{
  "id": 16472682,
  "title": "I'm a doctor. I ditched traditional health insurance for my family of 4, and I'm not looking back.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/25/im-a-doctor-i-ditched-traditional-health-insurance-for-my-family-of-4",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-10-25T12:20:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/doctor-traded-health-insurance-direct-primary-care-medical-cost-sharing-2026-10"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Dr. Ben Hagopian, a physician for over a decade, opted to ditch traditional health insurance for himself and his family of four and embraced Direct Primary Care (DPC) combined with a cost-share group. This choice has given him a sense of control over his healthcare and financial well-being.\n\nIn traditional healthcare, Dr. Hagopian's days involved 15-minute appointments dictated by billing codes and insurance reimbursements, which left him feeling beholden to corporate medicine. His patients often had to forgo necessary care due to high costs, and Dr. Hagopian himself felt like an administrative clerk rather than a doctor.\n\nDirect Primary Care offered Dr. Hagopian a different approach to healthcare. Under this model, patients pay a flat monthly membership fee directly to the doctor, eliminating co-pays, deductibles, and insurance companies. This cost-effective model allowed Dr. Hagopian to offer lab and imaging services at significantly lower rates, often less than 10% of traditional hospital prices.\n\nAfter experiencing the benefits of DPC, Dr. Hagopian took a significant step and removed his family from traditional insurance altogether. He joined a medical cost-sharing community, which shared large, unexpected medical expenses among its members. By combining DPC membership for routine care with a cost-share program for major expenses, Dr. Hagopian and his family found a more affordable and secure healthcare solution.\n\nDr. Hagopian's decision to opt out of traditional insurance has allowed him to reclaim control over his time as a doctor and his peace of mind as a father. He no longer has to wait for insurance approval for necessary care or worry about the financial burden of medical procedures.",
  "summary": "A doctor explains why he replaced traditional health insurance for his family of four with direct primary care and a medical cost-sharing group.",
  "key_points": [
    "Dr. Ben Hagopian switched from traditional insurance to Direct Primary Care for his family of four.",
    "Dr. Hagopian and his family joined a cost-sharing community for major medical expenses."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}