More doctors embrace membership fees, shunning health insurance

After a billing miscommunication with their health insurance company, David and Danielle Coupe of Palatine, Ill., suddenly found themselves uninsured in mid-2016.

But the couple didn't panic. They began searching for alternatives. Soon, they found Dr. Jill Green's Bannockburn, Ill., practice, MedLogic, which charges patients monthly membership fees and doesn't accept insurance. The couple paid Green about $140 a month for unlimited office visits, certain services and discounted medications and lab tests.

They could reach Green at any time, and she didn't seem rushed. "When you take (insurance) out of the equation, it's like, wow, the doctor actually has time to spend with you and answer questions and give you care," said David Coupe, 47.

In recent years, many consumers have grown frustrated with the risings costs of health insurance, and many doctors have felt stymied by a system that expects them to see high numbers of patients. In response, a growing number of consumers and medical professionals are seeking alternatives, including direct primary care. Direct primary care practices often charge patients monthly membership fees of anywhere