Free Republic

A few weeks ago, patients of Dr. Chad Savage received an alarming email. The Brighton, Michigan, primary care physician told them that because of skyrocketing medical costs such as “expensive medications, crushing doctor bills and double digit insurance premium increases,” he would have to raise his own office rates. By…. $0. “Yup! That’s right. Nothing! Zero, nada, zip,” his note said. As a direct primary care (DPC) physician, Savage — not insurance companies or government regulators — sets his own rates. His patients pay a monthly fee for unlimited access to office visits and free in-office testing and procedures. And...

Dr. Neal Mogk thinks he has found a better way to manage his medical practice that improves the service he provides to his patients. Dr. Mogk, a board certified family practice physician, has decided to change his Beaver Street Family Practice to what he calls a “concierge-style” that, by reducing his patient roster, will give him more time to spend with each one. “I will be able to get to know my patients better,” he said. He said not everybody wants “aggressive” or interventional care. For example, some people with an aching shoulder might want to be treated with therapy...

MATT DRUDGE ✔ @DRUDGE Concierge doctors quietly offering care 'off database'. Bloodwork done under alias. Money buying privacy. Obamacare's new two-tier system...

Physicians across the country are attending seminars that teach doctors how to start their own direct primary care practices. Direct primary care practices take no health insurance, only cash. In a recent survey conducted by the DPMA Foundation, 2 out of 3 doctors say they are “just squeaking by or in the red,” and 83% say they are “thinking about quitting the business.” With the looming threat of Obamacare, many doctors are planning to ditch the traditional business model for a more simple and straightforward one. Dr. Jerome Aya-Ay from Palmetto Proactive healthcare in South Carolina uses the “Direct primary...