I ran across someone yesterday who said, “You used to be my doctor, but I could never get in to see you.”
I remember those days. My day would be jammed so full that I barely had time for a bathroom break, let alone fitting someone extra into my schedule. I often mourned the patients that had migrated to the physician assistants. I wondered why they had left me, but often I heard it was because I was not accessible.
Or at times my patients would get in to see me after having been seen by several of my colleagues. I would have to piece together all that was done, trying to understand the decisions that had been made.
I love my new DPC (Direct Primary Care) practice. It’s just me. I’m the one who answers the medical questions. I know my patients. There’s no one else, other than the occasional specialist, managing their care. I’ve even been known to answer the phone!
With Direct Primary Care, we don’t bill insurance. Patients pay a monthly membership fee, and in exchange they get unlimited office visits and communication. I’ll be limiting my practice to about 500 patients, rather than the usual 2000 patients. Doctors who have been doing this for years will see 3 to maybe 10 patients per day, because that’s all that is needed. We have time to answer questions and see patients the same day if desired.
Yes, patients use their insurance for referrals, ER visits, and some testing. But with my availability, we can often keep them out of the ER, saving them time and money.
Working for my patients, instead of for the insurance companies.