OKLAHOMA CITY — April 21, 2015 — Senate Bill (SB) 560 was signed into Oklahoma law today by Gov. Mary Fallin, having passed the Oklahoma House 83-0 on April 15 and the Oklahoma Senate 44-0 on March 2. Titled the Health Care Empowerment Act, this legislation is intended to protect patients’ and physicians’ rights to enter into direct-pay relationships, including direct primary care membership agreements. Read legislative history and the final enrolled version of the law.

Direct Primary Care Legislation Summary

Under Section 2 of this Oklahoma law:

  • “direct primary care membership agreement” means a contractual agreement between a primary care provider and an individual patient (or legal representative) in which:
  • primary care services are provided for a flat periodic (monthly) fee;
  • direct primary care providers will not bill third parties on a fee-for-service basis;
  • any per-visit charges will be less than the monthly equivalent of the periodic fee.

The Act provides these protections for primary care providers and consumers:

  • a direct primary care membership agreement is not insurance and is not subject to regulation by the Oklahoma Insurance Department;
  • direct primary care providers are not required to obtain any (insurance) certification to market or sell a direct primary care agreement;
  • a direct primary care provider is not required to register as a medical discount plan;
  • it allows either party to terminate the agreement (immediately) upon written notice to the other party;
  • provides that fees are not earned by the direct primary care provider until the end of the month; and
  • provides that, upon termination of this agreement by the individual patient, all unearned fees are to be returned to the patient.

“We are very appreciate of the authors for delivering such a clean, articulate bill that gained unanimous support in both houses of the legislature and protects free-market, innovative medical practice in Oklahoma going forward,” said Rob Bartlett, Jr., executive director of Direct Care Partners, LLC.

SB 560 was introduced by Sen. Rob Standridge of Norman and co-sponsored in the Oklahoma House by Rep. David Derby of Owasso. This bill ensures that “Oklahoma citizens maintain control over their own access to quality health care at lower costs,” said Sen. Rob Standridge. It received “widespread support in the Oklahoma legislature, because it emphasizes individual responsibility for health care choices and payments, while it restores the patient-doctor relationship,” said Rep. David Derby.
SB 560 was supported by the national Direct Primary Care Coalition, an organization of physicians across the U.S. promoting direct primary care as an innovative alternative payment model that protects patient choice and promotes restoration of the doctor-patient relationship.