The questions every new member asks.
What DPC is, how it works with insurance, what it costs, what's included, and how to get started. If you don't see your question here, just text us.
The things people ask first.
Still have questions after this? Text us — that's literally what membership is for.
Is this concierge medicine?
Not quite, but similar. Concierge practices typically charge a higher retainer and still bill your insurance. Direct Primary Care drops the insurance billing entirely — which lets us charge a much lower membership while still offering everything concierge patients expect: direct access, longer visits, and same-day appointments.
Do I still need health insurance?
Yes — and we encourage it. Keep insurance for the big things (hospitalization, surgery, specialist care, major imaging). A high-deductible plan paired with Foundations membership often works out cheaper than a low-deductible copay-heavy plan, and you get substantially better primary care.
How does member sign-in work — do I need a username and password?
No new password to remember. The Foundations member portal uses your existing Microsoft or Google account to sign in — that includes Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail, or any work Microsoft 365 email.
When you join Foundations, our staff invites your email to the member portal. You get a one-click sign-in link, pick Microsoft or Google on the welcome screen, and you're in — it takes under a minute. If you don't have either kind of account, a free Microsoft or Google account takes about 60 seconds to create, or the front desk will help you at your first visit.
Clinical records (lab results, messages with Dr. McLaurin, appointment scheduling) live in a separate system called Elation — that patient portal has its own sign-in your staff will walk you through. The Foundations member portal is for the extras: full cash-pay rate card, wholesale prescription prices, cohort programs, events, and community partners.
What about Mending Healthcare?
Mending is one of the only insurers (Oklahoma and Maine) built around Direct Primary Care — their plans pair $0 visits to DPC doctors with broad in-network access for everything else. Coverage depth varies by tier: some plans are rich first-dollar (Gold), others are true high-deductible plans designed to pair with an HSA. If HSA eligibility matters to you, see the HSA & IRS treatment section below.
We accept Mending members, but we keep that share of the panel intentionally small. Our focus has to stay where it belongs — on our patients, not on insurance paperwork. Even DPC-friendly coverage carries administrative overhead, and unhurried care for every member depends on us not letting any one insurance group take over the schedule. Contact us to check current availability.
Why a monthly fee instead of per-visit?
Fee-for-service pays doctors to see as many patients as possible, as fast as possible. That's how you get 7-minute visits. A monthly membership decouples our time from a billing code — so we can give you 45 minutes without losing money, or answer a quick text without billing you for it.
How many patients do you take?
We keep our panel intentionally small — far smaller than a traditional family-practice panel (which often runs ~3,000 patients) and a fraction of what an urgent care sees in a single week (600+). Keeping the panel small is the only way to keep the access unhurried.
Do you accept Medicare?
Medicare patients are welcome. We don't bill Medicare for our services — you pay the membership fee like any other member — but you can use Medicare (or a supplement plan) for outside labs, imaging, medications, and specialist referrals.
What if I have a lot of health problems?
The membership fee is the same regardless of conditions — no surcharges for diabetes, hypertension, or anything else. Some specific labs or procedures may cost extra, but we pass through wholesale pricing. If you need a specialist, we coordinate the referral.
What if I'm healthy and barely use the doctor?
Great problem to have. Use the membership for prevention — a thorough annual, a wellness-focused conversation, nutrition guidance. If you travel internationally and something comes up, telehealth us before finding a stranger in an urgent care. Think of it as a cap on your medical expenses, not a per-visit bill.
Can I use my HSA / FSA to pay?
Current guidance is genuinely inconsistent (Congress has legislation in committee that should clarify it). Most members successfully apply membership fees and lab/medication costs to their HSA/FSA — please check with your tax advisor for your specific situation. We'll update this answer the moment the federal guidance lands.
What does after-hours care actually look like?
Text or email Dr. Emily or the team. Most issues can be resolved remotely — a routine prescription, a guided first-aid step, a check-in on a sick kid. For the rare cases that need in-person attention outside of clinic hours, we coordinate it. The goal is to keep you out of the urgent care line.
Dr. McLaurin has a life outside of clinic hours and isn't available 24/7 — but Foundations members get far more direct access to their doctor than traditional primary care will ever offer.
What's your policy on narcotics and controlled substances?
Controlled substances are only prescribed in person. No exceptions. That includes opioid pain medications, ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, and other DEA-scheduled drugs — whether it's a new start, a refill, or a dose change. This is a hard-fast rule of Dr. McLaurin's practice, for safety and for good medicine.
Everything non-controlled — antibiotics, blood pressure, asthma inhalers, routine refills — works through the usual text-or-email path with no friction.
Check a symptom with WebMD
WebMD's Symptom Checker walks you through a few questions and suggests possible causes. It's a starting point for the conversation — not a diagnosis.
Symptom Checker © WebMD LLC. Opens in a new tab.
How DPC fits your tax situation
Direct Primary Care is a different animal than traditional health insurance, and the IRS treats it differently too. Here's a plain-English summary — not tax advice, but a starting point for the conversation with your accountant.
HSA (Health Savings Account)
Under current IRS guidance, DPC membership fees are not a qualified medical expense for HSAs. You also generally cannot contribute to an HSA if DPC is your only coverage, because DPC isn't a high-deductible health plan. The Primary Care Enhancement Act (introduced multiple times in Congress) would change this — worth watching.
Already on a Mending plan?
Mending offers several tiers, and not all of them are HDHPs — which means HSA eligibility is plan-specific, not a blanket yes or no. Higher-tier plans (like Gold) carry $0 deductibles: rich coverage, but the IRS doesn't classify them as HDHPs, so HSA contributions aren't allowed while you're enrolled. Lower tiers with real deductibles may qualify.
Pull your Summary of Benefits & Coverage and check two numbers against the 2026 IRS bounds:
- Deductible ≥ $1,700 self-only / $3,400 family
- Out-of-pocket max ≤ $8,500 self-only / $17,000 family
If both clear, you're HSA-eligible. If either misses, you're not — at least until the next open enrollment.
FSA (Flexible Spending Account)
Most FSAs do treat DPC fees as a qualified medical expense. You can typically use pre-tax FSA dollars for your monthly membership. Your plan administrator has the final word — ask them in writing.
HRA (Health Reimbursement Arrangement)
Employer-funded HRAs — including ICHRA and QSEHRA — can generally reimburse DPC membership fees as part of a broader medical coverage strategy. Many Oklahoma employers pair an HRA with DPC to give employees real primary care without the insurance overhead.
Itemized medical deduction (Schedule A)
DPC membership fees generally qualify as a medical expense under IRC §213. If you itemize and your total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of your AGI, the excess is deductible. Most households won't clear the threshold on DPC alone, but combined with other out-of-pocket medical costs it can add up.
Employer benefit programs
A growing number of employers treat DPC as a qualified employee benefit alongside their group plan. Some fund it directly, some reimburse through an HRA, some offer a stipend. If your employer doesn't offer it yet, the conversation is worth having — predictable per-employee pricing and fewer sick days usually sells itself.
Self-employed health insurance deduction
DPC membership isn't traditional health insurance under IRC §162(l), so most conservative tax preparers do not include DPC fees in the self-employed health insurance deduction on Schedule 1. There's room for argument depending on how your overall coverage is structured, but this one is genuinely fact-specific — bring your situation to your CPA before claiming it.
What Congress has tried — but not finished
DPC sits in a tax code written before it existed, and Congress has taken several swings at cleaning that up without yet putting it to bed:
- Primary Care Enhancement Act. Introduced multiple times in the House and Senate. Would clarify that DPC arrangements are not health plans for HSA purposes and would let HSA dollars pay monthly DPC fees (recent versions capped around $150/individual, $300/family per month). Passed committee more than once; never cleared both chambers.
- 2019 Executive Order & 2020 proposed IRS regs. A Treasury/IRS proposed rule (REG-109755-19) laid out a framework for treating DPC compatibly with HSAs. It was published, received comments, and was never finalized.
- State-level momentum. Over 30 states (including Oklahoma, via 63 O.S. §§ 2847 et seq.) have passed laws clarifying that DPC isn't insurance under state law — which is why practices like Foundations can operate without an insurance license.
None of this is law for HSA purposes today. But the direction of travel is clear, and if your situation depends on it, it's worth watching what Congress does in the next session.
This is general information, not tax advice. IRS treatment of Direct Primary Care continues to evolve, and your individual situation matters a lot. Always verify with your accountant, tax preparer, or benefits administrator before making a decision based on what you read here.
Ready for a doctor who has time for you?
Tour the clinic at 525 N.W. 11th in downtown OKC, meet Dr. Emily and the team, ask every question you've been saving up. No paperwork, no pressure.
Call 405-563-7200