About Us

Patient Options DMCO and Our Provider-Centered Mission

A little bit about one of our founders, Dr. Doug Luther

After 26 years in chiropractic practice — building clinics, navigating compliance challenges, and eventually founding Patient Options to help fellow providers offer patients real, compliant savings — Dr. Doug Luther set out to put everything he’d learned into one resource. The result is What You Don’t Know: Insider Truths for Every Healthcare Practice*, an Amazon bestseller written for healthcare practice owners and patients who want the insider knowledge that too often only comes from decades of trial, error, and hard-won experience. Drawing on real lessons from running his own practices and helping thousands of providers nationwide through Patient Options, Dr. Luther pulls back the curtain on the business realities every practice owner faces, but few are taught. Get your copy on Amazon →*

Helping Providers Stay Compliant While Making Care More Affordable

Patient Options was founded in 2015 by a group of physicians who were frustrated with the status quo. Like many providers, they were trying to help self-pay patients afford care—only to realize that common discounting practices could expose them to serious regulatory and compliance risk.

There had to be a better way.

That belief led to the creation of Patient Options DMCO, a compliance-focused solution designed to protect healthcare providers while expanding access to affordable care for uninsured and under-insured patients.

Why Patient Options Exists

Healthcare is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the country. Federal laws, state regulations, and insurance contracts all govern how providers can price their services—especially when it comes to cash-pay (self-pay) patients.

Many well-intentioned providers are unaware that:

  • Offering steep or inconsistent cash discounts

  • Charging different prices for the same service

  • Providing certain inducements to patients

These can be interpreted as a dual fee schedule or even a false claims violation by insurance companies, state boards, state insurance commissioners  and other regulators.

As patient out-of-pocket costs continue to rise, providers are under increasing pressure to “do the right thing” for their patients—while staying compliant. That’s where Patient Options comes in.

Our mission is simple: help providers reduce risk, remain compliant, and still offer meaningful discounts to patients who need them most.

What Patient Options Is (and Is Not)

It’s just as important to understand what Patient Options is not.

We are not a traditional Discount Medical Plan Organization (DMPO).
Patients do not pay membership fees, enrollment fees, or subscription costs. Many DMPOs are heavily regulated due to past abuses where patients believed they were purchasing insurance. We avoid that entirely.

We are not an insurance company, indemnity plan, HMO, or insurer.
We do not sell insurance to patients or providers—period.

We are not a traditional Managed Care Organization (MCO).
Because we have no financial relationship with patients, we are not involved in claims processing, credentialing, or reimbursement. This removes unnecessary administrative burden from providers.

What We Are

Patient Options represents a modern, compliance-driven managed care model that supports the direct patient care relationship.

Here’s how it works:

  • Patients enroll for free

  • No memberships, no hidden fees, no contracts with patients

  • Providers offer contractually structured discounts

  • Discounts are compliance-focused, not arbitrary

  • The doctor-patient relationship stays intact

In short, the provider gives the patient a true discount—without increasing regulatory risk.

Simple by Design

We believe healthcare shouldn’t be complicated—especially for providers already overwhelmed by regulation and administration.

There’s a reason the old saying “Keep it simple” still applies. The simpler a system is, the more likely it is to be used correctly and consistently.

That’s why:

  • Patient enrollment is free

  • There are no limits on the number of patients per provider

  • Patients don’t “pay more to pay less”

  • Providers don’t add layers of administrative complexity

Patients get access to affordable care. Providers reduce compliance risk. Everyone wins.

Our Commitment

Patient Options exists to protect providers, empower patients, and improve access to care—without crossing regulatory lines.

If you’re a healthcare provider looking for a smarter, safer way to serve self-pay patients, we’re here to help.