Healthcare - What it is and What it isn't • iPatriot Contributers •

Hey, who loves the affordable care act? AKA Obamacare? Well, I don’t. Before ACA, I provided seven employees with a livable wage, greater than the current, much-loved, or maligned minimum wage, and 100% healthcare coverage for $2000 a month for the company.

Once the ACA came, I could no longer afford even half coverage, because it was no longer $2000/month. We were staring down the barrel of a government cost of $12,000 for employees.

Once my husband and I opted for the Silver plan of the ACA, Obamacare said, ‘great! You only need to pay $2000 a month with $7500 deductible each per year!’ That’s just my husband and me. Needless to say, we’d rather pay the fine at the end of the year, than pay an exorbitant cost for less than mediocre medicine.

Wow.

Not only did my employees hate me, but keeping a business going that had to pay a fine for each employee became prohibitive.

Now, here is how I practice now: concierge style for the poor to middle-class. $60/month or $100-120 per visit, based on what is done, how much time spent and sliding scale for those who can’t afford that. I work with a lab and imaging, surgical centers that lower costs. I utilize the best and most affordable medication for patients by handing out RX cards that one can find online.

These days, I’ve reverted back to the old country-style medicine: I make house calls, and my exam office is a room in my home. I do the exam, the work up, make the calls and do the requisite paperwork.

What if someone has insurance? Well, I don’t want to spend more than $2000 a month for a bunch of folks to shuffle paperwork, make insane demands, pay me a third of what is charged (usually the insurance company tells me what to charge and then pays me a fraction of it, resulting in two sets of books, like a bookie). So patients pay me the fee, I fill out my portion of their paperwork, and they send in the insurance paperwork – one simple page – and they are paid back that fee. Which is the same as what the insurance would pay me after three months waiting.

This is fair to the patient, to the provider and even to the insurance (oh, they don’t get that $120 dollars that they want to keep).

Some folks want my membership for $60 per month with unlimited visits. That’s a total of $720 per YEAR for unlimited access to healthcare. Patients appreciate the time I put into their exam, and I don’t skimp. They get the same care I would give my family members.

No politician, businessman, or insurance guru can beat that. No across the board flat fee or socialistic view can help. Trust me, patients vote with their feet. They want good health care (which the ACA cannot provide) at the best cost around.

The various plans are identical in care provided. Did you know that? The plans from Silver to Platinum only mean how much you have to pay in premium and deductible.

If you are very poor … i.e. can’t afford the dirt under the bridge, this is a great way to go. Your care is $100 free … the taxpayer footing your bill may not be of the same mind.