(Photo by Charmaine George)
Seeing a primary care medical provider is very important – but it isn’t cheap — especially (usually) for those without health insurance. However, Dr. Hasan Suleiman, the physician and founder behind Your DPC, a newly opened doctor’s office in the Pebble Creek Professional Park that offers a more personalized approach to primary care without breaking the bank, is trying to change that.
DPC stands for “Direct Primary Care,” a healthcare model that allows physicians to offer primary care services without traditional insurance billing. Instead of paying copays or deductibles, Your DPC charges a fixed monthly “membership” rate for primary care appointments — just $59/month for children from birth to 17 years old and $99/month for adults ages 18 and older.
Members have access to unlimited visits with Dr. Suleiman with no copays or hidden fees. Appointments can be same day or next day and are never rushed, to allow for comprehensive exams and thorough doctor-patient discussions. If you are unable to see the doctor in person, you also can reach him by phone, text, e-mail or virtually.
After appointments, if members need to get lab tests or imaging performed outside of the office, or medications from the pharmacy, Dr. Suleiman negotiates directly with clinical labs, radiology offices and pharmacies to offer discounted rates to Your DPC’s patients.
Dr. Suleiman is experienced in treating high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, anxiety, depression, weight management and urgent care needs. “Primary care — annual physicals, check-ups, follow-ups, urgent care, preventative care, and thorough patient education — is my bread and butter,” he says.
Dr. Suleiman is a Board-certified family medicine doctor with more than 10 years of experience. He received his Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree in Biology from the University of Illinois Chicago and his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados. After graduation, he completed three years of family medicine residency training with Wayne State University School of Medicine at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital (formerly Crittenton Hospital) in Rochester, MI.
He has been married for seven years to his wife Lisa and together, they have four children — two daughters and two sons. Moving from Chicago to Wesley Chapel in 2021, the Suleiman family enjoys outdoors time of all kinds, from the beach to amusement parks to walking on nature trails.
“We’re very happy to have moved here — with no regrets,” says Dr. Suleiman. “This is a family-friendly area with lots of parks and things to do.”
Can you picture that traditional family doctor dashing over with his briefcase to make house calls? Dr. Suleiman has that vision for himself and his patients, too.
“I was deliberate in picking my home and office locations,” shares Dr. Suleiman. “I wanted to work close to home and live close to my patients so that I can see them during odd hours and respond to urgent calls. I am always available in times of need for my patients.”
Will I Still Need Insurance?
As with the 1,600+ other DPC offices across the country, Your DPC does not accept insurance — intentionally — in order to bypass the complicated paperwork, higher charges, and time spent back and forth when billing insurance companies for routine healthcare services.
Dr. Suleiman explains this powerfully with a common example.
“Take a patient who tears the rotator cuff in his shoulder,” says Dr. Suleiman. “Normally, if he goes through his insurance, he would get a physical exam first, then an x-ray. An exam and x-ray might not be enough to show internal injuries, but usually insurance companies do not allow you to order an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) right away. The patient may need to take medication and receive physical therapy for 3-6 months first before his insurance will cover an MRI. But, this recommended order of events may delay surgery and worsen the injury.”
He adds, however, “If I can see the patient without insurance, I could order an MRI if warranted right away for typically 80-90% less than with insurance,” Dr. Suleiman says. “An MRI with insurance may cost $2,000-$6,000, but I can charge $200- $300. This can confirm whether surgery is needed quickly, without delay.
But, the doctor stresses that — yes — you still should carry insurance with Your DPC because specialty medical services and hospital care do not fall under Your DPC’s primary care services.
“Your DPC increases accessibility, convenience and affordability for primary care,” Dr. Suleiman explains. “Our goal is to optimize your health and minimize specialist visits and hospitalizations, but you should still not pay out of pocket for emergency room visits, specialist appointments, and hospitalizations, if they are needed.”
Your DPC has a referral system in place to coordinate care with specialists and hospital physicians. “I have met with many specialists and hospital staff in the area to build relationships for situations that require referral or hospital admission,” says Dr. Suleiman. “For example, I have talked with the AdventHealth hospitals and we have an agreement that if any of my patients receive hospital care with them, I would be able to access my patients’ electronic medical records. This helps me stay informed of any treatment or medication changes, so I can continue them after discharge and monitor my patients’ progress.”
Truly, the sweet spot for someone with employer-based insurance to combine their insurance with the DPC model is to obtain a high deductible health plan (HDHP). This type of insurance has lower monthly payroll deductions but higher deductibles than the preferred provider organization (PPO) health plans. This means less money from your salary goes towards your healthcare, but if you do need outpatient healthcare services, you will have to pay a much higher deductible first, before your insurance kicks in, and your copays will be higher too. Thankfully, Your DPC bypasses insurance, so HDHP patients won’t have to pay that deductible, just the monthly membership rate.
This may all sound complicated and perhaps too good to be true, but the best way to understand how it works is to meet with the doctor to see if Your DPC can work for you. That’s exactly what David Schoonover of New Tampa says about his experience with Your DPC.
David has had HDHP insurance through his job for years. He learned about DPC through a friend and after doing his own research, and decided to get a Your DPC membership about three months ago, as it is one of the only DPC offices in the area.
Since then, he has already seen Dr. Suleiman four times. “The first appointment was an introductory visit, but I went back because I needed to change medications,” says David. “After that, Dr. Suleiman scheduled a follow-up appointment to check on my progress and I’ve continued to see him as needed since.”
He adds, “It is really nice to be able to see the same doctor each time and appointments are not stacked right on top of each other, so he has always enough time for me. Previously, I got my primary care at a clinic and I could never get same-day or even next-day appointments. Also, I usually did not see the same doctor each time. It is really nice to build a relationship with just one doctor.”
Dr. Suleiman says that for the average patient, navigating getting the right amount of insurance to supplement a Your DPC membership can be tricky. But thankfully, Your DPC partners with insurance specialists who can build custom insurance plans to avoid redundancies between insurance coverage and Your DPC membership services.
In fact, one specialty of Your DPC is to help self-employed people and small business owners create self-funded insurance plans through Your DPC to provide health insurance to themselves and their employees.
“We’ve been able to save families nearly $1,000 a month and many businesses up to 50% while providing a higher level of care,” says Dr. Suleiman proudly.
Can Medicare patients join Your DPC? The answer is not now, but soon.
“At this time, Medicare recipients are able to join our waiting list,” says Dr. Suleiman. “Our office has to opt out of Medicare and that process takes some time. Medicare does not cover DPC so Medicare patients will need to sign a one-time waiver to declare that Medicare should not be billed for our primary care services. But, Medicare will still cover any laboratory testing, imaging, medications or hospitalizations prescribed by our office.”
He adds that, similar to people with HDHP insurance, people with Medicare, “can save money by switching to Plan A and Plan D coverage only and put the money saved by not paying for Part B towards a Your DPC membership.”
Call or e-mail Your DPC to schedule a free initial visit or get more information about tailored insurance plans. Right now, Dr. Suleiman is waiving the $100 enrollment fee during the grand opening of his new office, which ends July 1st. But, if you mention the Neighborhood News at your first appointment, Dr. Suleiman will extend that offer to you until August 1.
Your DPC is located at 8907 Regents Park Dr., Suite 370. The office is open Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Fridays. For more information, call (813) 563-9542, visit YourDPC.net, e-mail info@yourdpc.net
