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| Economy |
| An Affordable Alternative to Major Hospital Systems? |
| 2020-09-01 |
| American Thinker One would think, in these days of COVID-19, that America’s doctors and patients are as reliant on our hospitals as they’ve ever been, and that they’re going to stay that way. Guess again. Today, even as the health care system and the economy face strains from the coronavirus and its complications, scores of doctors and patients are avoiding large bureaucratic hospitals and instead flocking toward leaner and meaner models of health care. Professional providers of all types -- from surgeons to drugstore owners -- are focusing on innovation. Even better, they’re now treating patients as consumers who value quality care at reasonable prices they can know in advance. Walgreens and VillageMD, for instance, have partnered to open primary-care centers in 500 to 700 drugstores over a five-year period. These centers will provide annual check-ups, walk-in appointments, and many other services. Physician-led teams of four people will treat up to 120 patients per day at these mostly 3,300-square-foot locations. This model is the latest iteration of a trend called decentralized care, in which patients obtain treatment through telehealth services and outpatient surgery centers and clinics -- rather than by visiting hospitals. For two decades, the late Harvard Business professor Clayton Christensen predicted that decentralization in health care would follow other industries on this path, such as travel, retail, and financial services. It was only a matter of time, said Christensen, before health care innovators improved access to services and reduced costs. |
| Posted by:g(r)omgoru |
| #5 Kaiser opened some small clinics at Target and some other locations in San Diego over a year ago. |
| Posted by: crazyhorse 2020-09-01 22:30 |
| #4 Hear, hear, #3 TB 1057! |
| Posted by: Barbara 2020-09-01 12:22 |
| #3 It might work for Primary care, and non-acute or minor illnesses and conditions, as well as non-complex elective surgeries that can be done at the "day surgery" centers that have popped up over the past few years. The key is cash payment (or private payment arrangements) at a lower rate in exchange for not having to deal with insurance or government paperwork. This has been going on for years, and a lot of Docs are going to this model. Its called Direct Primary Care, where you make arrangements with a local practice and pay them a retainer, and they give you fixed rate or heavily discounted services. Some folks combine this with an inexpensive high-deductible catastrophic coverage insurance plan to cover the worst case. They get their prescriptions via GoodRx or the $4 generic plan at Walmart and Kroger. Its surprising what you can do if there is no middle man insurance company between you and your doctor. And it eliminates a ton of admin and executives siphoning cash, and getting bonuses for "cost cutting". |
| Posted by: Theager Borgia1057 2020-09-01 10:34 |
| #2 Coming soon, The Walmart Open Heart Surgery Clinic. |
| Posted by: Mercutio 2020-09-01 09:40 |
| #1 You mean just like the Optical Department at Sears? |
| Posted by: Clem 2020-09-01 08:02 |