Th3 Core

Why We Are Here => Water Cooler => Topic started by: Drastic on November 22, 2019, 01:35:56 PM

Title: Direct Primary Care
Post by: Drastic on November 22, 2019, 01:35:56 PM

https://mapper.dpcfrontier.com/

Found this on reddit. Basically you pay monthly, few practices here are 50-80 bucks per month. You get free visits and heavily discounted services.

Here's a pricing sheet for one near me:
https://www.palmettoproactive.com/services-pricing

Rather interesting. Anyone ever heard of it? Seems like a great complement to our catastrophic (only) coverage.

Title: Re: Direct Primary Care
Post by: rcjordan on November 22, 2019, 01:51:00 PM

>heard of it

Yes, an acquaintance started a practice here about 2 years ago.  Debbie has her doubts as to whether there is enough population here to support it.

Title: Re: Direct Primary Care
Post by: ergophobe on November 22, 2019, 05:10:19 PM

Interesting. There's one in Fresno - $1500/year. Since I go to the doctor roughly once every five years, that's a lot for me. But for people with more frequent needs, that seems pretty good depending on how it works with the deductible on your other insurance... which hopefully you have.

Title: Re: Direct Primary Care
Post by: Brad on November 22, 2019, 07:48:16 PM

Cash and cure doctors are starting to pop up here.  They don't take insurance patients just cash up front in exchange for a huge discount. 

Title: Re: Direct Primary Care
Post by: Travoli on November 22, 2019, 10:09:54 PM

Interesting. Looks like you could get your money worth if they'll let you run all the tests you want.

Title: Re: Direct Primary Care
Post by: rcjordan on November 23, 2019, 12:12:39 AM

>tests

I think the costs for outside services like labs are on your dime.

>$1500

I think that's what the local guy was charging, too.

Title: Re: Direct Primary Care
Post by: Brad on November 23, 2019, 12:43:21 PM

I can see the appeal for a subscription service for the doctor - steady cash flow.  After all the doctor has monthly bills to pay too.

>tests

I have an arrangement with my GP.  I pay cash for routine visits about every 6 mo. which includes a blood test over 20 years.  Back when I had employer paid full health insurance a blood test was over $200.  Then for a time I had no health ins. but found a cash and carry blood drawing center and the cost was about $100.  Then I moved and switched to my current doctor who draws blood in house at no markup and the cost is $25 and I write a check.  All these places were sending the samples to the same regional lab for processing.   

Title: Re: Direct Primary Care
Post by: Drastic on November 23, 2019, 01:10:11 PM

This seems like a really plausible solution for the general public, if the docs can make the numbers work.

Title: Re: Direct Primary Care
Post by: Travoli on November 23, 2019, 09:58:03 PM

>I pay cash for routine visits

Same. Was told to ask for "self pay" rates.

Title: Re: Direct Primary Care
Post by: ergophobe on November 24, 2019, 12:55:22 AM

Yup. Theresa's physical therapist has an insurance rate and a cash rate. Even if we did ever meet the deductible, the co-pay on the insurance rate is not that different from the cash rate.

That tells you something about how broken the US insurance system is.