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Can you relate?

More and more, we’re hearing stories of patients who are frustrated and fed up with this exact scenario. We know you want and need the peace of mind that you and your loved ones will have access to quality medical care. But does it really have to feel like you’re breaking the bank every time you need to see your primary care doctor? You already shell out thousands per year to just carry medical insurance in the event that, heaven forbid, you experience a major medical crisis. Is it really reasonable to also have to pay thousands more to be seen for your everyday medical needs by a medical office that may make you wait weeks to come in, will typically only allow you to address one major issue during your visit, and has time constraints to get you in and out as quickly as possible (among other things)?

Our blood pressure is rising just thinking about that, so we imagine yours probably is too. It’s frustrating, to say the least. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Consider this patient scenario to illustrate how Direct Primary Care can be a cost-saving supplement to your traditional insurance and your traditional medical experience.

A membership that’s worth the cost (and still saves you money!)

Since joining Voyage Direct Primary Care I’ve experience immediate benefits of membership. For less than 20% of what I pay for insurance I have been able to get my kids in when I need to without additional copays or deductibles. Our doctor spends so much time with us and my kids. We truly love him!

 

Last week my youngest daughter slipped off the monkey-bars (why do they even make those?!). She landed on her wrist and I could tell there was something seriously wrong. My mind immediately went to my insurance plan and how much additional out of pocket this would cost me to take her to the emergency room or urgent care. Then I remembered the direct doc line at Voyage. I called my doctor and we discussed what happened. He ordered an xray for $60 (which would have been $200 with my insurance deductible) at a local imaging center and saw my daughter later that day. Upon reviewing the xrays, he told us her arm was broken but did not need surgery. He applied a splint to stabilize her arm until the swelling went down so he could apply a cast the next week.

After this visit, I was curious about how much “out of pocket” I saved by avoiding copays and deductibles, so I pulled up my insurance plan. I estimated my savings to be between $800-1200. That’s about half of our annual membership! Thanks Voyage DPC for helping my family navigate the healthcare system in a more pain-free and affordable way. Membership for us is totally worth it!

While you will still need to carry health insurance to cover major medical incidents, with Voyage Direct Primary Care you get to experience both a decrease in your overall cost of care and an increase in the quality of care and access to your physician. It’s designed to be a win-win that results in beautiful healthcare without the headache.

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Voyage DPC isn’t a replacement for coverage of catastrophic events. However, most insurance health plans these days have a high deductible, meaning out-of-pocket healthcare costs for everyday needs add up fast. A visit to the urgent care, lab tests, or trip to the E.R. could EACH cost more than an employee’s entire annual DPC investment. Regular access to a doctor who can address 80-90% of your employee’s health needs at an affordable rate is just one of the beauties of DPC. Ready to get learn more and get started? Give us a call for a custom quote. 385-498-7506.

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With that in mind, is it any surprise that the following situation left me really… angry?!

One of my previous patients (who got insurance and dropped off of Voyage DPC membership) recently went to go see a gastrointestinal specialist. This individual has been paying $200/paycheck ($400/mo) so they can have company insurance. After a colonoscopy, the GI doctor told the patient they had Crohn’s Disease and put them on medication.

Upon arriving at the pharmacy, this individual was informed they could spend $800 and count it toward their $4000 deductible, or pay $400 for the medication, but it would not be applied toward the deductible. Frustrated and shocked by either option, the patient reached out to the doctor. The office nurse told him they have no idea what medications cost!

Really!?

In fact, this is true of almost all physicians. They have no clue what things cost in healthcare. This includes medications, procedures, labs, x-rays, MRIs, etc. This is largely because people have so many different kinds of plans that cover different things at different rates and to different degrees that they don’t have the time or energy to keep track. How much do those things actually cost? They simply don’t know.

This is why the patient needs a physician who advocates on their behalf in ALL areas and has figured out what various services and medications truly cost.

Following this experience, the patient called me up to see if I could help. After hearing the story, I started to get hot. Once I heard about the medication costs, I was furious. I priced out the same medication at $130; but I treat people with Crohn’s myself and I know of several even more affordable medications. I found the patient a medication for $12! I asked the patient to get ahold of the GI doctor and make sure the physician was okay with the medication change. After a few days of run-around with the nurse at the office, there was still no word. I went ahead and prescribed the less expensive medicine and had a follow-up with the patient, who is doing great! Symptoms are improving. We spent an hour discussing stress, diet, and lifestyle changes that can be made to further fix the patient’s Crohn’s disease. We then ordered a complete panel of labs for $40 to further evaluate the patient’s health.

The bottom line: Our physicians at Voyage Direct Primary Care know what things cost and work hard for our clients to find the best pricing available.

As physicians, we have to be better. We have to know what things cost and how to advocate for our families in both care and cost. We have to stand up against a machine of deliberate confusion and complexities designed to take advantage of American families and ourselves. Most of our clients have insurance and we still crush it for them in both care and cost savings.

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