Direct contract intelligence
Direct contracting is how employers are taking back control of healthcare costs. We track every deal, explain every concept, and publish the data that makes it possible.
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Every Friday, the deals that got signed, the contracts that got published, and what it means for employers cutting out the middleman.
Latest intelligence
Multi-year direct contracting agreements can lock in savings and stability—but the wrong provisions turn long-term deals into expensive traps. Here's what belongs in fixed terms, what needs escape valves, and how to structure flexibility without giving up leverage.
Read the analysisSelf-insured employers leverage Cancer Care Centers of Excellence contracts to enhance patient care and cut expenses.
Read the analysisMost value-based care arrangements fail because the incentive math is wrong or the metrics are unmeasurable. Here's how self-insured employers structure outcomes-based payments inside direct contracts that hold providers accountable and deliver real savings.
Read the analysisWhat is direct contracting?
In plain English, direct contracting means a self-insured employer negotiates rates and care pathways directly with a health system, physician group, surgery center, or platform instead of outsourcing every pricing decision to an insurance carrier. The employer gets cleaner economics, the provider gets a clearer reimbursement arrangement, and employees get a narrower but more intentional network. The upside is lower unit cost, faster payment, and stronger steerage. The tradeoff is that someone has to actually manage the contract, the navigation, and the quality controls.
Learn more →The Direct Contract Tracker
The public market still treats most direct contracts like anecdotes. We’re building a living database instead, with deal terms, employer context, and what the arrangement actually changes.
Seed deals live at launch
Largest member base in tracker
Best public PMPM reduction cited
Self-insured employers (Cost Plus Wellness) · Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
Tidemark Therapy is a Cost Plus Wellness–negotiated direct contract available to self-funded employers. Agreement type: Provider Services Agreement. Effective Jun 1, 2026. Licensed in TX. Pricing uses Medicare-indexed rates with no balance billing, no prior authorization requirements, and 30-day cash payment terms. Full contract terms available at https://costpluswellness.com/contracts/tidemark-therapy
Self-insured employers (Cost Plus Wellness) · WA, UT, ID (11 facilities)
Tellica Imaging, LLC is a Community (self-published) direct contract available to self-funded employers. Agreement type: Provider Services Agreement. Effective May 1, 2026. Licensed in WA, UT, and ID (11 facilities). Pricing uses flat-rate fee schedules by state and modality — not Medicare-indexed. CT: $400 UT / $350 ID / $500 WA (2026). MRI/MRA: $600 UT / $550 ID / $750 WA (2026). Built-in annual escalator in UT/ID; WA rates flat. Note: Community contracts are self-published by providers using the CPW template and have not been vetted by Cost Plus Wellness. Full contract terms available at https://costpluswellness.com/contracts/tellica-imaging-llc
Self-insured employers (Cost Plus Wellness) · Dallas-Fort Worth, TX
The Vein Clinic of Dallas is a Community (self-published) direct contract available to self-funded employers. Agreement type: Provider Services Agreement. Effective May 20, 2026. Licensed in TX. Pricing uses Medicare-indexed rates with no balance billing, no prior authorization requirements, and 30-day cash payment terms. Note: Community contracts are self-published by providers using the CPW template and have not been vetted by Cost Plus Wellness. Full contract terms available at https://costpluswellness.com/contracts/the-vein-clinic-of-dallas
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