Lauren Wostrel

Why Direct Primary Care Is Worth It—Even If You Have Insurance

Most families assume that as long as they have insurance, their healthcare needs are covered. But if you’ve ever waited weeks for an appointment, rushed through a 10-minute visit, or been surprised by an unexpected bill, you know that having insurance doesn’t always mean having access to great care.

That’s where Direct Primary Care (DPC) comes in. DPC isn’t a replacement for insurance—it’s a new way to experience healthcare that focuses on time, access, and a real relationship with your doctor.

What Is Direct Primary Care?

Direct Primary Care is a membership-based model that removes the insurance middleman. Instead of billing your insurance for each visit, you pay a simple monthly fee that covers most of your primary care needs—without copays, deductibles, or surprise charges.

At Zion Asher Family Physicians, your membership gives you:

  • Same-day or next-day appointments

  • Longer visits where you can actually talk through concerns

  • Direct text and phone access to your doctor

  • Upfront pricing on labs and procedures

  • Preventive, root-cause medicine that looks at the whole picture of your health

It’s healthcare the way it should be—personal, accessible, and focused on you.

Even With Insurance, DPC Saves Time and Stress

Insurance-based clinics often have to see a high volume of patients each day to stay afloat, meaning short visits and long waits. DPC flips that model. Because your doctor isn’t tied to insurance billing codes, they can limit the number of patients they care for and give each person the time they actually need.

That means:

  • No more waiting weeks for an appointment.

  • No rushed visits where you leave with unanswered questions.

  • No wondering if your concern is “worth making an appointment.”

Your doctor becomes accessible and approachable—like having a trusted medical partner on speed dial.

Better Health Comes from a Better Relationship

In the traditional system, doctors spend more time on paperwork than on patients. In DPC, that changes. We focus on root-cause medicine—understanding the “why” behind your symptoms rather than just masking them.

That might mean exploring hormone balance, nutrition, sleep, or stress—things that aren’t always addressed in a quick insurance visit. When your doctor knows your full story, your care becomes more effective, more holistic, and more sustainable.

A Real-Life Example

Imagine you wake up with a sore throat and fever. In the insurance world, you’d call, wait days for an opening, and possibly end up in urgent care after hours.

In DPC, you can text your doctor directly, get a same-day visit, and have a plan in place within hours. No copay. No paperwork. Just care.

That kind of access doesn’t just save time—it can prevent ER visits, reduce stress, and help you get back to life faster.

DPC and Insurance: A Powerful Combination

We still recommend keeping insurance for emergencies, hospitalizations, or specialty care. Think of DPC as the foundation of your healthcare—your first call for almost everything day-to-day.

When paired with a high-deductible, health sharing or catastrophic insurance plan, DPC often provides the most cost-effective and comprehensive coverage.

The Bottom Line

Even if you have insurance, DPC changes everything about how you experience healthcare. It brings back what’s been lost in the modern system—time, trust, and true connection with your doctor.

At Zion Asher Family Physicians, we believe your care should be centered around you, not your insurance card.

Ready to experience the difference?
👉 Schedule a consultation and see how DPC can transform your family’s health.

Why Trauma Isn’t Just in Your Head

Why Trauma Isn’t Just in Your Head

When most people hear the word trauma, they think about something that happened in the past — a bad memory, a stressful season of life, or an emotional scar. But trauma doesn’t just live in our memories. It leaves an imprint on the body too.

Science now shows us that trauma can change the way our brain and body respond to stress. These changes can affect sleep, weight, blood pressure, digestion, and even hormone balance. In other words: trauma isn’t “just in your head” — it’s in your whole system.

How Trauma Affects the Body

Our bodies are wired with a stress-response system called the HPA axis (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis). This is like your body’s thermostat for stress.

  • In short bursts, it helps you survive danger.

  • But if the system gets “stuck on” after too much stress, it can lead to problems like:

    • Trouble sleeping

    • Anxiety or irritability

    • Fatigue

    • Gastrointestinal issues

    • Weight gain or difficulty losing weight

    • High blood pressure or blood sugar

Sometimes patients come in frustrated, saying: “My labs are normal, but I still don’t feel right.” This is where understanding the biology of trauma makes a difference.

Why This Matters for Your Health

You don’t need a “diagnosis” of trauma for stress to affect you. Everyday pressures, difficult relationships, or long periods of pushing your body too hard can also dysregulate the stress system. Over time, this shows up as physical symptoms.

When we only treat surface-level numbers (like cholesterol or blood pressure) without addressing the stress response underneath, we miss part of the picture.

Our Approach at Zion Asher

At our clinic, we practice medicine with an awareness that health is more than lab results. We know your story matters. That’s why we:

  • Take time to listen without rushing.

  • Consider how stress or past experiences may be affecting your body today.

  • Offer support that includes both medical care and tools to help your body recover balance.

You’re not “crazy” or “making it up.” The biology of trauma is real — and healing is possible.

At Zion Asher, we walk with our patients for the long haul. If you’re already working with a trauma-informed therapist and want medical care that supports the body’s side of recovery, we’d love to be part of your journey. Healing from trauma isn’t quick, but over time, with the right care team, it is possible.

Click Here to: Schedule a free 30 min. meet and greet with Dr. Lauren!

Doctor Spotlight: Dr. Lauren

With a background in family medicine and a deep commitment to preventive care, Dr. Lauren brings both clinical experience and compassion to every patient encounter. 

After completing medical school and a year of family medicine residency, she trained extensively in women’s health and worked in one of California’s largest healthcare systems. It was there she saw firsthand how rushed appointments, red tape, and overloaded schedules were failing both doctors and patients. 

Determined to offer something better, she and her husband—Dr. Lyman Wostrel—relocated to southwest Missouri to open Zion Asher Family Physicians, a Direct Primary Care practice focused on affordable, personalized, relationship-based medicine.

Dr. Lauren believes healthcare should be proactive more than reactive—and that it should start with listening to patients, not rushing them through.

 She takes time to understand the whole person—not just their labs or diagnoses—and partners with patients to prevent illness, reduce medication burden, and build sustainable health from the inside out.

When she’s not at the clinic, she enjoys spending time with her family, walking their farm, diving deep into God's Word, and is honored to serve the working families and small businesses here is Southwest Missouri.


DUTCH Hormone Testing Now Available in Southwest Missouri

Hormones play such an important role in our health, if they are not at appropriate levels our quality of life can really suffer. It is normal for them to fluctuate, but what if they are not in the optimal range? Getting your hormones tested can give you insight into why healthy eating and exercise may not be giving you the results that you are expecting. That is why we are pleased to offer DUTCH hormone testing in Southwest Missouri!.

What is DUTCH testing?

A DUTCH test is a comprehensive, non-invasive (no needles!) test that can detect hormone imbalances, cortisol levels, and organic acid levels. From the comfort of your home, urine samples are collected then mailed to the lab to be analyzed. Your results are sent to your doctor, who will sit down with you to discuss your results and together you will decide on the best course of action.

Who Should Consider Testing?

You might benefit from DUTCH testing if you:

  • Feel tired no matter how much sleep you get

  • Struggle with mood swings, anxiety, or irritability

  • Suspect your hormones are "off" but standard labs say everything is “normal”

  • Experience stubborn weight gain or difficulty losing weight

  • Have irregular or painful menstrual cycles, or symptoms of perimenopause or menopause

  • Notice brain fog, low motivation, or poor stress tolerance

  • Want to optimize your energy, sleep, and vitality—not just treat symptoms

This test is ideal for those who want a deeper understanding of hormone balance, adrenal function, and detox pathways—especially if you've hit a dead end with traditional lab work.

At Zion Asher, we use DUTCH testing as part of a functional approach to help patients see the full picture and take real steps toward healing and thriving.

How It’s Different from Routine Labs?

Traditional blood labs provide a snapshot in time—measuring hormone levels at one moment on one day. But hormones fluctuate throughout the day and metabolize through various pathways in the body, which standard labs often miss.

The DUTCH Test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones) tracks hormone patterns over a 24-hour period and analyzes metabolites, giving a more complete picture of:

  • How well your body is producing estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol

  • How efficiently you’re metabolizing or clearing these hormones

  • Whether your stress hormone rhythm (cortisol) is aligned with a healthy daily pattern

  • Clues about liver detox, nutrient needs, and even neurotransmitter activity

This allows us to identify subtle dysfunctions—even when your blood labs appear “normal”—and personalize your care with greater precision.

What to Expect Next

If you're interested in DUTCH hormone testing, here's how the process works at Zion Asher Family Physicians:

  1. The Initial Consultation
    We’ll review your symptoms, health history, and determine if advanced hormone testing is the right next step.

  2. Sample Collection at Home
    If testing is appropriate, you’ll receive an easy-to-use at-home kit with clear instructions. The collection involves dried urine samples throughout a 24-hour period—no blood draw required.

  3. Comprehensive Results Review
    Once results are back, we schedule a dedicated consult to walk you through the findings in detail, explain what they mean, and outline a personalized plan. This may include nutritional support, lifestyle changes, or targeted supplementation.

  4. Ongoing Optimization
    We track your progress and adjust your care as your body heals and rebalances—because hormone health is a journey, not a one-time fix.

Note: DUTCH testing is only available to established DPC members, and due to the time-intensive nature of care, appointments for hormone consults are limited each m


Ready to gain clarity on your hormones? Click here to request more info.

⚖️ Medical Disclaimer:

This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or establish a patient-provider relationship. Always consult with a licensed physician regarding your personal health.

Last Updated: June 17, 2025