subject: Private Practice: An Alternative To Health Insurance [print this page] With all of the recent debate over health care it can be confusing for young families or young people searching for the most affordable option that will provide them with the best medical attention. Most of the debate, on both the right and left has been about whether or not the government can mandate healthcare coverage and also, whether or not the government can create regulations that protect the consumer and keep insurance companies from limiting or dropping coverage on an individual when they need lifesaving care. This is a complicated fight with no clear cut solution and many doctors are tired of the bureaucracy of insurance companies taking precedence over the doctor patient relationship that is the foundation of basic healthcare.
The financial burden complying with insurance company paperwork puts on an average doctor is astounding. Some doctor's offices have a larger clerical staff than they do a medical one just to maintain insurance paperwork. Insurance companies are not in the business of keep people healthy, they are in the business of making money, so in many cases what is best for the patient is not taken into account when it comes to releasing funds to a doctor. In the past, while fighting for their lives, many patients have also had to wage a war with their insurance company to ensure they are approved for procedures their doctor has recommended.
These, and many other issues, have caused a number of doctors to seek their own solutions to the insurance company problem. Instead of working to find ways to inject more paper work and figure out how to make health insurance affordable for everyone, some doctors have found that by eliminating insurance from their practice, they are able to reduce their costs and pass them along to their patients.
Private Doctors who operate their practices as concierge or other similar office styles have been able to create a health focused environment for their patients. While some of the doctors have set up practices that are highly exclusive and offer services like access to a doctor twenty four hours a day seven days a week and unlimited house calls, other physicians have chosen to establish health services that are affordable without insurance. Many of these practices operate under the idea that if you focus on the overall health of a person including, regular checkups, eating habits, exercise and overall family health you will be able to prevent a number of long term illnesses that may go unnoticed with traditional health care. Many private doctors are able to eliminate many of the costs associated with accepting insurance and because of this they can offer people care that is more affordable.
Another reason many people choose to visit a private doctor, is because they believe they are going to get the care their doctor truly thinks they need and not just what the insurance company will approve of as a treatment. Private doctors are sometimes able to be more flexible with treatment recommendations than once who are bound by insurance regulations.
by: Lawrence Reaves
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