The Direct Primary Care Movement: A real solution to our completely unnecessary healthcare crisis.

a reply to: carewemust

Well, the $130/month fee covers four family members. That sounds pretty damn good to me. You have to understand that doctors have bills too. Its not cheap running a practice, and they need those monthly fees to keep them floating while competing with practices who accept Medicare, Medicaid, and ACA plans. If more doctors rejected third parties, there would be enough patients to get rid of the fees. But until the majority changes, the fees are really the only way they can stay in business.

originally posted by: BELIEVERpriest

Just cut out the middlemen...especially the government. Leave them in a cold dark corner wearing a dunce hat, and let them think about all the damage they've done. Prices will plummet until supply and demand brings the markets down to an affordable equilibrium. The more rules we have, the more unruly things become. Give doctors and patients the opportunity to build more personal relationships with each other again. Reintroduce symbiosis into the doctor-patient relationship, and scrap the parasitic bureaucratic centralization that crushes hope.

I went to a physician that eschewed insurance for many years - I really liked him.

The problems are that you still need insurance to pay for any tests ordered by the doctor and specialists and any hospital fees.

It isn't that Doctors fees are all that high but the ancilliary (and often necessary) services provided by others is prohibitive to pay out of pocket. In an accident - your personal physician - may charge you just for a hospital visit - but the 100s of thousands due would have to come out of your pocket as well.

I know that Kaiser has a program (for large businesses) that you can have an outside private doctors as your primary physician but only, I think, up to 30%, of the group can select it as an option.

a reply to: FyreByrd


If the bi-partisan "fix" for ObamaCare is approved by Congress, people will be able to afford the Direct Care Physician membership, along with a major medical catastrophic plan. Those two would work great together.

Primary care is not what is causing the health care crisis. It is disease care and maintenance. Life saving treatments should not be in the capitalist realm just as the fire department should not operate under the capitalist system.

"I realize your house is on fire, but my fire fighters have been waiting six weeks to fight a fire. The total of their accrued wages are $87,000, depreciation of equipment is $14,000 plus a 20% profit margin makes the total $121,000. Payment is required before services are rendered. Would you like to use a bank transfer or a credit card? ...I'm sorry, your card has been declined....would you like to take down the number for the city's ash removal department rates are very affordable "

originally posted by: sligtlyskeptical
Primary care is not what is causing the health care crisis. It is disease care and maintenance. Life saving treatments should not be in the capitalist realm just as the fire department should not operate under the capitalist system.

Very true. Disease diagnosis and treatment are insanely expensive in this country. If all health insurance had a maximum benefit of $20,000 the coverage would be dirt cheap. The U.S. government could pick up the costs above that amount.

America is wealthy enough to afford providing "catastrophic" care for every citizen. If the funding is adequate, it would be that "world class healthcare" system touted by President Trump all the time.

a reply to: sligtlyskeptical

I think simply cutting out the third party payers would force catastrophic and disease management prices to drop. It wouldn't be as low as standard family doctor visits, but would be payable with a small loan. If I had to have an expensive surgery, I wouldn't mind making monthly payments to pay it off. There's no reason why costs have to be so high. Its a symptom of bureaucracy.

I agree! I myself have state ins. right now, but see a doctor that charges $95 monthly flat rate, no insurance ( they prefer not to deal with ins. companies becuase they tend to restrict avenues of treatment). Of course I still keep and use my insurance when applicable. 95 bucks covers all doctor's visits, rx's, 24/7 access to doc or RN, no limit on appointments.

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: FyreByrd


If the bi-partisan "fix" for ObamaCare is approved by Congress, people will be able to afford the Direct Care Physician membership, along with a major medical catastrophic plan. Those two would work great together.

Perhaps if you can easily pay out-of-pocket deductibles and co-pays in ever increasing amounts. I for one, and many others I suspect are unable to do so.

originally posted by: carewemust

originally posted by: sligtlyskeptical
Primary care is not what is causing the health care crisis. It is disease care and maintenance. Life saving treatments should not be in the capitalist realm just as the fire department should not operate under the capitalist system.

Very true. Disease diagnosis and treatment are insanely expensive in this country. If all health insurance had a maximum benefit of $20,000 the coverage would be dirt cheap. The U.S. government could pick up the costs above that amount.

America is wealthy enough to afford providing "catastrophic" care for every citizen. If the funding is adequate, it would be that "world class healthcare" system touted by President Trump all the time.

What you are proposing is a single payer system - after your insurance maxes out.

And, to borrow a right talking point, how you gonna pay for it? Shut down a war or two - yeah - lets do it. Tax the wealthy and corporations more (or more fairly - in proportion to the damage they cause to peoples health - double yeah - it's time they paid (took responsibilty) for their actions). Let's do it.

It sounds like a good step towards easing the transition from a profit based illness care industry to a single payer system.