You waited three weeks for a 7-minute appointment. Your doctor glanced at a screen the whole time, ordered the same labs as last year, told you everything looked "normal," and sent you home — still exhausted, still frustrated, still with no answers. If that sounds familiar, you're not alone. And you're not imagining things. The conventional primary care system is broken for millions of Americans, and concierge medicine has emerged as the alternative that actually puts you back at the center of your own health.

But here's what most people don't know: concierge medicine isn't just for wealthy executives with boutique physicians on speed dial. A more accessible and often more clinically powerful variation — called Direct Primary Care — has quietly redefined what everyday people can expect from a primary care provider. At Secoya Health in Woodbury, MN, we've built our Direct Primary Care model around exactly this philosophy: real access, root-cause thinking, and a provider who actually knows your name.

Let's break down what concierge medicine really means, how Direct Primary Care differs, and whether this model might be the right fit for you.

The Conventional Primary Care Problem Nobody Is Talking About

The average primary care appointment in the United States lasts between 7 and 15 minutes. That includes the time your provider spends reading your chart, documenting notes, and wrapping up — which means the time they actually spend with you is often closer to five minutes.

How did we get here? The answer is volume. In the conventional insurance-based model, primary care physicians must see 20 to 30 participants per day just to keep the practice financially viable. Insurance reimbursements are low, administrative overhead is high, and the math simply doesn't leave room for the kind of thoughtful, individualized care most of us assumed we'd receive.

The result is a system where:

You wait weeks for a non-urgent appointment — even for conditions that are worsening.
Your labs come back "in range," but no one explains what optimal actually looks like for your age, lifestyle, or symptoms.
Insurance decides which labs, referrals, or treatments are approved — not your provider.
Chronic conditions get managed, not solved. Prescriptions are renewed. Root causes go unexplored.
You feel like a number. Because in this model, functionally, you are.

This isn't a criticism of individual providers — most of them went into medicine because they genuinely want to help. It's a criticism of the system they're operating inside. And concierge medicine was built as the way out.

What Is Concierge Medicine, Really?

Concierge medicine is a membership-based healthcare model in which participants pay a monthly or annual fee directly to their provider in exchange for a fundamentally different level of access and care. Instead of being one of 2,500 participants on a physician's panel, you're one of a few hundred — and the experience reflects that.

A true concierge doctor offers:

Same-day or next-day appointments for acute and chronic concerns
Extended appointment times — 30, 45, or even 60 minutes when you need them
Direct access via phone, text, or secure messaging — no phone trees, no "leave a message and we'll call you back in three days"
No per-visit copays — the membership fee covers your primary care access
A provider who knows your history, your goals, and your life — not just your chart

The term "concierge" historically carried a connotation of luxury — think executive health programs charging $5,000 to $25,000 per year for platinum-level access. And those programs still exist. But they've also left a massive gap in the market: the millions of people who are deeply dissatisfied with conventional care but can't (or don't want to) pay boutique prices.

That's exactly where Direct Primary Care comes in.

Direct Primary Care: Concierge Medicine, Made Accessible

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a variation of the concierge medicine model that strips away the facility overhead, insurance billing infrastructure, and executive-tier pricing — while keeping everything that makes concierge medicine worth it.

In a DPC practice, participants pay a straightforward monthly membership fee — often between $47 and $150 per month depending on age and scope of services — and receive the same hallmarks of concierge care: direct provider access, extended appointments, no copays, and a deeply personalized experience.

What makes DPC different from traditional concierge medicine is what's not included in the overhead. DPC practices don't bill insurance for primary care visits. That single decision eliminates an enormous amount of administrative cost and bureaucratic friction — freeing the provider to focus entirely on the participant rather than on prior authorizations and billing codes.

This is the model we've built at Secoya Health — and we've taken it one important step further.

How Secoya Health's Direct Primary Care Model Is Different

Most direct primary care near me searches will surface one of two things: a solo DPC physician doing straightforward preventive care, or a large corporate model like One Medical that offers the convenience of DPC scheduling but lacks genuine clinical depth. Secoya Health is neither.

Our Direct Primary Care membership is led by Paula Fortin, APRN/FNP — an advanced practice nurse and functional medicine provider who brings something rare to the DPC model: a root-cause, integrative clinical philosophy that goes far beyond annual physicals and prescription refills.

As a Secoya Health DPC member, you receive:

Same-day or next-day appointments — no waiting weeks to be seen
Direct secure messaging with Paula — ask questions, share updates, and get real answers without a phone tree
Comprehensive lab reviews — not just "in range" vs. "out of range," but what your labs actually mean for your energy, hormones, metabolism, and long-term health
Root-cause care planning — identifying the underlying drivers of your symptoms, not just managing them
Care coordination — referrals and follow-through when specialists are needed, with Paula staying in the loop
Integrated access to the full Secoya Health ecosystem — including metabolic wellness visits, clinical-grade IV therapy, gut health diagnostics, and neurofeedback brain training

That last point is what sets Secoya Health apart from every other concierge medicine near me option in the Twin Cities. Paula doesn't just manage your primary care — she collaborates with the broader clinical team to address the root causes of what you're experiencing. If your fatigue is metabolic, we have the diagnostics to find out. If your gut is driving your hormones off course, we have the protocols to address it. If your nervous system is stuck in a pattern that no prescription has touched, we have the tools — and the expertise — to help you reset.

"Paula Fortin is amazing. She takes the time to listen and her functional medicine approach helped me fix my gut health when nothing else worked." — Emily R., Secoya Health member

To understand more about the functional medicine philosophy that underlies our primary care model, read our overview: What Is Functional Medicine? A Plain-Language Guide for Woodbury, MN Residents.

The Real Cost of Conventional Care vs. Direct Primary Care

One of the most persistent myths about concierge medicine and DPC is that it costs more. For many participants — especially those managing a chronic condition with a high-deductible insurance plan — the opposite is true.

Consider a typical year for someone managing a metabolic or hormonal condition under a conventional high-deductible plan:

Conventional Insurance-Based Primary Care (High-Deductible Plan)

Annual deductible: $1,500–$4,000 out of pocket before insurance pays anything
Per-visit copay after deductible: $30–$75 per visit
4–6 primary care visits per year: $120–$450 in copays
Specialist referral copay: $50–$100 per visit
Labs not covered before deductible: $200–$600 per panel
Denied tests or referrals: additional out-of-pocket or delayed care
Estimated annual cost for a participant with a chronic condition: $2,500–$6,000+

Secoya Health Direct Primary Care Membership

Monthly membership fee: starting at $47/month
Annual membership cost: $564+
Unlimited primary care visits included in membership
Comprehensive lab review included
Direct access to Paula — no copays per message or call
Estimated annual DPC cost: $564–$900, plus any additional integrative services

For self-employed individuals, high-deductible plan holders, and anyone paying the true cost of conventional care out of pocket, the math on DPC is often compelling — not just for access, but for actual dollars spent.

And if you do carry a high-deductible plan or catastrophic coverage for major medical events, a DPC membership pairs well with it: your insurance handles hospitalizations and specialty care, while your DPC membership handles everything that primary care is actually supposed to do.

Who Is Secoya Health's Direct Primary Care Model Right For?

This model isn't for everyone — and we'd rather be honest about that than oversell it. Our DPC membership is a particularly strong fit if you are:

Self-Employed or Without Employer-Sponsored Insurance

When you're paying full freight for your own health coverage, the value equation of a DPC membership is hard to beat. Skip the bureaucracy, get better access, and keep your high-deductible plan for genuine emergencies.

Managing a Chronic Metabolic or Hormonal Condition

If you're navigating thyroid dysfunction, metabolic syndrome, hormonal imbalance, or stubborn weight changes, you deserve a provider who has the time and tools to actually investigate. Paula combines comprehensive labs with our metabolic wellness diagnostics — including BIA body composition analysis and SpectraVision functional scanning — to give you a complete picture. Explore how body composition analysis fits into this approach: Body Composition Analysis and Metabolic Health in Woodbury, MN.

Tired of Being Told Your Labs Are "Normal"

Functional medicine recognizes that "in range" and "optimal" are not the same thing. If you've been told your labs look fine while you still feel exhausted, foggy, anxious, or inflamed — that conversation deserves more than 7 minutes and a follow-up in six months.

Someone Who Values a Proactive, Root-Cause Relationship with Their Provider

If you want a provider who knows your history, anticipates your risks, and collaborates with you on a long-term health strategy rather than reacting to each symptom in isolation — this is what DPC was designed for.

Frequently Asked Questions About Direct Primary Care and Concierge Medicine

Is DPC covered by my health insurance?

No — and that's actually a feature, not a bug. Because DPC practices don't bill insurance for primary care services, they can operate without the administrative overhead that inflates costs and limits your provider's time. You pay your membership fee directly, and it covers your primary care access. You can still use your insurance for hospitalizations, specialist visits, imaging, and major medical events.

Can I use my HSA or FSA for my DPC membership?

As of the time of publication, HSA eligibility for DPC membership fees is a nuanced area of tax law that varies based on your specific plan structure. We recommend consulting with your tax advisor or benefits administrator to confirm your eligibility. Many participants do use HSA funds for integrative services offered within their membership.

What if I need a specialist or need to go to the hospital?

Your DPC membership covers your primary care relationship with Paula — it does not replace your insurance for specialist care, imaging, labs at outside facilities, emergency care, or hospitalizations. For those needs, your existing health insurance applies. Paula coordinates care and can facilitate referrals when specialist involvement is needed, ensuring your care stays connected and coherent.

Is this the same as concierge medicine?

Direct Primary Care and concierge medicine share the same core philosophy — a membership-based model that restores direct access between participant and provider. The primary difference is price point and scope. Traditional concierge medicine programs often cost significantly more and may include additional luxury services. DPC delivers the same level of access at a more accessible monthly cost, without the boutique pricing.

How is this different from a virtual care subscription or urgent care?

Virtual care subscriptions and urgent care facilities are transactional — you show up with a problem, you get an answer, and the interaction ends. DPC is a longitudinal relationship. Paula knows your history. She can see patterns across visits. She's invested in your long-term trajectory, not just your next symptom.

Your Body Was Designed to Heal — With the Right Support

The conventional primary care system isn't set up to help you thrive. It's set up to process volume. That's not anyone's fault — it's the architecture of a system optimized for insurance billing rather than human outcomes.

Concierge medicine and Direct Primary Care exist because people like you decided that 7-minute appointments and 3-week wait times weren't good enough. And they're right.

At Secoya Health, our Direct Primary Care model gives you something the conventional system rarely offers: a provider with the time, tools, and philosophy to actually get to the bottom of what's going on — and a clinical team capable of addressing the root causes, not just the symptoms.

If you're self-employed, managing a chronic condition, holding a high-deductible plan, or simply exhausted by a system that has never made you feel truly heard — we'd love to have a conversation.

Schedule a discovery call with Secoya Health today →

Your health deserves more than a 7-minute window. Let's build something better, together.

What Is Concierge Medicine? (And Why Secoya Health's Direct Primary Care Model May Be the Smarter Choice)