Posted by: AtlasMD

September 21, 2016

Insurance Agrees: Direct Care Is Catching On

insurancenewsnet01In an article from InsuranceNewsNet.com, Direct Care was the topic of discussion. DPC was shed in a positive light – and that’s the way it should be. Because that’s the way it is in real life. Yes, DPC and insurance are actually friends.

To those who don’t understand the business model, it might seem that Direct Care and insurance are at odds with each other. But that’s not actually the case. DPC finds its way around things that trip up the traditional healthcare system, and in a situation where the rules and regulations prevent the rules from being followed properly in the first place, a straight line from doctor to patient is a breath of fresh air. DPC never said insurance isn’t a good thing. In fact, most Direct Care providers actually recommend patients maintain a high deductible plan for emergency situations. It’s believed that filing fewer insurance claims will actually lead to more quality insurance claims… which in turn will lead to more claims that are actually paid by patients.

When patients pay for what they actually need rather than what they might need, everyone wins.

Know who else is winning? DPC providers like Tanya Spoon. She opened the doors to her Direct Care practice after a career in traditional healthcare and hasn’t looked back.

“My life/work balance is amazingly better,” she said. “I get to go home ever day for lunch.”

The benefits are familiar to those of us already immersed in the good life of Direct Care – but it’s fantastic to see them on InsuranceNewsNet.com.

“For providers, its an opportunity to spend more time practicing medicine. Spoon cared for about 4,000 people at the conventional primary care practice in Silverdale, carving out a few minutes for each visit. At Manette Clinic, she guarantees patients at least 30 minutes each time they see her, and she makes frequent house calls and visits to assisted living facilities.”

So now, it’s a quality win-win-win. Insurance companies win because they’re getting higher quality claims. Providers win because they get a work/life balance that is actually balanced. And patients win because they get a provider who has the time and energy to provide incredible care.

Posted by: AtlasMD

February 29, 2016

Two Step Authentication

Have you been wondering how to activate or deactivate two step authentication on the Atlas.md EMR? We just launched a new video that will help you with the process, and you can read more about it in the help section or shoot us an email at hello@atlas.md if you have any questions.

While some clinics prefer to activate two step authentication, it’s all about your personal preference. What do you choose to do? Feel free to follow up in the comments or check out the forum or leave a comment below to discuss and explore with other DPC physicians.

Posted by: Atlas MD

June 12, 2015

Are You Caught Up On the Atlas.md Podcasts?

Atlas-Blog29
Need some summer listening material? The Atlas MD docs are easy on the ears, not to mention chalk full of brain food on starting, running and maintaining a DPC clinic. In the latest podcast, Dr. Josh and Dr. Doug catch everyone up on their recent speaking engagements and upcoming events as they continue to spread the word and promote DPC around the country.

Then they give us some really sought after answers to questions everyone’s asking… just maybe not out loud. They provide a full breakdown of not only DPC billing practices, but how billing is handled within the Atlas.md EMR. In addition, the doctors address some of the struggles DPC docs experience with pharmacies – and how we can continue to improve our relationship with pharmacists everywhere.

LISTEN TO PODCAST 22 NOW!

Posted by: AtlasMD

January 22, 2015

The Art of Feedback. Yes, We Said “Art.”

Words are powerful, there’s no doubt about it. As a physician you learn a fair amount about bedside manner in school. And you gain valuable experience through every day application. You may think you have the art of feedback perfected, but as a Direct Care doc you have the ability to connect with patients on a deeper level than you would through a traditional practice. It’s partially why you’re in Direct Care to begin with; you wanted the opportunity to practice patient-centric medicine.

That means providing feedback that will actually be useful and yup, you guessed it, constructive. Providing feedback in a way that opens the doors for honest improvement does more than invigorate someone to better themselves. It builds trust.

“Think about it: is there anything more invigorating than knowing there are people who want to help you become your best self? It starts with how we interact with one another. Words can hit and bounce off people or they can be planted like a seed. Even the raise of an eyebrow or the wrong tone can extinguish a desire to learn, stirring anxiety and a fear of failure.” – HelpScout

Aside from our own interactions with patients, we frequently deal with feedback when handling support for the Atlas.md EMR. We know firsthand how much weight a note carrying an attitude has. Alternatively, kind words and thoughtful suggestions go a long way toward the effort we’re willing to put in to make our users happy.

Believe it or not, there’s formula for constructing feedback, and it’s something we should all keep in mind each time we interact with a patient, a support team, or anyone we’re critiquing. We highly recommend reading this article from HelpScout for more details. After all, when is it ever a bad idea to choose positivity over negativity?

Posted by: AtlasMD

December 19, 2014

If Not Your Doc, Who CAN You Trust?

We hate to hear stories like the one Dr. Frances told recently over at Kevin.md. The picture he paints about his friend who has been the unfortunate victim of not only cancer, but “community” treatment mishaps leaves only one word in our minds.

Chaos.

And that is not the ideal word you want to use to describe healthcare. According to Dr. Frances, several of those mishaps could have easily been prevented if someone were just paying attention to the patient instead of his results. Among these mistakes? The patient was prescribed meds that clashed and is no longer able to participate in lung cancer studies because alternative treatments (also prescribed by his docs) compromised his kidneys.

Dr. Frances has had it up to here. Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

October 13, 2014

DPC JOURNAL: Swap Insurance for Direct Pay.

The Direct Primary Care Journal reported on a trend we’re thrilled to see – the furthering spread of Direct Care.

Rather than join the trend of independent doctors securing their financial future through mergers with large health systems, many are adopting a new business model that eliminates the need for third-party reimbursements: direct primary care.

The DPC Journal explains many of the reasons more and more docs are considering the transition from the traditional primary healthcare model: no more hassling with insurance, no more ridiculous regulations to adhere to, no pressure to shuffle patients in and out of the office at an alarming rate just to turn a profit… to name a few. Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

October 2, 2014

Recommended Reading: Atlas Shrugged

We often get asked for recommended reading lists. Well, we’re delivering! These weekly posts feature one book we highly recommend to learn more about business, philosophy, and different perspectives to help you run your business. Do you have a recommendation that’s not on the list yet? Mention it in the comments!

This Week’s Recommendation: Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged. 

In our opinion, Atlas Shrugged should have a home on every bookshelf ever made.

With adoring fans, rabid critics and very few in between, why does Atlas Shrugged evoke such impassioned responses? Because it grapples with the fundamental problems of human existence — and presents radically new answers.

Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand’s last novel, is a dramatization of her unique vision of existence and of man’s highest potential. Twelve years in the writing, it is her masterwork.

Is the pursuit of profit a noble enterprise or the root of all evil? Is sexual passion an exalted spiritual virtue or a dirty, animalistic vice? Is reason an absolute or is faith an alternative source of truth? Is self-esteem possible or are we consigned to a life of self-doubt and guilt? In what kind of society can an individual prosper, and in what kind of society is he doomed to the opposite fate?

Rand’s worldview emerges in the compelling plot turns of a mystery story, centered on the question “Who is John Galt?”

READ MORE ABOUT ATLAS SHRUGGED >

BUY ATLAS SHRUGGED ON AMAZON > 

Posted by: AtlasMD

September 15, 2014

VIDEO: Direct Care Explained in 10 Minutes.

If you’ve been looking for an elevator pitch to make a case for this healthcare model, search no longer. Dr. Josh had the pleasure of speaking at the Louisville Airport Crowne Plaza for the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons. In a short time allotment of 10 minutes, Dr. Josh lays out the premise of Direct Care.

Post by Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.

Direct Care clinics are laying down roots all over the country. Don’t believe us? See for yourself over at iwantdirectcare.com. Patients have expressed their interest, docs know exactly where they’re wanted. Don’t forget to put yourself on the map while you’re there!

Posted by: AtlasMD

July 23, 2014

When Health Insurance and Breakfast Collide.

Sorry, your decaf was denied.

Pamela Wible, MD recently mentioned a couple analogies we happen to have articulated a few times ourselves. She breaks down what it would be like using health insurance to cover breakfast, and the result is less than ideal…

“If you hired a third party to pay your restaurant bill, you’d pay twice as much, wait 2 weeks for a table, and have 7 minutes to eat.”

We’re glad she’s using real world analogies to get the point across; you can’t deny that using health insurance as a catastrophic net makes more sense than a convenience plan for daily maintenance.

READ DR. WIBLE’S ARTICLE >

Posted by: AtlasMD

July 15, 2014

Business Insider: This Company Saved A Lot of Money by Tracking their Employees with FitBits.

We caught wind of another way FitBit is benefiting more than the individual wearing it. In this case, it’s creating a different type of social community within the workplace, bringing transparency to these employees’ health habits, and oh, yeah – possibly even lowering their insurance premiums.

“One day soon, your company could hand you a fitness-tracking device as a gift.

The gift could have a sizeable payoff for the company. They could use it to track your fitness habits and, if you and your coworkers behave well, use that data to negotiate lower insurance premiums.

In fact, hot Valley startup Appirio did exactly that, reports Nancy Gohring at Citeworld. As part of a bigger corporate wellness program it calls CloudFit, Appirio handed out Fitbits to about 400 employees. And thanks to CloudFit, Appirio convinced its insurance company to lower its rates by 5%. That added up to a hefty $280,000.”

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ON BUSINESS INSIDER.

We’re especially glad we integrated FitBit into our DPC EMR, Atlas.md. Just another way we’re closing the gap between our patients, and their health!