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Abstract
Rising numbers of uninsured Americans highlight the gap between health insurance and actual access to care. This project evaluated the financial feasibility and patient acceptability of a direct primary care (DPC) model in a nurse practitioner-owned practice. Under DPC, patients pay a flat monthly fee for agreed-upon services, eliminating third-party billing. Unlike insurance, this model emphasizes direct care delivery. Findings suggest DPC may offer an innovative solution to improve access and continuity of care for uninsured populations, challenging the entrenched conflation of health insurance with health care in U.S. policy and culture.