Free Republic

In South Portland, Maine, Dr. Michael Ciampi has done more to cut the cost of health care than anything any Democrat has done in the last 200 years. He has stopped accepting insurance and slashed his prices. The price for an office went from $160 to just $75, and patients that need a quick diagnosis for a specific problem like an earache or sore throat, will only pay $50. At the end of last year, I lost my health insurance, and immediately discovered a whole different world where everything medical-related is much, much cheaper. Upon learning I had no insurance,...

Maine doctor Michael Ciampi stopped accepting insurance enabling him to cut prices in half and make house calls. A Portland, Maine, physician announced on April 1 that he would cut the middle man and deal directly with his patients, no longer accepting insurance in any form. "I’ve been able to cut my prices in half because my overhead will be so much less," Dr. Michael Ciampi told the Bangor Daily News. Before, Ciampi charged an existing patient $160 for an office visit addressing one or more complicated health problems. Now, he charges $75

I believe we are moving toward two different health systems. In one, patients will be able to see doctors promptly. They will talk to physicians by phone and email. They will have no difficulty scheduling needed surgery. If they have to go into a hospital, a “hospitalist” (who reports to them and not to the hospital administration) will be there to make sure their interests are looked after. They may even have an independent agency that reviews their medical records, goes with them when they meet with specialists, and gives them advice on every aspect of their care. In the...

I believe we are moving toward two different health systems. Which tier do you think you will be in? In one system, patients will be able to see doctors promptly. They will talk to physicians by phone and email. They will have no difficulty scheduling needed surgery. If they have to go into a hospital, a "hospitalist" (who reports to them and not to the hospital administration) will be there to make sure their interests are looked after. They may even have an independent agency that reviews their medical records, goes with them when they meet with specialists and gives...