Health
Related: About this forumSouth Portland doctor stops accepting insurance, posts prices online
Interested in getting this groups response to this story.
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The family physician stopped accepting all forms of health insurance. In early 2013, Ciampi sent a letter to his patients informing them that he would no longer accept any kind of health coverage, both private and government-sponsored. Given that he was now asking patients to pay for his services out of pocket, he posted his prices on the practices website.
The change took effect April 1.
Its been almost unanimous that patients have expressed understanding at why Im doing what Im doing, although Ive had many people leave the practice because they want to be covered by insurance, which is understandable, Ciampi said.
Before the switch, Ciampi had about 2,000 patients. He lost several hundred, he said. Some patients with health coverage, faced with having to seek reimbursement themselves rather than through his office, bristled at the paperwork burden.
But the decision to do away with insurance allows Ciampi to practice medicine the way he sees fit, he said. Insurance companies no longer dictate how much he charges. He can offer discounts to patients struggling with their medical bills. He can make house calls.
Im freed up to do what I think is right for the patients, Ciampi said. If Im providing them a service that they value, they can pay me, and we cut the insurance out as the middleman and cut out a lot of the expense.
Ciampi expects more doctors will follow suit. Some may choose to run concierge practices in which patients pay to keep a doctor on retainer, he said.
Gordon Smith, a spokesman for the Maine Medical Association, wasnt so sure, saying most patients either want to use the insurance they pay for or need to rely on Medicare and Medicaid.
Even with the loss of some patients, Ciampi expects his practice to perform just as well financially, if not better, than before he ditched insurance. The new approach will likely attract new patients who are self-employed, lack insurance or have high-deductible plans, he said, because Ciampi has slashed his prices.
Ive been able to cut my prices in half because my overhead will be so much less, he said.
Before, Ciampi charged $160 for an office visit with an existing patient facing one or more complicated health problems. Now, he charges $75.
Patients with an earache or strep throat can spend $300 at their local hospital emergency room, or promptly get an appointment at his office and pay $50, he said.
Ciampi collects payment at the end of the visit, freeing him of the time and costs associated with sending bills, he said.
That time is crucial to Ciampi. When his patients come to his office, they see him, not a physicians assistant or a nurse practitioner, he said.
If more doctors were able to do this, that would be real health care reform, he said. Thats when wed see the cost of medicine truly go down.
Mika
(17,751 posts)Everyone does better. I treat destitute patients (of my practice) for free or barter.
CaliforniaPeggy
(149,614 posts)monmouth3
(3,871 posts)he was the father of 9 or so kids and had a beautiful home...
upaloopa
(11,417 posts)We had a family doctor who made house calls and his office was open as long as patients were on the waiting room. People paid h what they could afford which wasn't much. My dad made $60 a week,
colsohlibgal
(5,275 posts)The scam of blatant for profit health insurance didn't get into high gear till the late 70s/early 80s.
I applaud this doctor.
rhett o rick
(55,981 posts)doctor's charges in line. Today I get bills from doctors and hospitals and they are charging huge prices, but the insurance company pays.
I do have a question. "Before, Ciampi charged $160 for an office visit with an existing patient facing one or more complicated health problems. Now, he charges $75. " Did insurance companies accept the $160? I see my doctor charging $150 for something yet the insurance company only accepts a fraction of that.
It would cut down on the doctor's overhead but increase the paperwork for patients. And for some of our seniors that could be too much.
SummerSnow
(12,608 posts)BobbyBoring
(1,965 posts)In reality, all health insurance companies are is middle men. Their profit is incorporated in to the Docs prices. As with any business, eliminate the middle man and prices come down. We don't need no stinkin 5 million a year CEOs!
Mr.Bill
(24,284 posts)but you will still need insurance for the ER or anything requiring a specialist or hospitalization.
Also check with your insurance company to see if they will accept referrals from MDs who are out of their network.
kimmylavin
(2,284 posts)I pay a straight fee each time I visit.
My doctor was able to help me through some tough times by simply leaving things off the bill, and my gyn gives me free birth control.
I drive an hour to see each of them, and consider it completely worth it.
I like having insurance for the bigger stuff, but I also like what these doctors do for the routine stuff.
Divernan
(15,480 posts)So we have Maine to Pennsylvania to Missouri. Anyone know of docs doing this in California? Then it will be coast to coast.
colorado_ufo
(5,734 posts)except the post-on-the-Internet thingy.
I worked for doctors who ran their practice this way decades ago; they eventually abandoned this for processing the insurance forms themselves, as so many patients needed help with the forms, it was faster to do them right the first time. Also, many insurance companies demand covential diagnostic and procedural coding, etc., which is impossible for 99% of patients to know how to do (requires updated manuals and training or experience). And that doesn't begin to touch seniors! I can remember poor seniors coming in with folders and boxes of papers from Medicare, Medicaid, and supplemental insurances, trying so hard to keep everything straight and know where they stood with deductibles, etc.
thetonka
(265 posts)For most basic medical and for most people there is huge benefit from getting rid of the corporate insurance companies involvement. What we have today, and what the ACA is mandating is NOT insurance. There will be problems in the future, both real and contrived.
I personally think we would have been better off with legislation like the ACA that mandated only Major Medical, and left the basic medical decisions to the people and their doctors. This would solve the vast majority of the cost problems associated with health care in this country. For those that have difficulty affording their basic health care there are better solutions, as is shown by the original article where the doctor can work with patience who need help on costs.
I've said all along Health Insurance is not Health Care, and the for profit Health Insurance is the root of almost all the problems with Health Care in this country. It wish we could have had real Health Care reform and more support for doctors who do what Ciampi did instead of just more of the flawed and damaging culture of corporate insurance that has created all the problems.
goldent
(1,582 posts)I contribute towards my employer-provided insurance, so why pay twice?
I also wonder about things like blood tests, etc. I wonder if the doctor has negotiated rates comparable to what the insurance companies get.