Cash Only Doctors

I think that these doctors are great for a society that is too quick to turn someone away from care because of lack of insurance. I would like to know what happens to a person with insurance coverage that goes to a cash-only doctor? Does the insurance company cancel their coverage when the patient become seriously ill? This seems like a way for insurance companies to leave patients in the wind because they decided not to use overpriced care.

I think this is a great idea. Specially for the patient/doctor relationship. We are all human but when we treat each other like resources-we tend to not care about everyone else. I hate going to a doctor and never getting an explanation of what is wrong yet there a three pages entered into my medical file.

This is interesting because we're all in this mess together. I've heard many stories from people who do have insurance just to be denied the care they need. I am a cash only patient because I wouldn't be able to afford the premiums insurance companies charge and I believe they are to blame for the crisis. The story of the doctor who's standing up for his beliefs made me want to comment. I don't know about other states, but in Florida there's another medical insurance crisis. Doctors are leaving us because they can't afford malpractice insurance to keep their doors open. More insurance company greed. My idea is if we (the patients) could help them, like maybe sign a waiver that you won't sue or something like that, perhaps more doctors could afford to be independent like the one on your feature. Something has to be done when the richest, most powerful country in the world can't provide medical attention to anyone who truly is in need.

I'm not sure what the point really is -- because unless you have a sinus infection or something really, really simple that can be diagnosed in the office then it's still going to end up costing you. If you have a stomach ache, well, that could be 50 different things and x-rays might be required anyway which starts to run into money for the patient. Their heart is in the right place but the solution is way on the other side of the street. Illness is, obviously, not a "consumer product" because no one can "choose" what illnesses to get or choose when they can afford to get them. Illness should be treated identical to CRIME. No one "chooses" to get raped or mugged and if it should happen to you -- you don't want to be bankrupted by it or refused service by the police department because you can $50,000 for a rape investigation. As citizens we have access to the police 24hrs a day 7 days a week regardless of our credit score or how much we have in our bank account. You may go your whole life never needing or using the police, but if you ever do there are they and you don't get sent a $175,000 bill. People should be able to go to see a doctor or go to a hospital for surgery as needed -- and the only pratical way to do that is taxation. Which is cheaper: a slight increase in income or sales tax (or both) or paying $300 a month plus co-pays plus deductibles plus perscriptions plus whatever else the insurance company refuses to pay in full? Our taxes now pay for our entire military (world's largest, baby!) in addition to police, fire and rescue, libraries, highways, public schools, etc. Taxes are the cheapest and fairest way to pay for healthcare for the country. For just a tiny increase in taxes spread out progressively per income level we can have universal healthcare. You can go to ANY doctor you want. The only difference would be the hospitals would bill the government and not you. The only thing that would change is who gets the bill. So instead of wasting time sending little old ladies with bad hips bills for $7,000 they will never pay -- the hospital bills the government.

I am very interested in this country taking away the power and the money of the insurance companies. The little unknown rules that could cost someone their claim, or greatly reduce the cost to them is unreasonable and amoral. This country needs to step up and realize what the true future of health care is!

Where's the cash only dentists? There are so many people who need their mouths fixed too.

I agree with this... A doc that cares about his people he cares for not the polices of the insurance..

A simple fact about insurance is the great 2 words. "What if"

A message 4 that doc.. Thank you, a true humanitarian.

The government is trying to encourage health savings account (which essentially allows people to pay cash and write it off for health expenses). Granted, ya gotta have the cash to pay the price.

DON'T cancel your medical insurance just because the system is currently dysfunctional. You might really need it some day...

This is an incredibly interesting concept. There is so much that is so great about it, but at the same time, there is a lot of consequences to take into consideration. It's no doubt that the doctors that are doing this are practicing for the right reasons: the love of medicine and helping other in need. It's great that they are not doing this strictly for monetary gain. However, it doesn't present a minor crisis. This is not an alternative for insurance that provides for major illness or injury. I imagine that cash-only doctors do not have access to the same medical equipment and supplies that traditional doctors do. In any case of extreme circumstance, it would be best to have that insurance as well. It's no lie that certain medical procedures are just plain expensive; going well beyond the cost of the doctors salary. So, keep your insurance just in case.

kylesoehngen,
Appreciate your comment & totally agree with everything you say about major illness or operation. Keeping insurance isn't an option if you don't have it like myself and hundreds of thousands of Americans who either can't afford high premiums or who are denied for hundreds of reasons. Even a lot of people who thought they had adequate insurance find themselves in real financial trouble in the case of catastrophic illness. So while the cash only doctor is a true humanitarian I'm certainly not suggesting this is the answer. Only that our country needs to make drastic changes so that medically everyone gets treated equally regardless of his or her ability to pay.

This was a TREMENDOUS story. Overall this was very very well done -- it shows an aspect of healthcare that is very rarely given any coverage. I have visited several doctors who offer substantial discounts (in the neighborhood of 50%) if you pay in cash or with a card rather than bill the insurance company. I was really happy to see a story touching this issue.

I liked the doctor a lot as the lead subject -- I would have just wanted to know more about him: how did he get into practicing "cash only medicine"? How well does he do (financially) ? What do his colleagues in the field think? How does he charge (flat rate or a la carte etc.)?

I really liked the introductory montage orienting us to Ventura county. I would have liked to have seen a bit more orienting the piece to where the doctor is located though. Also, some footage following the doctor through more of "a day in the life" would have made it fuller also.

I really think you did a nice job framing several conflicts between insurance and medical care (cost vs. will you ever use it, freedom of doctors to practice their craft vs. insurance companies having tremendous influence over how medicine is practiced because they cut the checks).

Overall, I thought this piece was really well done.

Excellent subject - nice pod. It left me wanting to see more - you could develop this in to a longer piece with more information.

Very good.

In my seven decades of living, I've seen the medical profession become a money grubbing business. Doctors are still mostly nice folk but how much control do they have over their ptactice! InsuranceThe controlling factor and the stupid jury awards (See Edwards) re-acted to this and the public became the victims, doctors in the 50's and 60's were mostly hard working friends and neighbors who had a calling and when Specilazition started in the 70" in earnest when the business of medicine replaced the practice of medicine, and money became the defination of how good your health care will be and how much money it can generate. Now the presidential candidates wish to create a new government program to oversee it (We all know how well that works) rather than let dr,s like this one attempt to cure their profession, Well done Doc and if you can prevent the bureaucracy from interfering, just maybe there is hope.

What an issue, I've been wanting to do something on this topic for awhile.

You found 2 great characters to tell the "pro" side of this story and moved it along with some great close ups and shots (the credit cards, etc)

But this issue also has some major cons -- many of the best, sought after doctors in major metropolitan areas are going cash only. What does that mean for the standard of care for the haves versus the have nots if some people don't even have access to top level specialists?