Cash-pay healthcare is growingThe future of healthcare is cash.
Rising deductibles are turning insured patients into cash-pay patients. They're shopping on price, searching online first — and choosing the practices that make paying simple.
Stay compliant. Get found first by cash-pay patients.
Every Patient Options practice receives premium, preferential placement on our sister site, MyCashDoctor.org — where patients search for cash-friendly providers near them. Your membership doesn't just protect you. It advertises you.
- Top-of-results placement when local patients search by area and specialty.
- Preferred Provider badge that tells patients you offer a compliant cash discount.
- Patients who are ready to pay cash — the exact people you want to reach.
- Included with your membership. No extra ad spend.
Dual fee schedule & discount compliance riskThat "cash price" at your front desk could be a violation.
Most practices discount cash patients with good intentions — and unknowingly create a dual fee schedule. Civil monetary penalties can reach $10,000 per item or service. Patient Options puts a compliant structure between you and that risk.
Dual fee schedules
Different rates for cash and insured patients breach most payer contracts — a common source of board complaints and fines.
How to avoid dual fee schedules →"Prompt pay" done wrong
Time-of-service discounts that are excessive or poorly implemented are often a dual fee schedule in disguise.
Inducement & kickbacks
Waived copays and improper incentives can trigger Anti-Kickback and inducement penalties.
False Claims Act
Improperly waiving coinsurance or deductibles is one of the everyday ways providers violate it without knowing.
How a Discount Medical Care Organization worksUp and running in a day. Simple forever.
What is a Discount Medical Care Organization (DMCO)?
A Discount Medical Care Organization (DMCO) is an independent, third-party framework that lets healthcare providers offer patients pre-structured cash discounts while continuing to bill insurance — without creating a dual fee schedule. With Patient Options, the practice holds the membership and patients pay nothing.
Read the complete DMCO guideEnroll your practice
Join the independent physician association for $99/month per location. One flat fee, no matter how many patients you see.
Add patients in seconds
Your front desk enrolls cash-pay patients through the portal. Free for patients — no membership card to sell, no extra forms.
Discount with confidence
Offer transparent cash pricing while you keep billing insurance as normal. Your fee schedule stays intact and defensible.
A no-fee alternative to patient discount plansNo patient fees. No paperwork pile-up.
Other discount plans charge your patients an annual membership and hand your staff more forms. With Patient Options, your practice carries one simple membership — so there's nothing standing between a patient and a yes.
Talk to us: (866) 275-5633Who Patient Options servesBuilt for every practice that wants to say yes to cash patients.
Meet founder Dr. Doug LutherI created Patient Options because my own practice needed it.
After 26 years in practice, I saw too many good doctors put their licenses at risk just trying to make care affordable. Patient Options is the compliant answer — and it's free for every patient who walks through your door.
The strategies I used to come back from burnout and financial setbacks and build a profitable, sustainable practice — shared through real stories, practical tools and a no-nonsense approach. Available in paperback and audiobook.
DMCO & cash discount FAQsStraight answers.
Still have a question? Our team will walk you through it on a free compliance call.
(866) 275-5633Is Patient Options a registered Discount Medical Plan Organization (DMPO)?
No — and it doesn't need to be. DMPO registration rules are aimed at plans that sell discount memberships to consumers. Patient Options never charges patients anything. Instead, your practice holds a membership with an independent physician association, which entitles you to extend a discount to your patients. Offering a compliant cash-pay healthcare discount isn't dependent on DMPO registration.
Can I keep billing insurance?
Yes. Insured patients are billed exactly as they are today. Patient Options gives you a compliant way to offer discounted pricing to cash-pay patients under the same roof.
Does it cost my patients anything?
Nothing. There's no patient membership fee and no card to sell. Patients simply receive the discount, so there's no hurdle between them and saying yes to care.
What does it cost my practice?
$99 per month per location, no matter how many patients you enroll. New practices pay just $1 for the first month — simply enter referral code POMHONE when you sign up.
Isn't a prompt-pay discount enough?
Prompt-pay discounts are legal in many states, but they're often implemented incorrectly or set too high to reflect real time-of-service savings — which can turn them into a dual fee schedule. Patient Options provides an independent, third-party contractual structure instead.
What is MyCashDoctor.org, and how does it help my practice?
MyCashDoctor.org is our sister site, where patients search for cash-discount providers in their area. Every Patient Options practice is listed as a Preferred Provider with premium, preferential placement in search results — a built-in advertising channel that's included with your membership.
Which providers can use Patient Options?
Chiropractors, medical doctors, DPC and concierge clinics, dentists, physical therapists, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, podiatrists, osteopaths, naturopaths, acupuncturists and massage therapists.
Answers reviewed by Dr. Doug Luther, Certified in Medical Compliance · Updated October 2026
Protect your practice for $1.
Your first month is $1 with referral code POMHONE. Then $99/month per location — unlimited patients, zero patient fees, premium placement on MyCashDoctor.org, cancel anytime.