Healthcare Reform – What Does That Mean For You?

Take a look at some alarming statistics from the American Association of Medical Colleges:

• 25 million new Americans will be insured
• 92,000 new doctors needed to meet those demands

That combined with the pressing questions most Americans are facing right now:

• Which insurance plan do I choose?
• Why can’t I see my own doctor?
• Why is it taking so long to see my physician?
• What do my bills mean?
• How come my own doctor won’t see me in the hospital?
• What is the Healthcare Reform?

With the Healthcare reform slated to go live January 2014, a lot of questions are left unanswered and new questions are arising.

I have been in practice over 12 years and have seen the many changes the medical industry has taken. But never have I been as jolted by the changes as I have over the last 3 years.

I started my private practice in 2002 and loved filling my days getting to know new patients. But over the years, the demands from insurance companies along  with  the rising overhead cost  left me questioning if this is why I went into medicine. Seeing 20-25 patients a day and only being able to spend less than 15 minutes proved unjust and unethical.

I love what I do because of the patients that are in my life. But as the healthcare field mandated more paperwork from physicians, it left little time to really care for those patients.

With the nearly 25 million NEW Americans to be insured, primary care physicians will be in the frontline to provide care for these patients. So rather than seeing 20-25 patients, that number could realistically increase to doctors seeing 30-35 patients a day. In order to accommodate this volume, secondary providers (Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners etc) will be the ones to provide this care. So actually seeing the doctor will be a thing of the past.

This is very frightening to think about but this the inevitable.

This was exactly what was happening in my own practice in 2010.  I knew I had more to offer that patients weren’t getting in 15 minutes.

In 2011, I changed my practice style into Personalize Medicine Care.The type of practice that gives the true meaning of “doctor”.  Personalized Medicine is a relatively new concept in the Midwest, but expect this to become mainstream medicine in the next 5-10 years.

My model of practice has a limited patient base of 300-400. By having a smaller volume, each patient can contact me any time of day (24/7). They have access to me through my cell phone, email or through the office. You will receive an appointment within 24 hours and the minimum appointment time will be 30minutes and can be as long as 90 minutes if needed.

What does this mean for you? It means that we focus on PREVENTION so you don’t get sick. It means you and I are a team. We work together with whatever you need in your life. I will be your doctor, I will be your fitness instructor, I will be your nutrition counselor, I will be your therapist but most of all I will be YOUR ADVOCATE.

Your insurance premiums will decrease because we work to keep you healthy. We work to get you off of your medicines and ….we work towards creating a BETTER VERSION of YOU!!

Dr. Dike Drummond summed it up best in this article when he said,

As the typical healthcare organization adapts to the coming tidal wave of newly insured patients it will become very difficult for you to see your doctor when you are ill, impossible to see them for routine care and make the typical experience of getting a checkup feel like being dropped into a “patient mill”.

Investing in your health will yield lifelong returns. Aren’t you worth it? For the price of a Starbucks coffee a day, you have the opportunity to reclaim your life and redeem your health.

With this practice model, I have the great fortune to connect with each of you in a way that I am so thankful for.

To those of you who are confused by the upcoming changes, trust in me to help guide you to your ultimate health.

I welcome the opportunity to provide you “Quality Healthcare for Life”!

“When fear disappears, the foundation of disease is gone.” Mary Baker Eddy