A Case for Buying Local. Even When It Comes to Your Doctor.
A Case for Buying Local. Even When It Comes to Your Doctor.
In Asheville, we’re pretty good at buying local. We hit the UNCA farmers markets, grab coffee from new coffee shops in town over Starbucks, and make an effort to support local businesses. In an age of countless trendy online doctor websites and massive corporations buying up hospitalizations around the nation, why not consider shopping local when it comes to your doctor?
Choosing a local doctor as your primary care doctor can make just as big of a difference as choosing a local grocery store or going downtown to buy your holiday gifts. Maybe even more. You're not just keeping money in the community — you’re building a real relationship with someone who actually knows you, your health history, and how this town works.
Local care feels different. You’re not navigating a massive phone tree or waiting weeks for a 7-minute visit with someone who doesn’t know your name. You’re working with someone who lives here, who knows the best local pharmacies, who can point you to the best specialists in town — not just the ones in your insurance network.
Here’s what local healthcare can offer:
Real relationships. You see the same doctor every time. They actually know your story.
Local knowledge. We know which physical therapists are worth it. Which meds cost less at which pharmacy. Which specialists will actually listen to you. What free or discount programs local health businesses are running.
Community investment. Your money stays in Asheville. You’re not lining the pockets of some healthcare CEO 3,000 miles away.
What are your options?
Asheville is actually ahead of the curve when it comes to creative, personalized model of healthcare. We have an unusually high number of membership based primary care clinics per capita. These are called Direct Primary Care and Concierge Care.
Direct Primary Care (DPC)
This is a membership model. You pay a flat monthly fee (usually around $105 here) and get full access to your primary care doctor — no insurance needed. Longer visits, no rush, direct communication (you can actually text your doctor), and a focus on you, not insurance billing.
Here is a mapper to find the DPC in Asheville closest to your or that you resonate with the most https://mapper.dpcfrontier.com/
If you’d like the check out the Direct Primary Care Clinic who wrote this article see https://www.riverrockclinic.com/
Concierge Medicine
Same idea as DPC, but typically they have even smaller numbers of member patients. They are typically more expensive and serve an older population often focusing on brain health/dementia. They typically usually bill insurance and charge a membership fee. You might get more urgent care access if that's what you're looking for. This author knows of at least two concierge practices in town which are not the author's clinic.
https://conciergemedicineandpsychiatry.com/
Traditional Private Practices
Still using insurance? No problem — there are independent practices in town doing great work. The author knows of one: Trillium Family Medicine as a solid one not owned by a large hospital system and is focused on treating people like people. https://www.trilliumfamilymedicine.com/
Community Clinics
If you're uninsured or on a tight budget, check out places like MAHEC or Minnie Jones. These clinics focus on access and community care. Though these systems can be larger they typically have more internal resources such as therapists, specialists and group medical appointments.
Final thoughts
Buying local doesn’t have to stop at the produce stand at the farmer's market. It can include your doctor, too.
Local primary care clinics are built for relationships because they know what comes around goes around. So if you want a doctor that actually feels human — from someone who lives here, works here, who gets Asheville, and who has time to sit down and talk with you — go local.
