The best employer partners are close to your office, small enough that you can serve the group well, and run by someone who already worries about what health care costs their people. Size and location matter more than industry. Start there before you spend time on a pitch.
Location comes first
Distance can affect how much employees use DPC. Staff who live and work near your office may use it more, and more use can mean a better renewal conversation. A large employer an hour away can sign up and then barely use you.
A size you can serve
Look at your open capacity before you look at the employer. If you have room for about 150 new members, a 40-person company is a comfortable start. A 600-person company could fill your panel in a month and push out the members you have now.
In a made-up example, an employer has 120 employees and expects 60% to enroll, plus 30 dependents. That's 72 employees and 30 dependents, or 102 new members. Check that number against your schedule before the first meeting.
Who makes the call
At a small employer, the owner may sign the checks and know what the health plan costs. In larger companies, the decision may run through HR, a benefits committee and a broker. Neither is wrong. Know which one you're dealing with so you can plan your time.
Signs of a good fit
- The owner or HR lead talks about rising health plan costs without being asked.
- The workforce is local and stays a while.
- Employees have high deductibles and skip care because of cost.
- The employer already pays a large share of benefits and wants to keep good people.
- They pay their vendors on time. Ask around.
Warning signs
- They want the lowest price and no commitment.
- Turnover is high, so the census changes every month.
- Nobody can say who approves invoices.
- They want reports about individual employees' care. That's a privacy problem. Here's what to share instead.
Where the books come in
Your books tell you how much room you have. Revenue per member, cost per member and current panel size set the limits on what a new group can look like. If those numbers aren't current, get them current before you pitch.
What I'd do this week
- Write down how many new members you can take without a new hire.
- List employers within a 15-minute drive with 10 to 100 employees.
- Mark the ones where you know the owner or someone in HR.
Common questions
Are some industries better than others?
Industry matters less than location, turnover and who decides.
Should I turn down a large employer?
Not automatically. Ask whether you can cap enrollment, phase it in, or hire ahead with the contract covering the cost.
How do I check whether an employer pays on time?
Ask other local vendors or your banker. You can also ask for a shorter payment term or autopay in the contract.
Want to know how much room your panel has?
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.