Posted by: AtlasMD

November 14, 2013

The Story Of The $1,000 Tetanus Shot

The Story Of The $1,000 Tetanus Shot

Olivier Van Houtte is currently a medical student. His blog post about a bike race turned trip to the ER makes for a compelling read. And to answer your immediate question–no, this tetanus shot did not include a band-aid made of pure gold or a side of heavily steeped saffron tea.

Olivier takes a compassionate look at his medical bills, going line item by line item. He’s fine with a $2,500 CT scan because yes it would have saved his life if he had internal bleeding in his brain. And he’s okay with an $800 ambulance fee if only to compensate for the on-site EMTs who immediately attended to him post-accident.

However, he’s curious how a nurse swabbing his arm with alcohol and administering a $15 shot in his arm was marked up to $1,000. Really, come on.

READ THE COMPLETE BLOG POST ON KEVIN MD

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 13, 2013

Direct Care Is Routine Care Fit For A Cat

Direct Care Is Routine Care Fit For A Cat

Wait, come again? Okay, so the title of our post might seem nuts. But not after you read Ari Armstrong’s new piece on The Objective Standard. It’s called “Prior to Concierge Medicine, My Access to Health Care Was Inferior to that of My Cat.” As you know, Armstrong interviewed our own Josh Umbehr a few months ago and supports direct care’s free market approach to healthcare reform.

He compares his own scheduling nightmares (three months for a routine physical!) with that of his sick cat. His cat was able to see a vet and get blood work done in a matter of days. This led Armstrong to ask, “Why is it… that my cat has better access to health care than I have?”

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Posted by: AtlasMD

November 11, 2013

Wall Street Journal Shares Pros and Cons of Concierge Medicine

Jen Wieczner of the Wall Street Journal stitched together a piece about the benefits and the doubts of concierge medicine. It did successfully clarify the outdated definition of concierge medicine, the personal medicine for jet setters. She also properly incorporated the term “direct primary care” as affordable, non-insurance based care, explaining that on one hand there still are “lavish, celebrity-type treatment” centers, but also a newly emerging option like our Atlas MD-model. She writes that “pared-down clinics charge roughly $50 to $100 a month for basic primary-care medicine, more accessible doctors, and yes, money savings for those looking to reduce their health spending.”

Not bad. That sounds like what we’re up to here at Atlas MD.

She also included this relevant stat. According to Concierge Medicine Today, “Of the estimated 5,500 concierge practices nationwide, about two-thirds charge less than $135 a month on average, up from 49% three years ago.” It’s believed our lower cost practices are driving growth in concierge medicine. Offices are being added at a rate of about 25% a year, says the American Academy of Private Physicians.

Also not bad. This is becoming the free market reaction we were hoping for.

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Posted by: AtlasMD

November 8, 2013

Insurers Are Hiding ACA Benefits From Customers, Like You Do…

We found an article coming at the Obamacare fiasco from the opposite direction. If you have a minute, it’s worth a read. However, we’d like to add a caveat to the piece.

First off, the story they highlighted is a bummer—Donna receiving a letter canceling her current insurance plan and offering a new plan in its place; Donna winding up with a premium that was over $1,000 per month higher than what was offered through the health exchange; Donna being mislead by her insurance company…

However, we’re still of the opinion that both sides of the media are spinning Obamacare and COMPLETELY missing the point. The point should be healthcare–which is totally separate from insurance. Somehow we forget that every time we get sucked into the Obamacare wormhole. So take this as our George Karlin or Bill Hicks moment. Sure, it’s nice to know that big government has taken a moral issue against shoddy insurance policies. But it’s worrisome to see the free market manipulated. Kind of reminds us of Ben Franklin’s saying: “Those who would trade liberty for security, deserve neither.” We’d rephrase it something like this: “Those who’d trade the free market for security, deserve neither.”

Surely, we’re idealistic. But our fight is a fight for price transparency. The demand for transparency is the only way that people like Donna don’t get fed misinformation. It’s misinformation that’s putting money in people’s pockets, when they’ve done nothing to improve a person’s health.

READ THE COMPLETE ARTICLE HERE

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 7, 2013

Ayn Rand, 1 : Healthcare, 0

Here’s an apt quotation, relevant on a broad scale, and specifically to the warped reality of our red-tape-wrapped healthcare system:

“Civilization is the progress of a society towards privacy. The savage’s whole existence is public, ruled by the laws of his tribe. Civilization is the process of setting man free from men.”

Following this logic, one could assert that our current system is barbaric. Sure, it sounds dramatic at first. But when you think about it in Randian terms, the assertion gains a more solemn truth. And not only that, but it makes direct care feel a bit more civilized.

Thank you, Forbes, for sharing this Quote of the Day.

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 6, 2013

Patient-Centered Communication Skills Correlate With High Productivity And Satisfaction Scores

People are forever telling Stephen Wilkins that he’s wasting his time talking to providers about the need to improve their patient communication skills. Here’s what the naysayers typically cite:

  1. Physicians usually think they’re good communicators already
  2. There’s no time to talk to patients
  3. Physicians aren’t paid to talk

Lucky for you, Wilkins easily debunks all three of these myths in his new blog post on Mind The Gap. It’s a great read, mostly because he builds a strong case for why patient-doctor communication is NOT a zero-sum game. He cites a recent publication suggesting that providers can in fact be productive while at the same time creating a satisfying patient experience.

READ THE COMPLETE POST ON MIND THE GAP

Also included is a comparison of doctor scores from this study. Certain attributes are emphasized in the group that more successfully communicates, including a focus on teaching and explanations. That reminds us, why do we value the practice of direct care? At the core, it’s time. Teaching takes time, no matter how many self-help books we read or productivity apps we download.

Think of the fee-for-service physician who demanded 30 minutes with every patient (to the chagrin of her employer) and ourselves, who get to spend 45 minutes with every patient who comes in for a check-up. Learning how to communicate with patients is gaining the ability to teach your patients. And teaching them is key to them leaving your office with the ability to better take care of themselves. In essence, this is you being productive and more fully satisfying your patients.

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 6, 2013

ACA Hysteria: Don’t Believe All The Hype (But Worry Nonetheless)

ACA Hysteria: Don’t Believe All The Hype (But Worry Nonetheless)

Michael Hiltzik from The Los Angeles Times wrote last week, “Obamacare’s critics are going to town on the cancellation letters millions of Americans are receiving from their health insurers…” This of course because of “healthcare reform” mandating that insurance plans meet certain requirements or be dissolved come Jan. 1.

Being as the President himself assured everyone that if they liked their insurance they’d be able to keep it, there’s obvious cause for alarm. Evidently, some people are especially bummed that they won’t get to keep their health plans that cost as little as $50 a month. Great price, right?

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Posted by: AtlasMD

November 5, 2013

LISTEN: Atlas MD Podcast, Ep. 11

LISTEN: Atlas MD Podcast, Ep. 11

You can stream the next session of our Atlas MD podcast on iTunes. First off, congratulations to new members of the direct primary care community. Anne Riggs in Pratt City has opened her own direct primary care clinic. And Dr. Laurie in New Hampshire will be converting to a cash-only model come the first of the year.

We’ve been on what we’ve jokingly referred to as a “World Tour” and this Saturday we’ll be speaking at The Physicians’ Summit in Dallas. If it’s like any of our recent engagements, we’ll expect a “mob” of doctors and industry folks to bombard us with questions about our direct care model. But seriously, we’re equally amazed and blessed to have our take on healthcare reform met with such interest and enthusiasm. Thank you!

LISTEN TO EPISODE 11 OF THE ATLAS MD PODCAST HERE

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Posted by: AtlasMD

November 1, 2013

We Love The Smell Of Red Tape In The Morning

Okay, so the title’s a bit sarcastic. But for anyone following the Obamacare debacle, you’ll want to get your head around CNN’s helpful article, “5 Things We Learned From Sebelius Obamacare Hearing.”

Our favorite item is number 5, where we find out that, yes, it would be illegal for Sebelius to sign up for an exchange plan, but not for the original reasons that she used to justify her seeming hypocrisy (She’s eligible for Medicare so that’s what disqualified her from the exchange). Of course she still claimed that Obamacare’s great and that she’d sign up if she could. Although, if it was so great, why would Congress write its own members out of the plan?

Now we wouldn’t go this far, but wouldn’t it be great if a cash-only doc offered Sebelius such a low-cost membership that she opted for direct care over Medicare? Maybe that type of publicity stunt could turn all this media fervor into a more productive conversation.

READ THE COMPLETE CNN ARTICLE

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 1, 2013

Where Did Our Accountability Go?

Where Did Our Accountability Go?

Obamacare has been “live” for a month now and it’s been grim. Visitors trying to log on to the Obamacare website early Thursday morning saw the same stubborn phrase that has roiled users for weeks: “The system is down at the moment.” It’s been almost a full month since the HealthCare.gov website launched. Technical problems have riddled it despite a series of advance warning signs. And sure, there’s been a chorus of apologies out of Washington, but it may be another month before everything’s running smoothly.

Here’s some “accountability” that’s been taken: Vice President Joe Biden became the highest-ranking administration official to apologize Wednesday for the botched rollout. “We assumed that it was up and ready to run,” he told CNN’s sister network HLN. “But the good news is although it’s not — and we apologize for that — we are confident by the end of November it’ll be, and there’ll still be plenty of time for people to register and get online.” This came after Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius apologized during a 3 1/2-hour congressional grilling. To the frustrated users who have had problems, she said: “You deserve better. I apologize. I’m accountable to you for fixing these problems.”

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