The History of Primary Care: From Simplicity to Complexity and Back Again In the early days of medicine, primary care was deeply personal. Families relied on trusted doctors who knew them well, making house calls and accepting simple forms of payment—cash, bartered goods, or even labor. This direct relationship fostered trust and ensured care was focused on the patient, not paperwork. Everything changed with the advent of health insurance in the mid-20th century. Designed initially to protect against catastrophic costs, insurance quickly expanded into routine care. While it helped more people access services, it also introduced red tape, rushed appointments, and a focus on billing rather than healing. Doctors had less time with patients, and healthcare became transactional, leaving many frustrated with a system that felt impersonal and inaccessible. Direct Primary Care (DPC) is reversing that trend, restoring the simplicity and trust of healthcare's roots. With DPC, patients pay...