Waukesha Times

A new bill authored by State Rep. Cindi Duchow in the Wisconsin Assembly seeks to clarify regulatory treatment of direct primary care agreements, aiming to define their legal status apart from health insurance, according to the Wisconsin State Assembly.

According to the Wisconsin State Legislature's official website, the bill was described as follows: "agreements for direct primary care".

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill establishes that direct primary care agreements, as defined in the legislation, are exempt from insurance law. A direct primary care agreement is a contract in which a healthcare provider offers primary care services to an individual patient, their legal representative, or employer in exchange for a fixed subscription fee over a set period. The agreement must be in writing, signed by the relevant parties, and permits termination by either party with notice. It must detail the specific services, the fee, duration, and prohibit billing third parties. The bill highlights that the agreement is not health insurance, may not count toward insurance requirements or deductibles, and encourages patient consultation with insurance advisors for other health coverage. Providers cannot refuse or end agreements based solely on health status but may do so if capacity or certain conditions are met. Providers can join insurance networks if compliant with terms. The bill clarifies regulatory boundaries and maintains oversight on contracts that do not meet these criteria.

The bill was co-authored by Senator Rachael Cabral-Guevara (Republican-19th District), Representative David Armstrong (Republican-67th District), Representative Barbara Dittrich (Republican-99th District), Representative Karen R. Hurd (Republican-69th District), Representative Joel Kitchens (Republican-1st District). It was co-sponsored by Senator Rob Hutton (Republican-5th District), Senator Chris Kapenga (Republican-33rd District), and Senator Steve L. Nass (Republican-11th District), along four other co-sponsors.

Cindi Duchow has co-authored or authored another four bills since the beginning of the 2025 session, with none of them being enacted.

Duchow graduated from the University of Wisconsin.

Duchow, a Republican, was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly in 2025 to represent the state's 97th Assembly district, replacing previous state representative Scott Allen.

In Wisconsin, the legislative process starts when a senator, constituent, group, or agency proposes an idea for a bill. After drafting, the bill is introduced, numbered, and referred to a committee for review and public input. If approved, it moves through three readings and votes in both the Senate and Assembly. Once both chambers pass the same version, the bill goes to the governor, who can sign it, veto it, or let it become law without a signature. Only a small share of bills introduced each session ultimately become law. You can learn more about the Wisconsin legislative process here.

Bill Number	Date Introduced	Short Description
AB8	02/06/2025	Agreements for direct primary care