Recreating the Small-Town Doctor

For a growing number of doctors who are trying to recapture the simplicity -- and profitability -- of old fashioned family medicine, the solution seems to lie in taking out one ingredient: insurance companies. These non-insurance practices, which generally go under the name "concierge doctors" or "direct primary care practices," are usually aimed toward high-end patients, who can pay thousands of dollars per year to retain doctors who will see them at a moment's notice. But while the concierge model is attractive, it is also out of the price range of most people.

In Lawrence, Kansas, Dr. Ryan Neuhofel, DO, MPH is approaching direct primary care from a different angle. While in medical school, he realized that the traditional model of medical care wasn't for him. "I had an overly romantic vision of what a small-town doctor could be in today's health care system," he recalls. "I wanted to build a direct model that would work for most people."