Thank you so much for your voice and your medicine, Mary Lou. I'm a Chinese Medicine doctor in Canada and do take insurance (which covers acupuncture, but not dietary guidance or herbs).
In the small, rather economically depressed community where I live, that's really the only way many people can afford treatment. But the stories I hear from patients about their primary care physicians are often deplorable. Many were prescribed drugs years ago that are no longer appropriate and are causing more problems (which are then addressed through adding new pharmaceuticals on top). When they try to explain this to their GPs (within the span of a 5-10-minute time allotment), they are dismissed. Many are seniors, so ageism clearly plays a part too. So heartening knowing there are doctors like you in the world!
I'm a Canadian who worked for two American healthcare companies in their call centres. There is nothing more parasitic then the American 'healthcare' system. It's only purpose is to make the insurance companies money. I've seen $100 000 bills for a baby who was in NICU for a month, and that was 15 years ago. More recently (2020) I took calls from people living in the Boston area who were paying their insurance and could not get a family doctor. I thought the whole point of paying every month was that you were ensured prompt healthcare, I guess not. Also, as you point out, so many people can look at your health records in the American system, HIPAA is a joke. In Canada our system is far from perfect (and some would say politicians are actively working to make it fail), but at least your health information is afforded some privacy.
I would love to agree with you 100%, but the problem is that people who need very costly interventions must have insurance in our tattered and unjust system. So your model asks them to forego the meager benefits of primary care & preventative coverage that their all-but-compulsory insurance provides. Your practice model would only be financially feasible for those wealthy enough to afford surgery, chemotherapy and other big-ticket treatments out of pocket. Otherwise, patients are paying for insurance they can't use.
Thank you so much for your voice and your medicine, Mary Lou. I'm a Chinese Medicine doctor in Canada and do take insurance (which covers acupuncture, but not dietary guidance or herbs).
In the small, rather economically depressed community where I live, that's really the only way many people can afford treatment. But the stories I hear from patients about their primary care physicians are often deplorable. Many were prescribed drugs years ago that are no longer appropriate and are causing more problems (which are then addressed through adding new pharmaceuticals on top). When they try to explain this to their GPs (within the span of a 5-10-minute time allotment), they are dismissed. Many are seniors, so ageism clearly plays a part too. So heartening knowing there are doctors like you in the world!
I'm a Canadian who worked for two American healthcare companies in their call centres. There is nothing more parasitic then the American 'healthcare' system. It's only purpose is to make the insurance companies money. I've seen $100 000 bills for a baby who was in NICU for a month, and that was 15 years ago. More recently (2020) I took calls from people living in the Boston area who were paying their insurance and could not get a family doctor. I thought the whole point of paying every month was that you were ensured prompt healthcare, I guess not. Also, as you point out, so many people can look at your health records in the American system, HIPAA is a joke. In Canada our system is far from perfect (and some would say politicians are actively working to make it fail), but at least your health information is afforded some privacy.
I would love to agree with you 100%, but the problem is that people who need very costly interventions must have insurance in our tattered and unjust system. So your model asks them to forego the meager benefits of primary care & preventative coverage that their all-but-compulsory insurance provides. Your practice model would only be financially feasible for those wealthy enough to afford surgery, chemotherapy and other big-ticket treatments out of pocket. Otherwise, patients are paying for insurance they can't use.