Probably never one to consider himself a freedom fighter or giant slayer—and probably the first to admit that some of his life decisions have been scary—Dr. Kropp is a family physician. His practice, Active Choice Healthcare in Concord, uses a model known as DPC, or direct primary care. In DPC, patients pay an affordable monthly fee that includes routine and preventative visits, checkups, and urgent and chronic care. According to Dr. Kropp,
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“Did you know,” he asks, “that as much as 30 to 40 percent of a physician’s day is spent on administrative duties?” He adds, “I spent all that time interacting with a computer and not with patients.” when primary care operates the way it should, it can address 90 percent of a patient’s needs. No third parties, no premiums, no deductibles. Sound revolutionary? “Really, it’s trying to make it about patients and
their doctors—nobody else,” Dr. Kropp says. A PHYSICIAN’S EXPERIENCE Dr. Kropp’s interest in medicine began as a teen. “I loved
studying the sciences,” he says. With his love of science, he developed a fantasy of a country doctor like in the old days. Back then, doctors knew their patients, they were accessible when needed, and they took