A different kind of care
By Jonece Dunigan, The Decatur Daily, Ala. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
With a bump on his head and bleeding nose, the man told nurses in
Although the physicians checked for brain damage, Samuel said they didn't do much for his broken arm. They wrapped it in a sling and sent him out the door. Samuel, who was completing her clinical training to become a registered nurse, said the physicians turned down the care for his arm because he didn't have insurance.
"Insurance has almost ruined the way medicine has been practiced these days," said Samuel, 47, now a certified nurse practitioner. "Physicians are almost forced to do procedures they otherwise wouldn't do so they can get paid."
After graduating with a master's in nursing at the University of
A Heartbeat Away is one of about 5,500 clinics in
Samuel's specialty: concierge medicine, a practice that's adding offices at a rate of 25 percent a year.
For
The trend is fueled by increasing regulation under the Affordable Care Act, according to
"Some entrepreneurial physicians are seeing this as an opportunity to offer a different model of health care for different types of people," Corley said. "They are getting back to what they came to medical school for in the first place, which is treating patients."
The origins of concierge medicine are in
Samuel is trying to reconstruct the business model to conform to the needs of the middle class by scavenging ways to save money. She took the average price other clinics charged for procedures and cut it 20 to 50 percent. For example, while a standard practice would charge
"Those discounts go toward my members," Samuel said. "I'm not looking to make a million dollars. I want to make enough to pay my bills and do the things I need to do, but I do this because I love it and enjoy it."
"It's like stepping into grandma's house and knowing that everything is going to be better," Weathers said.
Collaboration
Although she is licensed, Samuel is required by law to work with her collaborating doctor,
"This allows someone who is working in this model to reach a broader reach of people but still have a physician oversight," Croley said.
The Affordable Car Act required Americans to have insurance by the time open enrollment closed in March. While some insurance companies, such as
According to the
Qualification
"I wouldn't try to manage something I am not qualified to do," Samuel said. "I'm kind of like the gatekeeper. If there is any problem that deals with something I can't do, then I send them somewhere that can help."
Samuel has developed a more personal relationship with the 82 clients she diagnosed so far since opening the clinic. She spends 45 minutes with each patient -- which is long enough to learn about their reason for the visit, medical history, where they work, how many kids they have and their lifestyle. Samuel said the longer appointment times allow her to get to the root of a patient's problems.
"I get to know more about the patient that you can't find out in 15 minutes," Samuel said, "That's very relative to diagnosis. If they suffer from depression and anxiety, I can ask them about life at home instead of just handing them a prescription."
Samuel believes some clients would rather pay the 1 percent penalty off their income taxes next year than pay monthly for insurance. She owned a janitorial cleaning service while she was in school and saw how her workers would save money for clothes, groceries and a college education for their kids. Samuel said being in the concierge medicine business allows her to be the physician they need without emptying their pockets.
"They want doctors to listen to them and make sure you're not discounting any problems that they have," she said. "They want to know that you care, and that you're going to work toward a positive result."
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