Help! I’m Losing My Insurance — What Do I Do Now?

A simple guide to staying protected, lowering costs, and getting better care without relying on traditional insurance.

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Health insurance premiums are rising. Benefits are shrinking. And more people than ever are facing the reality of losing coverage—or choosing to walk away from plans they can no longer afford.

If this is happening to you, take a deep breath.
You have good options.
And many of them cost far less than you think.

One of the most effective—and affordable—strategies is pairing Direct Primary Care (DPC) with a low-cost catastrophic option. At Integrative Family Medicine, we help people do this every day.

Let’s break it down in simple terms.

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DPC Covers 80–90% of the Healthcare Most People Actually Use

Most of what people use insurance for isn’t catastrophic care—it’s primary care:

• Sick visits

• Chronic condition management

• Preventive care

• Questions, follow-ups, and check-ins

• Labs

• Medication refills

• Mental health support

• Women’s health

• Men’s health

• Hormone support

• Nutrition and lifestyle guidance

Direct Primary Care makes all of that simple, affordable, and accessible.

At Integrative Family Medicine, a DPC membership gives you:

• Unlimited visits

• Same/next-day scheduling

• Longer 30–60 minute appointments

• Direct messaging with your provider

• Discounted labs

• Discounted medications

• No copays

• No surprise bills

For most people, this replaces nearly everything traditional insurance was doing for their day-to-day care.

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So How Do You Cover Catastrophic Needs? You Have Three Great Options.

DPC takes care of everyday care.
You only need something in place for the rare, major, or unexpected.

Here are the most common solutions:

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1. High-Deductible or Catastrophic Health Plans

These plans are designed to protect you from the big stuff:

• Hospitalizations

• Surgeries

• Imaging

• Specialist care

• Major medical emergencies

Because DPC dramatically reduces urgent care, ER visits, and specialty referrals, most people use their deductibles far less—sometimes not at all.

This combination is one of the most cost-effective setups available.

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2. Medical Cost-Sharing Programs (e.g., Sedera)

These are not insurance, but they act as a community-based safety net.

Members contribute monthly and help cover one another’s large, unexpected medical expenses.

Benefits include:

• Lower monthly costs

• Excellent catastrophic protection

• Flexibility to choose your own providers

• Fits perfectly with DPC

Many people find cost-sharing + DPC creates better coverage and far better access than traditional insurance.

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3. Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) — Available to Employees and the Self-Employed

A lot of people don’t realize HSAs are available to the self-employed as well.
If you enroll in an HSA-qualified high-deductible health plan (HDHP), you can open an HSA.

HSAs let you:

• Put money in tax-free

• Spend it on qualified medical expenses tax-free

• Roll funds over every year

• Build long-term financial protection for major events

If you’re self-employed, you can open an HSA directly through:

• Your bank or credit union

• Online providers like Lively, Fidelity, or HealthEquity

• Any HSA custodian that supports HDHP-linked accounts

Pairing an HSA with DPC gives you predictable monthly primary care plus a smart, tax-efficient way to prepare for larger expenses.

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Why DPC Helps Lower Overall Costs (With or Without Insurance)

No matter which catastrophic option you choose, DPC reduces overall expenses because:

• Problems are caught early (and cost less to fix)

• You avoid unnecessary ER and urgent care visits

• You get longer, more comprehensive visits

• You aren’t billed for every question, message, or follow-up

• Labs and medications are deeply discounted

• Health plans are used only when truly necessary

DPC provides stability, clarity, and a predictable monthly cost in an unpredictable insurance environment.

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You Have More Options Than You Think

Losing your insurance—or choosing to drop a plan you can’t afford—feels scary. But it doesn’t mean losing your access to good healthcare.

In fact, many people end up with:

• Better care

• Faster access

• More personalized attention

• Lower total costs

• Fewer surprise bills

• More control over their health and spending

I recently wrote a deeper breakdown of how DPC offsets out-of-pocket costs with or without insurance. You can read it here: [Insert link]

And if you want help navigating your situation or building a combination that fits your needs, I’m here to help.

Reach out anytime. You don’t have to figure this out alone.

Contact [email protected] with questions about business memberships or [email protected] for personal memberships.