Running an in-house pharmacy is one of the best ways DPC clinics help patients save. Now, there’s an even easier way to stretch those savings further.
We’ve partnered with AndaMEDs to create a group purchasing account that gives clinics access to better wholesale pricing on the medications they already use every day.
For example, clinics in the buying group often pay around $2 instead of $9 for a 30-count of amoxicillin 500 mg: a savings of nearly 80% compared to typical GoodRx pricing.
And here’s the best part: the Atlas.md + AndaMEDs Buying Group is open to all clinics, whether you’re using Atlas.md or another platform entirely.
Joining takes just a minute, and the savings can make a real difference for your practice and your patients.
So if you know a clinic that isn’t part of Atlas.md but still wants to pass on meaningful savings to their patients, share this article and invite them to join!
For years, DPC doctors and patients have faced an unnecessary hurdle: federal rules created uncertainty around whether a DPC membership could be combined with a Health Savings Account (HSA), and many people avoided doing so.
That’s changing.
Since the passing of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, DPC will finally be recognized for what it is: a direct medical service. Patients will be able to pair DPC memberships with high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and use their HSAs to pay for DPC, all without jeopardizing their HSA eligibility.
This guide will give you everything you need to know about HSAs, what’s changing, how these changes affect your patients, employers, and DPC as a whole, and how to communicate these changes effectively.
Unlike a flexible spending account (FSA), the money in an HSA rolls over year after year; there’s no “use it or lose it.”
The account is portable, meaning it belongs to the patient rather than their employer, and it also offers retirement flexibility. After age 65, funds can be withdrawn for non-medical expenses and are taxed the same as ordinary retirement income.
Together, these features make an HSA much more than a short-term spending tool. For many patients, it functions as both a healthcare fund and a long-term savings vehicle.
How HSAs Work in Practice
Most patients use their HSA for everyday qualified expenses, such as office visits, prescriptions, lab tests, mental health care, and medical devices. HSAs function almost like a debit card, except with the bonus of tax-free spending.
There’s also a retirement twist: once a patient turns 65, HSA withdrawals for non-medical expenses are simply taxed like regular retirement income. That means an HSA acts like a hybrid: part health fund, part retirement account.
For everyday care, though, the main value is straightforward: patients use pre-tax dollars to pay for the care they need, when they need it.
What’s Changing
For years, many patients wanted to know if they could use their HSA to pay for their DPC membership. They could use HSAs for labs, imaging, or prescriptions ordered through their DPC doctor, but not the membership fee itself.
However, DPC will soon be formally recognized as a qualified medical expense under federal law. In practical terms, this means patients will be able to use HSA funds to pay for their monthly DPC memberships, just as they would for any other direct healthcare service.
On top of that, patients enrolled in DPC who also have a qualified high-deductible health plan will be allowed to contribute to an HSA. This means they’ll be able to enjoy the simplicity of direct care and the tax advantages of an HSA.
The telehealth safe harbor is now permanent, allowing patients to use telehealth services— including DPC virtual visits—before meeting their deductible without affecting HSA eligibility.
The Dependent Care FSA limit increases from $5,000 to $7,500 per household (or $3,750 if married filing separately) and is not indexed for inflation. This gives employers more flexibility when designing benefits.
The IRS will issue additional guidance in the coming months to clarify documentation standards and reimbursement procedures. We expect to see specifics on:
How clinics should itemize HSA-eligible charges
How patients can substantiate claims if audited
How the monthly caps will adjust for inflation
Basically, the framework is set. Now, we’re waiting for the fine print.
What This Means for Your Clinic
You don’t need to overhaul your practice, but a few smart updates will set you up for success. The goal is to make your DPC structure crystal clear: you provide medical care, not insurance. That distinction will matter when patients start using their HSAs for membership payments.
Here’s how to prepare:
Offer clear, itemized invoices. Some patients will need statements to submit for HSA reimbursement; others may pay directly with an HSA debit card. Transparent, consistent invoices make it easy either way.
Educate your patients early. A brief email or handout explaining what’s changing and when will position your clinic as a trusted guide. Consider including the $150/$300 HSA caps so patients understand the rules upfront.
These are minor adjustments, but they’ll save you time, strengthen compliance, and demonstrate to patients that you’re ready for the next chapter of DPC.
Opportunities with Employers and HDHPs
This change doesn’t just benefit individual patients; it opens a huge opportunity for employer partnerships. For years, many small businesses have sought to combine DPC with HDHPs, but the HSA restrictions have made that combination legally murky.
Now, that barrier is gone. Employers can confidently build benefit packages that blend:
Together, these pieces form a comprehensive, affordable system, one that rewards prevention and puts doctors, not administrators, back at the center of care.
For DPC clinics, this opens new opportunities to partner with local employers. You can approach them not just as healthcare providers, but as strategic allies in lowering costs and improving access. Employers save money, employees get better care, and your practice becomes the foundation of a healthier, more sustainable benefits model.
How to Communicate the Change to Patients
Patients may not be familiar with the finer points of HSAs, so it helps to keep the explanation simple. One way is to frame the account as a kind of “tax-free health wallet.” They put money in before taxes, and when they spend it on medical care, they don’t owe taxes on it at all.
Explain how that money can be used to pay directly for their DPC membership. That means patients no longer have to think of DPC as separate from their health benefits; it’s fully part of their HSA strategy.
You might say something to the point like:
“Beginning in 2026, you’ll be able to use your HSA to pay for your DPC membership. You’ll keep your high-deductible plan for major coverage and use your HSA for ongoing primary care, all while saving on taxes.”
To make communication easy, consider a few quick steps:
Create a short FAQ or handout. Explain what’s changing, when it takes effect, and how patients can use HSA funds to cover their membership up to the federal limits of $150/month for individuals or $300/month for families.
Add a note to your website or onboarding materials. A short paragraph or banner update can reassure both new and existing members that your clinic is ready for the change.
Plan an email or text update once IRS guidance is final. A “Here’s what this means for you” message with a link to your FAQ will go a long way.
Your patients don’t need the legal fine print. They just need to know that the care they already love is about to get even easier to manage, and that you’ve got them covered every step of the way.
It can also be useful to paint the bigger picture. An HDHP handles catastrophic events, DPC provides everyday care, and the HSA ties it all together by offering patients a tax-advantaged way to fund both.
Encouraging patients to contribute regularly—even modest amounts—helps them build a cushion that covers not only routine care but also unexpected needs.
Why This Matters for the DPC Movement
This isn’t just a regulatory update: it’s a validation of everything DPC doctors have been building toward for years.
For years, DPC physicians have built a model centered on time, transparency, and trust, long before policymakers caught up.
With this legislative change, that commitment is being reflected at the national level. The law now makes clear that what happens inside your practice is medical care, not insurance.
Allowing HSA funds to be used for DPC memberships means patients can now invest pre-tax dollars in preventive, relationship-based care, the kind that keeps them healthier, longer.
And for the DPC community, it’s a turning point. It demonstrates that a grassroots, patient-first approach can influence federal policy, showing that when care is personal, it can scale.
This recognition doesn’t redefine DPC; it reinforces it. The system is simply catching up to what DPC doctors have been doing all along: delivering meaningful, measurable care without middlemen.
When appointments stack up too tightly, even the best-planned day can start to feel rushed. You finish one visit, another patient walks in, and suddenly there’s no time left to chart, breathe, or prepare for what’s next.
Our newest feature gives you back that margin. With Self-Scheduling Buffer Periods, you can now add automatic gaps between appointments, so patients can’t book back-to-back slots that leave no room to reset.
Instead of stretching appointment lengths or juggling placeholder events, Atlas.md now handles that spacing for you behind the scenes. Patients still see accurate appointment times, and your schedule naturally includes the buffer you need to stay on track.
Say you set a 10-minute buffer after each visit: a 2:00–2:30 appointment means the next available slot starts at 2:40. That simple gap gives you time to finish notes, grab a coffee, or handle a quick message before your next patient arrives, and your patient sees a clean, accurate schedule.
The result is a calmer, more predictable day. You’ll have time to wrap up notes, collect your thoughts, or simply take a moment before your next visit. All without sacrificing availability or adding extra work.
For more information on how this feature works, check out our support article. And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line at support@atlas.md.
When lab results arrive, every minute matters. Picture this: a critical result for a patient with diabetes comes in just after you’ve stepped out of the office. With our latest update, you don’t have to wait until you’re back at your desk or dig through emails; those results are now right at your fingertips in Atlas.md Mobile.
Checking labs on the go is quick and straightforward. You can see the most recent results at a glance, mark the ones you’ve already looked at, and tap into the full report whenever you need more detail—all directly from the mobile app.
And because everything stays synced with the web version of Atlas.md, you’ll always be up to date whether you’re in the clinic, between visits, or out in the community. That means faster decisions, fewer missed updates, and peace of mind for both you and your patients.
For more information on how this feature works, check out our support article. And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at support@atlas.md.
For years, one of the most common questions asked by both patients and employers has been: “Can I use my Health Savings Account (HSA) for my DPC membership?”
Until now, the answer has been stuck in a legal gray area.
This small but powerful change removes the ambiguity that kept many patients (and employers with high-deductible health plans) from applying HSA funds to DPC. Beginning in 2026, DPC stands on the same footing as office visits, prescriptions, and other traditional healthcare costs.
What this means for your clinic:
Patients save money by being able to use pre-tax dollars for their DPC membership.
Employers gain flexibility to include DPC in their benefit packages.
DPC gains parity with traditional healthcare spending, removing one of the last big financial barriers.
Your conversations get easier when explaining how patients can affordably join your practice.
This change is a huge validation of the DPC model and a win for DPC clinics everywhere. It acknowledges that membership-based care is not only legitimate but a valuable part of the healthcare landscape.
For clinics, it means more patients can access your care without financial gymnastics. For patients, it means less hesitation and more freedom to choose the kind of relationship-based medicine they want.
For the first time, the tax code recognizes what patients already know: direct care is real care.
Lab costs can quickly add up for your patients, especially when dealing with Quest’s regional pricing variations. That’s why we’re excited to announce Quest National Pricing—a way, as some of you already know, for all Atlas.md clinics to access better lab rates.
Quest typically offers national pricing to large organizations to help standardize costs across the board. While each Atlas.md clinic is independent, we were able to leverage the collective size of our community to negotiate the same kind of deal. It’s a powerful example of what we can accomplish together, without giving up the autonomy that makes DPC work.
What does this mean for your clinic?
Your labs still process through your regional Quest facility
But pricing comes from our negotiated national rate structure
Your existing Quest workflow stays the same
Most patients will see immediate savings on their lab invoices
This pricing is available to all current Quest users on Atlas.md, and the switch is simple. We’ll guide you through the enrollment process so your patients can start saving right away.
While participation is completely optional, most clinics will see meaningful, often substantial, savings. A small number of clinics in already low-cost regions may see similar pricing to what they have now. But for the vast majority, national pricing is a win.
The result? More accessible care and happier patients.
If you’re already using Quest through Atlas.md, get in touch with support to make sure you’re on national pricing. If you’re not using Quest yet, then this is the perfect time to add Quest integration and unlock these savings for your patients.
Atlas.md’s AI now crunches 3x more data from patient charts and attached files. What does that mean in real terms? In most cases, it means that Atlas.md can now process entire patient charts, not just recent visits or partial information.
For AI Referrals, this translates to way deeper analysis. Now, when you’re sending a patient to a specialist, you get relevant details pulled from years of visits, lab results, and attached documents.
The result is referrals that give specialists everything they need up front.
AI Chart Summaries gets the same expanded context, but we’ve also added another game-changing capability: the ability to read and incorporate vitals data.
Summaries now include blood pressure, BMI, weight changes, temperature readings, and other vitals that paint a more complete picture of your patient’s health journey. Combined with the expanded context, you’re getting summaries that truly capture the full scope of your patient’s medical history.
These improvements mean less time wrestling with charts and more time doing what matters: spending time with patients.
For more information about using these features, check out our support articles on AI Referrals and Chart Summaries. And if you have any questions about these improvements, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@atlas.md.
When you’re rounding, following up on a patient, or just trying to make a quick call, pulling up patient contact info shouldn’t slow you down. Until now, accessing patient details on your device outside of Atlas.md Mobile meant having to copy everything manually. Today, we’re changing that.
We’ve added a new option in Atlas.md Mobile that lets you store patient contact information directly to your device.
With just a tap, phone numbers, email addresses, and more sync straight into your native contacts app—along with cloud backup, address book lookups, and full caller ID support.
Let’s say you’re waiting on a call from a specific patient. With their contact information saved locally, your phone will recognize the number before you even pick it up. No more mystery calls or missed connections. Just clear, immediate context right when you need it.
It also means you can reach out however you like: via call, text, or email using the tools you already rely on. And because it’s all stored locally, your patient contacts are still accessible even when you’re offline.
Check out our support article for more information. And if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@atlas.md.
As a doctor, you deal with interruptions all day long. You start writing an email, get pulled into an urgent call, and suddenly, that message is lost—or worse, half-sent.
Well, that’s a thing of the past because Atlas.md now supports drafts for email writing, just like it does for chart notes. That means you can start an email, pause when needed, and pick up right where you left off without worrying about losing your progress.
When composing an email, you’ll now see a familiar Save Draft button, giving you full control over when to save. If you forget to hit Save, don’t worry, autosave is working in the background and will make sure your draft is still there.
Whether you’re writing lab result emails, coordinating with specialists, or simply need to pause mid-message, drafts make email writing in Atlas.md more flexible than ever.
Check out our support article for more details. And, if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out at support@atlas.md.
Back in March, we released Share Extension for iOS, which lets you send files from your phone directly to your patient’s chart from your iPhone. Well, great news—it’s now available for Android as well.
Share Extension for Android works just the same as iOS. You can upload files—like voice memos, images, PDFs, and signed documents—directly to a patient’s chart from your phone. No need to switch apps, email yourself files, or save them manually. Just tap Share, select Atlas.md, and the file goes straight into the chart.
Voice memos are automatically transcribed, and those transcripts are ready for AI processing, including seamless integration into your SOAP notes.
Whether it’s a referral form, a consent document, a quick photo from a telehealth visit, or a recorded update from a colleague, Share Extension helps you quickly get critical information into the right place.
