LOWELL, Mich. — Finding the right doctor can be challenging, especially when navigating health insurance policies. One Lowell physician is cutting out the middleman by offering direct primary care services without requiring insurance.
Dr. Paul Troost provides comprehensive primary care through a monthly membership system, giving patients an alternative to traditional insurance-based healthcare.
"Direct primary care is here to help the working poor. The people that can't afford insurance or have insurance, but it's got huge copays and deductibles so this way you can get your basic primary care," Troost explained.
Troost graduated from Michigan State University medical school. After working seven years as a family care physician in Huron County, he has returned to West Michigan with a mission to revive the small-town doctor approach.
"Right now people get referred out for every little thing because their family docs don't have time to see them," Troost stated.
The direct patient care system ranges from $59 a month for a single person to $158 a month for a family. For this fee, patients reveive all primary care functions including physicals., lab work and prescriptions, with same-day or next-day appointments available.
"You don't have to get referred out to a specialist for a Pap smear every year, you don't have to get referred out to a surgeon to get a mole looked at, a dermatologist to look at a rash we do all that in house the way family practice used to be," Troost said.
Troost says that eliminating insurance companies from the equation allows him to provide more efficient and cost-effective care.
"So by skipping all that middle man with the insurance company I take care of it myself, it gets done quicker, it gets done cheaper and I can pass all those savings onto my patients," Troost said.
While the federal tax penalty for not having health insurance was eliminated in 2019, experts still recommend having some form of insurance, especially for catastrophic injuries.
Melissa Rooney, one of Troost's patients, appreciates both the personalized care and financial benefits of the direct care model.
"I did have health insurance, but it was very costly and I have my own business. With this option I can be at home and still get the patient care," Rooney explained.
For Troost, the system offers rewards that go beyond money.
"What's in it for me is satisfaction. This allows me to get a good relationship, get to know my patients as friends, spend time with them and give the the care they deserve," Troost shared.
This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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