What is Direct Primary Care

For many people in Sarasota and Manatee County, the traditional healthcare system can feel impersonal and difficult to navigate. Appointments can have long wait times, feel rushed, and leave patients with unanswered questions. At Live Well DPC, we believe there is a better way.

What Is Direct Primary Care?

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a membership-based healthcare model that provides patients with direct access to their provider and includes preventive, acute, and chronic care management through a simple monthly membership. Unlike traditional insurance-based practices, DPC removes administrative barriers, allowing providers to focus on personalized, relationship-centered care.

At Live Well DPC in Sarasota, we practice medicine the way it used to be—centered on the relationship between provider and patient, without the insurance barriers or rushed visits that often get in the way.

How Is Direct Primary Care Different from Traditional Primary Care?

In a traditional practice, providers are managing 1,500 to 2,000 patients at a time. Appointments are rushed. Every decision runs through insurance billing codes, prior authorizations, and whatever your plan covers that year.

At Live Well, we keep a smaller patient panel by design—because that’s the only way to do this right for our Sarasota and Manatee County patients. Smaller means more time with each patient. More time means we can be proactive, not just reactive. It means we actually know your history, your goals, and what matters to you.

Have a quick question? Text or call us directly. When you do come in, the appointment runs as long as it needs to. No clock-watching. No rushed goodbyes.

What Does a DPC Membership Include?

We believe strongly in the power of patient advocacy. Healthcare has become increasingly complex, and our Sarasota and Manatee County patients need someone in their corner—navigating lab work, securing affordable medications, coordinating with trusted local specialists, and delivering personalized guidance. This is what we do every day.

Your Live Well membership covers a wide range of primary care services with no additional cost per visit:

• Unlimited office visits
• Extended appointment times
• Same-day or next-day scheduling
• Direct access to your provider
• After-hours access for urgent needs
• Adult medicine and preventive care
• Acute and urgent care (illness, infections, injuries)
• Chronic condition management (diabetes, hypertension, thyroid, and more)
• Women’s health
• Mental health support
• Weight management
• Dermatology care
• Discounted labs and imaging

Full plan details are on our DPC Services page.

How Much Does Direct Primary Care Cost?

Live Well membership starts at $70/month. With decades of experience and deep roots in the Sarasota community, we know what works, what doesn’t, and how to help patients avoid unnecessary costs, delays, and frustration.

Most members find that the membership fee offsets quickly—no copays, no urgent care markups, and access to deeply discounted labs and imaging.

Do I Still Need Health Insurance with a DPC Membership?

Yes—and this is important. Direct primary care is not health insurance. Your membership covers your primary care relationship, not hospitalization, specialist care, surgery, or emergencies.

Most Live Well members pair their membership with a high-deductible health plan (often significantly more affordable than a traditional plan), a health sharing ministry, or Medicare. Since your primary care is already covered, a leaner insurance plan tends to make a great deal of financial sense.

We’re happy to talk through how it fits your specific situation. That’s exactly what a meet-and-greet is for.

What Happens If I Need a Specialist?

We refer you—and we stay involved. One of the things that gets lost in traditional primary care is continuity. You see a specialist, a decision gets made, and your primary care provider finds out months later, if at all.

At Live Well, we help you find the right specialist in Sarasota and Manatee County, communicate your history clearly, and stay in the loop throughout. We are your advocate in the broader healthcare system—not just a gatekeeper who writes the referral and disappears.

Is Direct Primary Care Right for Me?

DPC tends to be a great fit for adults who want a real, ongoing relationship with a provider who knows their history. For those who need same-day access without the ER or urgent care markup. For the self-employed, the uninsured, and anyone managing a chronic condition that benefits from close, consistent care. And honestly, for anyone who simply wants to be treated like a person—not a claim number.

Live Well serves adults across Sarasota and Manatee counties—Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Venice, Osprey, Nokomis, North Port, Palmetto, Parrish, and the Anna Maria Island communities.

How Do I Get Started?

Practicing in such a vibrant, active, and beautiful community like Sarasota is a gift—and helping our patients live their healthiest, fullest lives here is our greatest reward.

The best first step is a no-obligation meet-and-greet with Rachel or Julie. It’s a chance to ask questions, get a feel for how we work, and decide if Live Well is the right fit—no pressure, no commitment. Contact us today or call (941) 529-7770.