Posted on 06/15/2013 5:08:55 AM PDT by Hojczyk
Thirty-two-year old family physician Doug Nunamaker of Wichita, Kan., said after five years of dealing with the red tape of health insurance companies and the high overhead for the staff he hired just to deal with paperwork, he switched to a system of charging his patients a monthly fee plus the price of an office visit or test, CNN/Money reported.
For example, under Nunamaker's membership plan -- also known as "concierge" medicine or "direct primary care" practices -- each patient pays a flat monthly fee to have unlimited access to the doctors and any medical service they can provide in the practice, such as stitches or an EKG.
For adults up to age 44, Nunamaker charges $50 a month, pediatric services are $10 a month, and for adults age 44 and older it costs $100 a month. Although Nunamaker calls the practice "cash-only," he accepts credit and debit cards for the fees and services.
Nunamaker and his partner negotiated deals for services outside the office. A cholesterol test costs the patient for $3, versus the $90 or more billed to insurance companies; an MRI can cost $400, compared with $2,000 or more billed to insurance companies.
The practice encourages patients and families to also carry some type of high-deductible health insurance plan in case of an emergency or serious illness requiring hospitalization, Nunamaker said.
Nunamaker said his annual salary is around $200,000, and he gets to spend more time with patients providing better care because he is not watching the clock and he gets to spend more time with this family.
Most of Nunamaker's clients are self-employed, small business owners, or small companies that found the monthly fee and the cost of the high-deductible plan was a cheaper option, CNN/Money reported.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
You are mistaken, that is medicine to be taken orally.
We’ve got a few of those in our valley...they’re called “Medical Concierge Services”. This might be due to the fact that our area gets tons of Canucks during the winter months.
Apparently some talk show hosts and literature are pushing the Medical Concierge Services. Their benefit is why sit a crowded medical waiting room with illegals, welfareits, and other undesired. Go to a Medical Concierge Service Dr or group.
The going rate for Medical Concierge Service Docs has been around $150 to $200/month, often paid in quarterly or yearly in advance.
Now, we are hearing that some MDs in the Stanford Palo Alto Area are charging $1000 to $1500 per month.
This past week, a couple of friends of my wife, who had been going to a female MD who only sees women, for $150/month were told that starting in 2014, that MD would be charging $1700/month paid in advance on a quarterly basis. This MD would deduct 10% if her patients paid for a year in advance. All payments are due the 15 of the month before services.
We are hearing of even higher fees in upscale East Bay areas, Stanford areas and of course Gay Frisco.
Do the simple math to realize how much a Medical Concierge Service MD can bring in at the rates above.
Then, we can figure out that most good MDs will opt out of Obozo care and become a Medical Concierge Service MD.
I'd happily pay the $300/mo. to my doctor and save the other $900+ I'm currently paying for family health insurance through my employer (total $1200/mo.)
It's freaking nuts that I'm paying just over $14k/year for health care insurance and that's before I meet another $2k out of pocket deductible requirement!
My damn' health care insurance doesn't pay a dime until I've incurred my out of pocket deductible, then only pays 70% of the cost. I have to pay the remaining 30% since all my doctors now BILL ME for the portion the insurance does not pay.
I know one thing's for sure: the health insurance company is making a mint off me and providing shit back in services. It's a flipping rip-off as-is ---- and ObamaCare is only going to make it much, MUCH worse!
It is really high. My husband and I each go to the general Dr maybe once or twice a year- a few more times for me to specialists (I am getting older- I don’t see this guy dealing with my weird breast situation). I wouldn’t mind paying per visit for a general practitioner, but I don’t want to pay almost $400 a month combined for the both of us for someone we never see. Add in the kids, and my gosh.
This approach makes great sense for family doctors. but will soon be outlawed.
It was illegal under Hillarycare.
I'm curious why you think you were "supposed" to get anything "all along"?
Doctors are best qualifies to run health care. But The Hag Former Speaker of the House thought she knew more than doctors. The HMO Act which has been a gold mine for parenting insures owning them either need to be closed down or their litigation exemption revoked.. Next thing needed is Tort Reform in relation to health care. Not a single Democrat in congress ever mentions that. Federal Mandates, Unethical Lawyers, Idiot Jurors, and Private Insurers also owning HMO's have drive cost up beyond what can be afforded.
Who is the main backer of Obanationcare? Follow the money. Who stands to make the most money on Obamainationcare? HMO's parent companies. Nest to our elected leaders who protect insurers profit margins who is the most corrupt? Insurance companies operate many times under allowed practices that would get any other corporation shut down. Insurance in many aspects including health care is indeed now legalized government mandated extortion.
bookmark
Or just structure your finances so your income doesn’t put you above the line.
“I’m curious why you think you were “supposed” to get anything “all along”?”
You jumped to a very wrong conclusion that somehow I thought were entitled to something for free.
My point is that we were getting good one on one care years gone back. Now with we rarely see doctors but nurses and even then the time in constrained. Insurance companies and the government interfered to the point making a living as a doctor became difficult. This new program whereby we overpay by a large margin is not an answer either.
OMG!!!!! a private medical market place, who’d a thunk it possible to work?????
strike back at the nanny state & the crony-capitalist insurance giants
get “accident” insurance to cover medical needs from accidents and reduce “health insurance” to “major medical” and “catastrophic” issues, and get the rest into a “monthly doctor plan” or a health savings account
medical markets will respond with cost savings for the responsible and penny-wise health care consumer
Just what do you think the price should be to have someone operate a decent-looking, clean office, obtain a history in short order, prescribe dangerous chemicals and procedures, document all this, pay a staff, interpret labs, communicate the results to patients and specialists, all about 100 common ailments and 1000 rare ones, in their myriad forms?
Oh, and to be punished by the courts, the press, and multiple regulatory agencies for making even a small error, or sometimes making no error at all?
To be punished because of the progressive, inevitable deterioration of an old mortal who has not taken care of himself, ever, in any way?
To be knowledgeable about hundreds of advances in real time?
And to take ultimate responsibility for the well-being or bad outcome, for hundreds or thousands of patients?
Do you not shell out $1800 for maintenance, insurance, and repair of your car annually?
Sorry for the leap.:) I think HSA’s are the answer where there is more competition for your dollar. That said a practice will have to have some type of method whereby their recurring operating expenses such as rent, utilities, office staff and such are covered; this would be offset by a fixed monthly/yearly charge, in theory you per visit payment is solely for medicine.
Concierge medicine as a mainstream choice is in it’s infancy so prices may vary widely. More competition should smooth out pricing a bit. But, hey, what some doctors are charging may be worth it for a person in need of extra care or for a particularly good physician.
“Do you not shell out $1800 for maintenance, insurance, and repair of your car annually?”
You’re nuts if you want to compare humans to machines. That’s how liberals think. Congratulations.
If we dump the insurance company regulations as they are now which prevent competition, such as insurance companies cannot sell policy risk pool across State lines, get real tort reform, reform drug manufacturer regulations, and remove 99% of current government regulations we might actually get back to capitalism and a free market whereby doctors can offer their services as they see fit.
No liberals (like someone I know) believe that only they deserve their salary, that only they are expert, and that more, or everything, is due them, or isn’t good enough, however little they pay for it. Congratulations to you!
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