm in DC thisweek representing DPC at the
(07:22):
policy level, I hope you takesome time to read through this
incredible issue of the toolkit.
It is again, filled withresources to help your clinic
thrive through open enrollmentand beyond.
You can download it for free atmy dpc story.com/magazine.
So until next week, take care,stay inspired, and keep doing
the good work.
I'm gonna go to sleep and wakeup.
(07:43):
Rested and excited to berefreshed tomorrow and keep
fighting the good fight.
Thank you for listening to another episode of
my DBC story.
If you enjoyed it, please leavea five star review on your
favorite podcast platform.
It helps others find the show,have a question about direct
primary care.
Leave me a voicemail.
You might hear it answered in afuture episode.
(08:04):
Follow us on socials at thehandle at my D DPC story and
join DPC didactics our monthlydeep dive into your questions
and challenges.
Links are@mydpcstory.com forexclusive content you won't hear
anywhere else.
Join our Patreon.
Find the link in the show notesor search for my DPC story on
patreon.com for DPC news on thedaily.
Check out DPC news.com.
(08:26):
Until next week, this isMarielle conception.
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