Frontier Institute Statement In Support Of SB 550

Legislation will spur employer adoption of the innovative and affordable direct healthcare model

HELENA – Today the Frontier Institute offered support for SB 550, a bill which will expand access to Direct Patient Care (DPC) by clarifying the ability of employers to offer a DPC membership to employees through a tax advantaged account.

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a growing direct care model where Montana patients bypass insurance entirely to pay doctors, in the form of a membership, in exchange for unlimited access to health care services for around $70 per month on average.

During the 2021 Legislative Session, Montana passed the most expansive Direct Patient Care authorization in the nation.

“Direct Patient Care is a proven model for lowering healthcare costs and increasing transparency,” said Kendall Cotton, President and CEO of the Frontier Institute. “SB 550 will build upon the current success of DPC in Montana by ensuring more Montanans can benefit from this innovative healthcare.”

Frontier Institute has promoted extensive research about the benefits of Direct Primary Care for both patients and doctors, including:

• By eliminating the middlemen and bureaucracy involved in billing insurance, patients in direct care save on overall healthcare costs.
• Patients in direct care practices have the opportunity to form a stronger relationship with their doctor, which has been shown to prevent expensive conditions and save costs over the long run.
• Without the documentation, coding and billing of insurance, direct care practices are able to regularly post the real cost of services on their website, and not just estimates.
• By taking insurance out of the equation, doctors are able to save money and eliminate overhead, allowing a closer focus on their patients.