I’ve had more reasons to deal with doctors this year, unfortunately. Very expensive. Very frustrating. And not particularly helpful. I finally chose to look beyond what is currently offered by traditional health care and insurance and I am thrilled and excited at the results!
I’m sure most of us are paying sky-high health insurance premiums with equally sky-high deductibles. When we actually DO need to see a doctor, we wait forever in a room full of sick people until we get our very brief 8 minutes to talk to the doc. I discovered a new breed of doctors who are using a health care model called “Direct Primary Care.” Participating doctors basically have divorced themselves from the insurance model of medicine and have gone back to the way doctoring used to be done.
My new doctor makes himself available 24/7 by phone, email, and text, and he gives me whatever time is required for my appointment, usually 30-60 minutes. For this he charges a low $65 monthly fee. In addition, he has an in-office pharmacy where he dispenses common medicines at greatly reduced rates. He also performs in-office labs and procedures for free.
At last I feel I can get good medical care from a doctor I trust without an insurance company standing in my way. I still have to keep my $800/month insurance, but my medical care is back to being something that I and my doctor control and my pre-deductible, out-of-pocket expenses are much lower. And now with a doctor who listens, who provides quality care, and who is there for me when I need him, I stand a much better chance of staying healthy.
I
f you’re interested, Google “direct primary care” and see if there are any participating doctors in your area. If you live in Pueblo, CO, I highly recommend Dr. John Thomas, On Point Primary Care,
http://www.onpointprimarycare.com/