Can You Have Insurance and see Dr. Khan for Primary Care?

One of the most common questions patients ask when learning about this model of practice is

“Do I still need health insurance?”

OR

“Can I have both insurance and see you?”

The short answer is yes. Many patients choose to keep their health insurance while also joining a Direct Primary Care practice. I have done this myself as a patient.

However, understanding how these two systems work together can help you decide whether this approach makes sense for you and your family.

At Solace Primary Care, we often talk with patients who are exploring Direct Primary Care for the first time. Many of them already have insurance through their employer or an individual plan, and they want to understand how membership-based care fits into that picture.

What Is Direct Primary Care?

Direct Primary Care is a healthcare model where patients pay a monthly membership fee directly to their physician for primary care services.

Instead of billing insurance for every visit, the practice operates through a simple membership structure.

This allows physicians to maintain smaller patient panels, spend more time with patients, and offer easier access to care. Your membership covers your primary care directly - and your insurance remains in place for everything outside that scope. In my practice, your fees are covering having access to me directly when you need it. It also helps me keep my panel size small so I can practice the individualized medicine that I have always wanted to practice.

Most Direct Primary Care memberships include services such as:

• Primary care visits

• Preventive care

• Chronic disease management

• Direct communication with your physician

• Care coordination when needed

This model is becoming increasingly popular in places like Newport Beach and throughout Orange County, where many patients are looking for healthcare that feels more personal and accessible.

Why Direct Primary Care Does Not Replace Insurance

Direct Primary Care focuses specifically on primary care services, which include preventive care, routine medical visits, and ongoing management of many health conditions for adults and children. In my case, I have a special interest and passion for women's health and address conditions such as PCOS, weight loss, cardiac preventative health along with primary care services.

However, healthcare includes other services that fall outside the scope of primary care.

These may include:

• Hospitalizations

• Emergency room visits

• Specialist procedures

• Major surgeries

• Advanced imaging

These types of services are typically covered through health insurance.

For that reason, many patients keep their insurance coverage even after joining a Direct Primary Care practice.

Rather than replacing insurance, Direct Primary Care often works alongside it. Through my practice, I am able to cover a gap of care that exists.

How Insurance and Direct Primary Care Work Together

For many patients, the combination of Direct Primary Care and insurance creates a balanced approach to healthcare.

In this model:

• Your Direct Primary Care membership covers most of your everyday primary care needs.

• Your insurance covers major medical events such as hospital care or specialized procedures, lab, testing, medication, specialist visit.

Think of Direct Primary Care as a forefront healthcare relationship, where you receive ongoing support, guidance, and preventive care.

This approach allows many patients to feel confident that they have both access to a trusted physician and protection for larger healthcare expenses.

What Happens When You Need a Specialist?

Another question patients often ask is how referrals work when they belong to a Direct Primary Care practice.

If you need specialized care, your primary care physician can still help coordinate that process.

At Solace Primary Care, we often assist patients with:

• identifying appropriate specialists

• reviewing treatment options

• coordinating care when multiple physicians are involved

• Dr. Khan peronsally reaches out to your specialist for you and they stay in communication regarding your care so that nothing in your care is fragmented.

Having a trusted primary care physician who understands your medical history can make these transitions much smoother. Your insurance coverage typically applies to specialist visits and procedures.

What Happens During a Medical Emergency?

Direct Primary Care practices are designed to provide comprehensive primary care, but they do not replace emergency services.

If you experience a medical emergency, you should still seek immediate care through an emergency department. Health insurance is typically used to cover these types of services.

This is one of the reasons many Direct Primary Care patients choose to maintain insurance coverage alongside their membership.

Why Many Patients Choose Direct Primary Care

Patients who join Direct Primary Care practices often share similar frustrations with traditional healthcare.

These may include:

• long wait times for appointments

• rushed visits with their doctor

• difficulty contacting their physician between visits

• feeling like their care is fragmented or impersonal

Direct Primary Care aims to address these challenges by allowing physicians to maintain smaller patient panels and longer appointments.

This creates more space for:

• meaningful conversations about health concerns

• preventive care planning

• thoughtful follow-up

Many patients describe the experience as feeling more personal and less rushed than traditional healthcare settings. Patients also apprecaiate being able to see the same doctor for every visit and not having to repeat their whole medical history every visit with a new physician.

Direct Primary Care in Orange County

In Orange County, more patients are exploring Direct Primary Care as an alternative approach to primary healthcare.

Busy professionals, families, and individuals managing chronic conditions often find that the model offers the kind of access and continuity they’ve been missing.

For many people, this shift toward relationship-centered care makes a meaningful difference in their healthcare experience.

Is Direct Primary Care Right for You?

Every patient’s healthcare needs are different.

For many families, combining Direct Primary Care with health insurance provides the best of both worlds:

• consistent access to a trusted physician

• protection for unexpected medical events

  
  

Learn More About Direct Primary Care

At Solace Primary Care, we provide Direct Primary Care for patients throughout Newport Beach who are looking for a more personal and accessible approach to healthcare.

If you’d like to learn more about how membership works or ask questions about whether Direct Primary Care could be right for you, we would be happy to connect.

Schedule a Complimentary Discovery Call

You can schedule a discovery call to discuss your questions and explore whether Solace Primary Care might be a good fit for you.

Meet Dr. Khan