Positioning for the Future

As you may have heard, the United States has a new president. From where I sit, things do not bode well for me — that is to say my patients — over the next few years. In addition to the virtual certainty of massive changes in health insurance, I fear a significant overall economic downturn similar to the last time a Republican held office. Until the outgoing president managed to turn around the Great Recession, my income tanked. In fact, it’s only now beginning to come back to where it was seven years ago. Talk about nipping it in the bud! As I say, though, this is more about my patients than about me personally. Just as my practice enjoyed a nice uptick as more people acquired insurance through the ACA, I anticipate that large numbers of patients will now be losing that insurance. So to the about-to-be newly-uninsured, along with everyone kicked off the all-but-certain-to-contract Medicaid, please listen: Medical care as I am able to provide it is NOT EXPENSIVE. Primary care for minor illness and injury, evaluation of new symptoms, management of chronic conditions, and preventive care is not free, but not break-the-bank expensive either. I take cash. (Including checks of course, and all credit cards.) Here’s a price list reflecting my cash discount*: Truly brief visit (up to 15 minutes): $50 Minor illness (up to 30 minutes): $75 More complicated (up to 45 minutes): $100 Very complex (more than 45 minutes): $125 New patients: Add $25 to each of the ab...
Source: Musings of a Dinosaur - Category: Primary Care Authors: Tags: Medical Source Type: blogs