What is Direct Primary Care?

Do You Accept My Health Insurance?

This is the most common question we get at Ke Ola Noa.

The short answer is “No — and that’s a good thing.”

Let me explain.

Why We Don’t Bill Insurance

We practice something called Direct Primary Care (DPC) — a healthcare model where the patient pays the physician directly through a simple monthly membership. This might sound a little unfamiliar in today’s insurance-driven system, but it’s actually a throwback to something more human, more predictable, and more effective.

You might think of today’s health insurance model as “Indirect Primary Care” — where insurance companies pay physicians on your behalf. Although we’ve become accustom to this approach, it creates a maze of middlemen, billing codes, and perverse incentives.

For example:

• Doctors often have to require in-person visits that aren’t medically necessary just to meet billing requirements.

• Doctors are incentivized to spend less time with patients. Less time per patient —> more patients per day —> more revenue.

• Complex insurance medical reimbursement schemes requires significant overhead. Ever notice that the ratio of doctor:staff is tiny? There’s a massive elephant-in-the-room reason for that. Time gets eaten up with paperwork, not patients. Reimbursement becomes the priority — not relationship.

None of this is sexy.

Direct Primary Care: Built for Real Relationships

By removing insurance from the equation, DPC allows us to realign priorities:

• You pay us directly — no third parties involved

• We work for you, not your insurance company

• You get unlimited care without copays or surprise bills

• We get to focus on you, not billing codes

It may feel at odds with the way healthcare currently “works,” but the DPC model perfectly aligns incentives for the physician to care for the patient — not just check boxes. It gives you more input and control over your health, leads to better outcomes, and creates a healthier, more sustainable relationship for both of us.

What’s Included in My Membership?

Your monthly membership covers:

• Unlimited visits

• Longer, unrushed appointments

• Direct messaging with your doctor

• Preventive care and chronic disease management

• Lifestyle medicine and goal setting

• Wholesale prices on labs and medications

No surprise bills. No insurance games. Just care.

I Have Insurance — Should I Still Join?

Yes! Most of our members have insurance, but still choose Ke Ola Noa for better access, more personalized care, and fewer hoops to jump through. Think of insurance as your safety net — DPC is your day-to-day care.

You can still use your insurance for:

• Specialist visits

• ER/hospital care

• Imaging (like MRIs or X-rays)

• Prescription medications

• Labs (if not done in-house)

And if you have an HSA, you may be able to use those funds toward your membership (just check with your plan).

Can I Get Reimbursed?

Sometimes, depending on your insurance, you might be able to submit a receipt (called a “superbill”) for partial out-of-network reimbursement. We’re happy to help provide documentation, but reimbursement isn’t guaranteed — and we don’t chase it down for you (that’s kind of the whole point).

Bottom Line

At Ke Ola Noa, we believe you deserve care that’s easy to access, free from corporate influence, and rooted in a real doctor-patient relationship.

So no — we don’t accept insurance. We accept you.