A pilot is a short first contract that lets an employer try DPC and lets you see how the group uses care. It works when both sides agree up front on the size, the price and the numbers you'll look at when it ends.
When a pilot makes sense
- The employer is unsure and wants proof before a full year.
- You're unsure how much care the group will use.
- The group is large compared with your open capacity.
Set the terms
- Length: long enough to see a pattern. Six months gives you more visits to look at than three.
- Size: a cap on enrollment, or one location or department.
- Price: at or near your regular employer rate. A deep pilot discount sets a price the employer will expect to keep.
- What happens at the end: renewal at agreed terms, a new negotiation, or a clean exit with notice to members.
Agree on what you'll measure
Write down the numbers you'll review at the end, before the pilot starts:
- How many enrolled, and how many visited at least once.
- Visits per member per month.
- Response times for messages and appointments.
- Whether invoices were paid on time.
- Whether your other members noticed longer waits.
Report totals only. Here's how to keep reports private.
An example
In a made-up example, a six-month pilot covers up to 40 employees at $68. Thirty-two enroll, so the pilot brings in $2,176 a month, or $13,056 over six months. If visits run at 0.5 per member per month, that's about 16 visits a month. Compare those visits with your open slots to see whether a full rollout fits.
In your books
Set the pilot up exactly as you would a full contract: its own revenue tag, the contract list entry with an end date, and invoices on the regular schedule. If it converts, nothing has to change.
What I'd do this week
- Write a one-page pilot term sheet with length, size, price and end options.
- List the five numbers you'll review at the end.
- Put a review date on the calendar 30 days before the pilot ends.
Common questions
Should a pilot be free?
I wouldn't. A free pilot tells you little about whether the employer will pay, and it sets the wrong expectation.
What if the pilot shows the price is too low?
That's what the pilot is for. Bring the numbers to the end-of-pilot meeting and reset the price.
What happens to members if the pilot ends?
Give them notice and offer individual memberships, the same as when an employee leaves.
Want the pilot numbers ready for the end-of-pilot meeting?
We reconcile every account every month and send your P&L and Balance Sheet by the 15th, so decisions like this start from real numbers. If that's what you need, apply to work with us.