Aaron Blackledge M.D. Founder of Care Practice Urgent & Primary Doctors in San Francisco, CA
“I would much rather you come to my clinic with a homemade pie than deal with your insurance companies EOB.” (Explanation of Benefits)
We wanted an image that would focus attention directly on the complete failure of the current employer financed insurance reimbursement system by saying that the difficulties in taking insurance have reached such a level that doctors can no longer afford to accept it as a form of payment. In many interactions between patients and doctors relying on insurance the doctor ends up actually losing money and a simple demonstration of appreciation would be a vast improvement to the current system. This photo is meant to stimulate discussions among physicians about new fee for service models that are not concierge or retainer based practices, but simply doctors delivering exceptional care at transparent and affordable prices.
Too often attention has been focused on boutique and concierge models that cater to the wealthy and divert us from what we should really be talking about. The insurance industry is no longer delivering a viable model of reimbursement and it is time we started addressing it immediately. Any discussion of Health Care Reform will fail if it does not recognize this reality.
Jones street in San Francisco is well known as “Pill Hill” where people often go to buy diverted medications and narcotics.
Off to Haiti
FLOTUS tackles childhood obesity!
Hamster wheel medicine puts doctors in bad moods. Docs, get off the hamster wheel and start feeling better about yourself and your profession!
