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Doctors Dump Health Insurance

Mike

Well-known member
As I have said all along, the government targeted the wrong end of healthcare when they tried to fix it.


DOCTORS DUMP HEALTH INSURANCE PLANS, CHARGE PATIENTS LESS
UPI 6/15/2013 3:56:04 AM
WICHITA, Kan., June 14 (UPI) --
A Kansas physician says he makes the same income and offers better quality care to his patients after he dumped all health insurance companies.



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.
 

Big Muddy rancher

Well-known member
We always heard about how expensive medical care was in the USA. Since the closest hospital that delivered babies was in the US and Tam had family there we went 35 miles south instead of 110 miles north. Our first was born in February so weather could be bad.When the bill was broke down the cost for the prenatal visits and delivery it was at a lower cost then our "Free" socialized health care. Now I realize cost have gone up dramatically in the last 30 years or so but they stopped delivering babies in Plentywood because they couldn't afford the malpractice insurance costs. I'm pretty sure those costs would be a driver behind the Dr. office visits and any other procedures.
 

hopalong

Well-known member
BUT BUT BUT oldtiimer swore that it was a great deal!!!!

He is probably soiling his depends reading that YOU came across the border to use drs here! :wink: :wink: :wink:
Just the fact you crossed the border had him doing #2 because you Canadian's are such criminals :D :D :D :D :D :D
 

Mike

Well-known member
hopalong said:
BUT BUT BUT oldtiimer swore that it was a great deal!!!!

He also thought the "Stimulus" was a godsend. Little did he know there were very few "shovel-ready" projects to spend it on.

$Billions$ were wasted when they started searching for political payoffs to blow it on. :roll:

Folks like him should be tried and convicted of treason.............
 
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