Affordable Primary Care Care in Asheville: Direct Primary Care

If you don’t have health insurance—or if you carry a high-deductible or “catastrophic” plan—Direct Primary Care (DPC) can make a huge difference. Pairing DPC with a low-cost catastrophic or Medicaid/Medicare plan is ideal for big emergencies, but let’s face it: insurance isn’t always affordable to all and nor do all qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. DPC isn’t meant to replace insurance—it’s a way to make everyday healthcare actually affordable and usable.

1. Straightforward, affordable monthly cost

You pay one simple monthly fee that covers nearly everything for routine and preventive care: office visits, follow-ups, procedures, and direct contact with your doctor when you need it. No copays. No surprise bills. Just care when you need it.

2. Direct Primary Care membership can covers 80–90% of your healthcare needs

Most people only need hospital or specialist care a small fraction of the time. Not to mention Asheville is not unique in having to wait months to see a specialist. DPC takes care of the rest—chronic conditions, lab draws, physicals, women’s health, stitches, sick visits, and more—right in the clinic. Even if you don’t have insurance, we can use wholesale discount labs.

3. Wholesale prices on labs, imaging, and medications/suppelments

Because DPC clinics in Asheville and across the country work directly with local labs and suppliers, patients get access to real cash prices—often 80–90% less than what insurance-based clinics charge. A lab that might cost $150 elsewhere could be $6 here. Direct Primary Care membership also includes appointments and direct access to your doctor to pursue affordable medications, such as working with wholesalers, pharmaceutical assistance programs, alternative more affordable medications, and prescription trials to two pharmacies instead of one. Lastly, here at RiverRock clinic, we often send prescriptions for supplements/herbs to a local natural pharmacy that has quality supplements at wholesale price.

4. A doctor who helps you find affordable options in Asheville

When you do need something outside the clinic—like an MRI or specialist visit—you’re not left to figure it out alone. Your DPC doctor can help you find transparent, affordable cash options or help you use your coverage wisely if you have it. For example, many people think they have to go to a large hospital system in Asheville to get an x-ray/MRI. In fact, there are two other private imaging facilities that we use (Open MRI and Providence Imaging) that are almost always more affordable in our experience and we can still bill insurance if you have it.

5. Care built on access, not billing

Without insurance companies in the middle, DPC doctors can focus entirely on you. That means more time, open communication, and decisions based on your health—not what a billing code allows. The average appointment time here at RiverRock Clinic is 45 minutes.. Direct primary care allows time which is invaluable in this day and age where the conventional approach does not cut it.