The Future of Healthcare Is Already Here

From FEE.org (July 10):

Let’s imagine a scenario where you no longer need to use insurance for health care. No more calling on pre-approval for services or fighting over the phone with monotone customer service reps over denied claims. No more lack of transparency on the price of services or procedures. No more worrying whether your insurance covers a service or procedure. No more paranoia over losing your subsidized insurance if you get laid off. Imagine being able to sit with a doctor for more than ten minutes and feeling like they have the time and patience to really understand your needs and are not compelled to shuffle you out the door to meet their patient quota. Imagine an affordable, transparent, monthly rate to pay for health care.

This all sounds rather hypothetical, huh? Would you be surprised to find out that this sort of health care model not only already exists but that it is growing? It is called the Direct Primary Care model and it is the free market healthcare solution the country needs more of.

Doctors Are Burned Out

A survey of over 17,000 doctors indicates that physician career satisfaction is on the decline. There is an increasing trend of physicians cutting back hours, switching to part-time work and switching to non-clinical employment. With a medical system expecting a 90,000 doctor shortage by 2025, this could spell disaster for the current healthcare model. But is anyone surprised by this?

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There’s a Different Way

Enter the Direct Primary Care (DPC) model. For physicians who are willing to take a risk on finding a more fulfilling way to practice, the DPC model has shown promise. What is the DPC model, exactly? The DPC model usually foregoes or accepts insurance on a limited basis in favor of using a subscription-based model. For instance, a DPC model may charge $70 a month for an adult to belong to a practice and receive access to a physician. The practice typically offers all or most primary care services and grants same day or next day appointments for urgent situations; some even offer 24/7 access via phone call, text or email.

The subscription method eliminates the necessity for co-pays and provides a relatively stable operating income that isn’t subject to the uncertainty of insurance reimbursement. Because of that stable operating income, physicians can balance the number of patients needed to be profitable with the amount of time spent face-to-face with patients. This balance has increased the duration of patient visits from 13-16 minutes in standard doctor visits, to 30-60 minutes in DPC models.

Along with increased visit lengths, physicians have the time and inclination to use telemedicine technology with DPC patients. Telemedicine can offer instant face-to-face access to a physician via FaceTime, Skype, or other similar video software. This grants a great deal of flexibility to patients and physicians which can reduce otherwise unnecessary expenses.  [read more]

Sounds good to me. There are physicians in Wichita, KS that uses this system. One of the doctors have been on the Hannity show. I hope the bills in Congress will allow physicians to use this system.