AAPS
|
1601 N. Tucson Blvd. Suite 9 |
Association
of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc. |
Volume 54, No. 9 September 1998
SimpleCare: Uninsured Patients in Demand
A group of physicians in Seattle, led by Vern Cherewatenko, M.D., David MacDonald, D.O., and Nass Ordoubadi, M.D., is not waiting for legislation or a rescuer on a white horse. They have developed SimpleCare for the 20% of patients who are uninsured or for those with high deductibles or MSAs.
Dr. Cherewatenko, a family physician, offers three types of visits: short ($35), medium ($65), and long ($95). There are no codes, and chart notes are of the old-fashioned type: terse and limited to information that he needs to treat the patient. He charges $50 for billing; almost all patients write a check before they leave the office. Managed-care overhead was such that on each $79 service, he lost $7. Now, for the same "short" (10 minute) visit, he nets $5 from a charge of only $35.
Others in the Seattle area are also offering SimpleCare.
The concept is easily modified to fit the physician's specialty and practice
situation. Under development is a program for physicians to donate time to care
for the poor, who then provide volunteer services to member organizations.