10/23/2001
FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
Contact:
Keri Andrews
425-255-4166
Health
Program Lowers Costs For Uninsured
Amid
widespread layoffs and economic crisis,
local workers are facing the harsh
reality of losing health care benefits.
COBRA and other options can be
extremely pricey, especially for people
who no longer have an income.
The
Renton-based non-profit American
Association of Patients and Providers
(AAPP) is rapidly gaining national
attention for a program they developed
which drastically reduces the cost of
health care for those without adequate
health care coverage.
“Health
care costs in the United States have
reached astronomical levels.
If we just get rid of the middle
man, doctors can provide a fair price
for their services,” said AAPP
co-founder Dr. Vern S. Cherewatenko, MD.
A study from the Washington State
Medical Association showed that more
than half the cost of medical bills is
spent on administration and compliance
with insurance guidelines.
“Since the uninsured don’t
require a high level of administration,
it is ludicrous to charge them for it,”
Cherewatenko said.
Doctors who
participate in the SimpleCare program
set up a “simpler” system for
self-pay patients. This system
eliminates much of the costs that they
would otherwise incur due to procedural
coding, documentation and billing.
By allowing doctors to cut
unnecessary costs, it gives them the
freedom to offer lower prices to their
patients.
SimpleCare visits are generally
20-50% lower than the price of a doctor’s
normal charges.
The AAPP does not advocate getting rid of insurance and encourages people to purchase a catastrophic policy in case of an emergency. “But save your money on routine health care,” Cherewatenko said. “Simply changing to a policy with a high deductible can save you hundreds of dollars a year on premiums. Then use SimpleCare to lower your out-of-pocket expenses.”
SimpleCare is
now expanding nationwide.
The McMinnville Physicians
Organization (MPO) in Oregon recently
enrolled all 61 of their physicians in
SimpleCare and is currently in the
implementation process.
MPO decision-makers hope that the
move will make a positive financial
impact on both their physicians and the
surrounding community.
Cherewatenko
and his partner, Dr. David MacDonald,
DO, started SimpleCare in their Renton
clinic four years ago as a way to combat
their own financial hardships.
The program worked so well that
they started to promote it to fellow
doctors.
Now SimpleCare has grown to 700
doctors and 6000 patients nationwide.
Membership to
AAPP/SimpleCare is $20 a year for
individuals, $35 for families and $50
for doctors. For more information
about SimpleCare, call 425-255-4166 or
go to their web site at www.simplecare.com.
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