MEC Practice Academy 11.19
Logo Image
|Articles|October 25, 2013

Physicians should return to direct pay system

A reader writes that physicians can eliminate payer interference by reverting to the pre-Medicare system of being paid directly by patients.

Hear, hear to Craig Wax, DO’s thoughts. (“ACA: It’s not what the doctor (or voters) ordered,” August 25, 2013.) Government-owned healthcare only works to the point that catastrophic injuries are covered, but for the day-to-day patients that we see, it doesn’t work.

I don’t understand why physicians are slow to accept how payment was made pre-1965 as viable for the business portion of practicing medicine. Patient comes in, pays for the visit, is given a receipt, and submits it for payment.

If physicians switch back to this form of payment, then we can say bye-bye to interference from payers as to how we practice. No more nonphysicians dictating which medicines, which tests, etc. Then we can get to true meaningful measures on the care of patients instead of insurance deciding.

Lawrence Voesack, MD

Odessa, Texas

Related to this article

View more
Sethu Reddy: ©Sethu Reddy
Why health plans should rethink GLP-1 coverage
Prior authorization, step therapy and shifting coverage rules keep patients from obesity drugs with proven benefits, an endocrinologist argues — and the long-term savings make the case for broader access.
Read more
Is more health care access always better?: ©Yodiyim - stock.adobe.com
Is more health care access always better?
In 590,282 California heart attack hospitalizations, a new PCI-capable facility within a 30-minute drive lowered 30-day mortality 20% in communities without prior access but did not change survival where the procedure was already available.
Read more