Cash only Doctor

[JustRalph]

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/27/news/portland/south-portland-doctor-stops-accepting-insurance-posts-prices-online/

There will be more of this

[DJofSD]

Saw that too.

I wonder how much time he spends with patients now.

[badcompany]

http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/27/news/portland/south-portland-doctor-stops-accepting-insurance-posts-prices-online/

There will be more of this

How dare he post the prices of his services. The IRS needs to investigate that guy. ;)

[Robert Goren]

I wonder if he stopped taking credit cards too.

[Robert Goren]

He just got rid of his older patients. Nobody in their right mind is going to pass up medicare.

[johnhannibalsmith]

“If I’m 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.”

...

“If more doctors were able to do this, that would be real health care reform,” he said. “That’s when we’d see the cost of medicine truly go down.”

He articulates it better than I probably do in the Obamacare thread here on page one, but this is so nice to actually read from someone that can't be outright dismissed as some sort of partisan consumed with the politics of health care/health insurance.

If people that spend so much time pontificating about this subject only realized just how much truth there is to this. There is a need, obviously, for insurance. But not all of health care needs to be, or even remotely should be, insurance driven. I don't purchase policies to cover oil changes and gasoline refills, because that would by necessity due to the inevitability of gas-ups and oil changes, raise the cost to consumers of such basic transactions burdened by third party intervention. I pay for the catastrophic, the unforeseen. That's what insurance is for. Well, I'm tired of this same argument and I'm resigned to the fact that the good taxpayers will probably pick up the obscene tabs for whatever regular fill-ups and oil changes I may need instead of me taking care of it out of my summer income. Notice I'm not working this summer.

[Robert Goren]

“If I’m 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.”


...

“If more doctors were able to do this, that would be real health care reform,” he said. “That’s when we’d see the cost of medicine truly go down.”


He articulates it better than I probably do in the Obamacare thread here on page one, but this is so nice to actually read from someone that can't be outright dismissed as some sort of partisan consumed with the politics of health care/health insurance.

If people that spend so much time pontificating about this subject only realized just how much truth there is to this. There is a need, obviously, for insurance. But not all of health care needs to be, or even remotely should be, insurance driven. I don't purchase policies to cover oil changes and gasoline refills, because that would by necessity due to the inevitability of gas-ups and oil changes, raise the cost to consumers of such basic transactions burdened by third party intervention. I pay for the catastrophic, the unforeseen. That's what insurance is for. Well, I'm tired of this same argument and I'm resigned to the fact that the good taxpayers will probably pick up the obscene tabs for whatever regular fill-ups and oil changes I may need instead of me taking care of it out of my summer income. Notice I'm not working this summer.Actually a few car companies are offering free oil changes for new cars for as long as you own the car. I saw something about free gas a few years ago.
People are always looking for ways to lock in the cost of a lot things. Farmer lock in prices for their produce all the time. Not everybody is a gambler.

[DJofSD]

Free?

There is very little that is actually free.

What you mean is no direct or obvious money out of your pocket.

Yes, I get "free" oil changes too. But, I paid for it up front when I purchased the vehicle.

Free oil changes and/or fuel for as long as you own the car is just another slight of hand. Do you really think the service department is going to eat those expenses?

[johnhannibalsmith]

Actually a few car companies are offering free oil changes for new cars for as long as you own the car. I saw something about free gas a few years ago.
...

:D

You got me there.

[JustRalph]

Free?

There is very little that is actually free.

What you mean is no direct or obvious money out of your pocket.

Yes, I get "free" oil changes too. But, I paid for it up front when I purchased the vehicle.

Free oil changes and/or fuel for as long as you own the car is just another slight of hand. Do you really think the service department is going to eat those expenses?

Why some people can't see this is amazing to me. :bang:

A friend just finished his 4th free oil change and service on his car. The dealer
( I go to the same place) is extraordinarily polite and nice. The service is great 99% of the time. But now that he is paying for it himself, oil and rotation are 189 bucks. It can be a future marketing ploy too. If you want to continue receiving the same level of service, you pay up.

He went to Sears and paid 80 bucks and got high end oil and wiper blades too.

I spent $111 for an oil change today on the wife's car....... :bang: It's a fancy roadster but I still paid much less than the dealer. That company throws in free service for the first 3 yrs too......same deal. They want you to come back later when you're footing the bill.

[Robert Goren]

Of course it is paid for in the price of car(and then some). Everybody knows that. It just the idea of not being having pay a small amount every so often. It is paid for and they done with that is what appeals to some people. Some people want to lock up prices and pay up front.
As for the doctor, he may get away what he is doing as long as not very many other doctors try the same thing. I think there is a very limited clientele for this kind of practice.
Here we have some of these kinds of doctors. They often have their office in or near a grocery store. They generally have later hours than a "normal" doctor. Often the office is manned by a PA or a nurse practitioner with the doctor on call. There is nothing cheap about seeing one though and they want cash( no checks or credit cards) up front. An ATM is always close by.

[JustRalph]

Nobody in their right mind is going to pass up medicare.

Are you out of your ever loving mind?

Medicare patients are being dropped everywhere

[Robert Goren]

Are you out of your ever loving mind?

Medicare patients are being dropped everywhere Some doctors aren't taking new ones, but I have heard of anyone being dropped around here. Anyway I was not refering to the doctors, I was refer to the patients. Just try to get private health insurance if you are sixty five or older. Just try to find a regular doctor if you don't have insurance. You'd better have cash with you when you see him.

[sandpit]

Some doctors aren't taking new ones, but I have heard of anyone being dropped around here. Anyway I was not refering to the doctors, I was refer to the patients. Just try to get private health insurance if you are sixty five or older. Just try to find a regular doctor if you don't have insurance. You'd better have cash with you when you see him.

My GP (who is in his early 60s himself), along with his two partners, have never taken and do not accept medicare patients. He will, however, take people on a cash basis, along with most major insurance plans.

[nijinski]

Are you out of your ever loving mind?

Medicare patients are being dropped everywhere

Actually these days medicare is outshining the private company who've
become a nightmare to specialists . The payments are still lower than the physician would like to see but it's worth it not to have to fight with the
private company to prove medical necessity .
With medicare that determination is made after the fact . The patient
at least had what they needed done .
This wasn't always the the case , it is as of late . Private insurance has hit an all time low !