Posted by: AtlasMD

May 21, 2014

Atlas.md EMR Security Update — Patient Opt-In

Atlas.md EMR operates free from HIPAA regulation, and free from government scrutiny.

Instead patients are in the power seat to communicate as THEY see fit with their physicians.

When patients enroll, they can opt in to receive communications over non-HIPAA-compliant methods.

These non-HIPAA-compliant methods include confidential communications via SMS, email and Twitter DMs, and also general billing conducted via email.

Unless users check to allow these features, no private information will be communicated in any of these manners.

However, Atlas.md EMR will send emails to patients regarding billing, e.g. invoices, confirmation of payments, confirmation of refunds, and more.

Invoices, to the best of Atlas.md EMR’s abilities, will never contain any sensitive or compromising information.

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 20, 2014

More Support For Subscription-Based Practices

Qliance and Atlas MD made an appearance on MainStreet, a financial blogging network. It’s worth noting that by cutting the red tape, we’ve made the “perks” of concierge medicine (24/7 access, same-day appointments, unlimited visits) affordable for a majority of Americans.

We’re glad to know they’re opining a rise in subscription-based primary care, too.

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 18, 2014

When Direct Care Works It WORKS.

Transitioning from insurance-based care into Direct Care isn’t a walk in the park. Cutting the red tape is not necessarily about EASE.

It’s about AFFECT. Affecting patients lives, affecting our own lives as doctors and business owners. It’s about having a stake in the work we do, and being rewarded for doing it well.

Here’s an earnest email from Mary Wulfers. She’s helping her husband run his newly opened Direct Care practice.

We’re really busy. Mike has about 130 new patients and they all seem to want a physical right away, so he’s really really busy. Around 170-180 patients transferred from his old practice, and we’ve obtained and built all those charts as well. I continue to work full time at the office and then some out of necessity, which is just fine. Younger families are really starting to sign up; it’s almost like the word has just gotten out. Last Monday was quite a day, had 17 new patients sign up and our nurse was out sick that day, too.This has been a very rewarding experience in so many ways but a lot of work, too. Out [sic] new website should be online soon, can’t wait to see it. Mike is really happy about some of the new patients he’s getting, some with poor insurance who are so excited to have a good doctor for the first time. How can you beat that?

Seriously, how CAN you beat that?

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 18, 2014

Stop Losing Primary Care Physicians To Burnout

Here’s a central difficulty of the Affordable Care Act: If everyone has access to health insurance, then everyone has access to all the medical care they need. But curing sickness and preventing death is costly, so why not save money and lives by making primary care doctors more affordable?

After all, it’s our business to KEEP you healthy. And keeping you healthy cuts costs in the long-run.

However, we don’t and won’t have enough primary care providers in the United States unless things change.

Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 13, 2014

Dr. Doug Gets Down To Business In Minnesota

Dr. Dog Nunamaker leaves no stone unturned in his AAPS panel. Topics include the myth of health care insurance, the logistics of subscription-based medicine, and Atlas MD’s burgeoning success…

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 9, 2014

The Free Market Feeds On Red Tape. Garden State Entrepreneurs Launch Startup To Help Docs Transition To “Cash-Only.”

The federal government may believe that the future of healthcare is the Affordable Care Act.

However, a New Jersey entrepreneur has a different vision — one where patients pay out of pocket for just about everything. And they pay a group of doctors and medical practices that are so fed up with the insurance-based system that they are opting to go it alone.

Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 8, 2014

Research Suggests That Preventing Illness Won’t Curb Rising Healthcare Costs. So How About We Just Cut The Red Tape?

Spending on health care has consistently grown faster than the rest of the U.S. economy. What’s behind this trend is less certain, though. Economists point to two causes: the prevalence of diseases and conditions afflicting the U.S. population, or the rising costs of treating diseases.

New research from American University Associate Professor Martha Starr and Virginia Tech Research Professor Ana Aizcorbe shows it is the latter, with higher prices for treatment accounting for 70 percent of growth in health care spending.

Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 7, 2014

Direct Care Is The Vaccine For “Deductible Season”

In the fee-for-service world, like the real world, there is an annual cycle. And, of course, there are seasons.

You know “flu season,” “poison ivy season,” and maybe even “Lyme disease season”.

But there is also a season that has little to do with medicine and everything to do with a broken payment system.

Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 6, 2014

Meet Atlas MD, Wichita’s Premiere Cash-Only Family Practice

Dr. Josh Umbehr cofounded Atlas MD in 2010 with Dr. Doug Nunamaker. Fresh out of residency, we’ve found tremendous success providing cash-only medicine — from zero subscribers to three docs and a full roster of patients.

Here, Dr. Josh speaks at the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons Conference.

If you’re new to Direct Care, this video will introduce you to an innovative insurance-free model of family medicine.

And if you want Direct Care in your area, make sure to register at “I Want Direct Care“. It only takes a name, email, and zip code to add a pin on our interactive map — and prove the demand for affordable healthcare.

Posted by: AtlasMD

May 2, 2014

5 Common Misconceptions About Healthcare Spending

Let’s talk about healthcare misconceptions. Here’s some corrections to common misconceptions about who pays for healthcare. Read more