Mississippi doctor reveals cheap self-pay rates to help the uninsured

https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/doctor-exposes-health-insurance

@MaineMonitor @the-maine-monitor-MaineMonitor

Thanks for sharing this here!

#directprimarycare #maine #primarycare #healthcare

Same frustration as the author. Hate "concierge" as we don't don't double bill patients and insurance, keep prices as affordable as possible for most and help patients save on labs, meds, imaging, etc. Maybe 'affordable' or 'ethical' concierge would work better. #directprimarycare #familymedicine

I am 3.5 years into DPC and am...

"...I tell my patients when they want me to squeeze them in for an appointment that I can squeeze more socks in my dresser drawer, but I cannot squeeze a human being into a time slot..." #primarycare #familymedicine #directprimarycare #massachusetts #boston 1/n

Mass General Brigham doctor: L...

Exciting news! Direct primary care is revolutionizing the healthcare landscape by providing affordable, personalized care. Say goodbye to insurance hassles and hello to quality healthcare. #DirectPrimaryCare #HealthcareRevolution #PersonalizedCare #DPC
https://primary.clinic

New England Direct Primary Care Alliance had our fall meeting this weekend in South Portland with current and interested DPC docs from #maine #massachusetts and #newhampshire

Our new direct dermatologist presented as well as discussions of progress on converting to nonprofit status, using #AI for charting, collaboration with regional information systems and Maine Medical Association.
#primarycare
#directprimarycare
#familymedicine
#internalmedicine #healthcarereform

@dan @eighthourlunch @ProPublica
I'm in #primarycare and gave up taking insurance after years of trying to keep an independent practice solvent.

Prepaying via #healthinsurance makes routine care more expensive and incredibly complicated.

#directprimarycare

@m3t00 @ProPublica
Our #directprimarycare practice spends a lot of time helping patients with this.
It's hard in #Rural #maine where several hospital networks have regional monopolies but there are some independent facilities and physician groups that offer discounts for direct pay, often significant compared to out of pocket costs for insured patients or far less, of course, than the chargemaster prices uninsured patients otherwise face.
1/2

@Jlevinscherz
#primarycare apparentlyu doesn't have much #economiesofscale at that size.
Thousands of small #directprimarycare practices are thriving and growing though so there are better ways.
#familymedicine is complex but its business model can be simpler.

@ashleyspencer

Like many things in medicine, #healthinsurance makes it more expensive, not less.

We can dispense generic for members of our #directprimarycare #familymedicine practice for about $14 and up for 30 tabs but Mark Cuban's #costplus pharmacy has it for even less (no relationship with them):

https://costplusdrugs.com/medications/atomoxetinehcl-25mg-capsule/

@Dominic_Tyer

#onemedical #amazon to follow soon.
#primarycare is hard and doesn't seem to have much economies of scale
Independent #directprimarycare practices continue to multiply and grow though.
#familymedicine

@deonandan
I believe #directprimarycare is illegal in most provinces in #canada too.

Working well over the border here in #maine

#MedMastodon #familymedicine #primarycare #healthreform

@rvaughnmd

I'm not quite as cynical about why we're 'plunging forward". Writing notes after, or worse, during a visit takes up valuable #physician time that could be used for more direct patient care, reading up on topics, or going home a little earlier and seeing your family,

All this is true even in a fairly benign work environment like independent #directprimarycare.

@bicmay
Government agencies and insurers have touted the importance of #primarycare and how they will fix it throughout my career yet it has continued to get worse. Prepaying for routine care via them does too much harm.

I stopped waiting for them nine years ago. #Physicians and patients can fix most of what's wrong with primary care without them.

#familymedicine #directprimarycare
#healthcare #healthinsurance

@KolokokoBird
We're busy rebuilding access to affordable primary care outside the #healthinsurance #medicare system here in the states.
It's not perfect, an EBT type system for the safety net would help but fixes a lot of what third parties and fee for service has done to ruin US #primarycare #directprimarycare

@brittanytrang @STAT
We charge our patients 20% over our cost and many of our insured/PBM patients find it's cheaper to pay us directly than use their #healthinsurance

Drug pricing is a racket.

#directprimarycare

@argv_minus_one @exchgr
I'm part of a doc movement separating PCPs from the insurance racket. Don't prepay for routine , otherwise affordable care with the complicated, expensive system we use for emergencies, major illnesses, etc.
It's not the one solution, but it's a step in the right direction and should be part of any solution.
#directprimarycare

#Capitation involves a lot more than paying #primarycare a monthly fee. It creates perverse incentives for #familymedicine docs and other PCPs to ration care.

#directprimarycare #costsofcare #healthreform

https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/compensation-pay-primary-care-shortage-solution/

@TucsonSentinel
I was part of a #familymedicine group for 12 years. Gave that up 9 years ago and started a #directprimarycare practice working for patients, not insurance companies.

It's a much more effective way to deliver #primarycare compared to insurance or government #feeforservice and should be part of any #healthcarereform

@petersuber

Much of this is due to #feeforservice billing paradigm and prepaying for routine care via #healthinsurance

For #primarycare, it's simpler to dump both. That makes primary care efficient enough that we can provide it (and free phone calls and messages) for $44 to $99/month when the hospital clinic down the street is charging $173 to $351 per visit.

Save the insurance for big , expensive problems.

#costsofcare #directprimarycare #dpc #healthreform