If you live in Hillsborough and you have been looking for a primary care doctor, you have probably run into the same three problems: the practices taking new patients are booked out for months, the visit lasts ten minutes when you get there, and you see whoever is available rather than the same physician twice.
Direct primary care is a different arrangement. Here is exactly how it works and what it costs.
The basic structure
You pay a flat monthly fee directly to your physician. In return you get primary care without insurance in the middle of it — no copays, no deductibles applied to your visits, no surprise bill six weeks later.
Adult membership is $150 per month. Teens aged 12 to 17 are $65 per month when a parent is enrolled.
That covers your visits, your physician's direct phone number, and appointments within the same week rather than the same quarter.
What the fee includes
Comprehensive primary and preventive care, including annual physicals. Chronic disease management — diabetes, blood pressure, cholesterol, thyroid, asthma. Acute illness and injury. Mental health care within primary care scope, including medication management. Women's health, including perimenopause and menopause. Medical weight management. Nutrition and lifestyle counseling. Chronic wound care. Telemedicine for established patients within New Jersey.
Visits run 30 to 60 minutes. That is not a marketing number — it is what the schedule is built around. The “every 15 minutes” schedule (which really translated to less than 5 minutes with my patient) never worked for me or the people I care for. So 30-60 minutes is the plan.
What it does not include
“This is not insurance and it does not replace insurance. Again, this is NOT INSURANCE.”
Hospital care, surgery, emergency room visits, specialist care, imaging and prescription medications are all separate. You should carry a health plan for those — most members pair membership with a high-deductible plan, which is frequently cheaper overall than a low-deductible plan alone. I’ve hear it a hundred time: “I will never hit my deductible”. That’s probably true. So why are you throwing more money at your insurance?
Laboratory testing and imaging are available at cash prices that are typically a fraction of what a hospital charges, but they are billed separately from the membership.
The other options I offer
Rawq Home is a house-call membership at $275 per month, which includes everything in an adult membership plus two scheduled home visits monthly within ten miles. It is limited to twelve households. It exists for seniors, for new parents, non-drives, and for anyone whose real barrier to care is getting to an office.
The VIP Physical is a one-time comprehensive visit at $299 with no membership required — a 90-minute appointment, labs included, body composition analysis, and a written plan. If you’re not ready to commit to a membership, this is a solid one time option. Fair warning though, once you experience having your doctor’s full time and attention, you might just get hooked…
Chronic wound care for non-members is $199 for an initial evaluation and written care plan, then $299 monthly for ongoing management. You keep your existing primary care doctor. Wound care is included for members!
Is it worth it
Depends entirely on your situation.
If you have a low-deductible plan and rarely see a doctor, probably not. If you have a high-deductible plan and you are already paying full price for every routine visit until you hit the deductible, the math often favors membership. If you are self-employed or uninsured, it is usually dramatically cheaper than the alternative.
And if you have a chronic condition that has been managed in seven-minute increments for years, the value is less about money than about finally having enough time to build a plan.
If you are health and wellness centered, want to take care of your body proactively, and would like advice from a doctor tailored to you, then it’s really a no-brainer.
Membership fees are HSA-eligible.
Where we are
Rawq Medicine is in Hillsborough, New Jersey, and I live here too. The practice is deliberately small — I cap the panel so that the time I am promising is time I actually have.
Free 15-minute conversations are available if you want to understand the model before committing to anything. Nothing clinical, no pressure — just a straight answer about whether this makes sense for your family. Visit my page www.rawqmedicine.com, or follow my practice on IG or Facebook: @rawqmedicine.
Nada Farooqui, M.D.
Dr. Nada Farooqui, MD
Board Certified Family Medicine · Rawq Medicine, Hillsborough NJ. A Direct Primary Care practice — a flat monthly fee, no insurance in between, and time enough to explain things properly.