What Employers Should Know About Direct Primary Care: The HyVee Exemplar Care Model

In today’s competitive business landscape, delivering employee benefits that are both cost-effective for companies and user-friendly for employees is essential. Companies want healthcare options that are clear and affordable, while employees need care that is personal, easy to navigate, and, most importantly, accessible. Navigating a web of referrals, confusing coverage, or long wait times can be frustrating for employees and costly for employers.

Direct Primary Care (DPC) can offer a solution. By pairing employees with a primary care provider who knows them and is easy to reach, DPC offers a simpler, more personal experience. And while the model has been around for over a decade, it is quickly becoming more attractive in employer healthcare benefits.

What Is Direct Primary Care?

Direct Primary Care is a healthcare model where patients pay a monthly or annual fee to a physician or medical practice, creating a “membership” where individuals can receive access to various personalized primary care services. By paying the fee directly to their primary care provider, patients can bypass traditional insurance-based billing for routine care.

There’s no copays, no hidden charges, and no surprise bills for the services covered under the membership.

Instead of short, rushed visits, employees get longer appointment times, same-day or next-day access, and around-the-clock communication options such as direct messaging and telehealth access. For example, an employee with a new diagnosis of high blood pressure could schedule a same-day appointment, meet with their clinician for a discussion, and receive coordinated referrals without needing to repeat their story to multiple providers.

With Direct Primary Care, an individual typically has unlimited access to their primary care provider (PCP) and associated services, rather than paying per visit, and providers aren’t overloaded with thousands of patients, so the relationship can become more personal and more proactive.

Direct Primary Care isn’t health insurance. It covers primary care health services included in the defined membership fee, while major medical events, such as hospitalizations, surgeries, and specialty care, still flow through an employer’s insurance plan. Many members pair a DPC subscription with a High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) to balance affordability with protection.

Introducing HyVee Exemplar Care

HyVee Exemplar Care is a leading regional Direct Primary Care provider headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, serving multiple locations throughout Iowa and the Midwest. With locations in West Des Moines, Ankeny, Bondurant, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Coralville, Davenport, Omaha, Lincoln, and more, HyVee Exemplar Care brings accessible, relationship-driven primary care closer to the communities employers serve.

Employees access care through a membership-based Direct Primary Care model. What sets this program apart:

• Operating on a membership-based Direct Primary Care model, HyVee Exemplar Care enrolls employees as “member patients” through a monthly fee that provides unlimited primary and urgent care access along with a suite of included services.
• Members can reach a provider at any time through phone, messaging, or telehealth. And because Exemplar intentionally lowers patient-to-provider ratio, members can schedule same-day or next-day appointments and experience less time in the waiting room.
• The model also includes on-site, routine labs including CBC, CMP, lipids etc, generic medications for common conditions, and in-house imaging for routine needs.
• With transparent pricing and no surprise charges or confusing Explanation of Benefits, employers and employees benefit from a predictable, streamlined care experience.

By combining comprehensive care with convenient access and predictable pricing, HyVee Exemplar Care helps employers support their employees’s health and well-being.

A closer look at membership costs

For individuals and families, Exemplar’s monthly membership fees are designed to be clear and transparent:

• Adults: $89/month
• Couples: $158/month
• Children: $29/month each
• Families (two adults and two or more children or dependents): $216/month.

There’s no sign-up fee, and for those who aren’t ready to commit to a full membership, Exemplar makes it easy to get care with a cash option for urgent or walk-in visits. For example, an urgent or walk-in visit could be $267, which is the equivalent of 3-months of membership.

Why Direct Primary Care works for employer groups

Employers, and employees, should review the full scope of services for clarity around what is and isn’t included in membership, and how supplementary coverage applies. And while Exemplar currently serves locations in Iowa and parts of the Midwest, virtual and telehealth options may extend access for remote employees, though local availability should be confirmed.

In today’s benefits landscape, where access, cost control, and employee satisfaction are critical, DPC models like Exemplar Care offer a compelling alternative or complement to traditional primary care arrangements.

As your Benefits Advisors at Conner Insurance, we are happy to walk you and your employees through a detailed analysis of how adding an Exemplar membership could reduce out-of-pocket uncertainty, improve care access, and potentially lower total healthcare cost of ownership.

Schedule an appointment to discuss your healthcare benefits today.

Cost figures, coverage details, and plan design elements presented in this blog are for illustrative purposes only and do not reflect any specific insurance policy or provider. Actual costs will vary based on your organization’s health plan, the insurance carrier, provider contracts, and the specifics of each medical situation. Employers and employees should refer to their official plan documents or speak with their broker or benefits consultant for guidance if needed.