With Primary Care Tending To Be Pretty Cheap, This Pittsburgh Doctor Thinks Accepting Insurance Is Just Inefficient
More physicians are eschewing the traditional insurance model and opening clinics based on set fees or subscriptions. Dr. Timothy Wong talks about why he no longer accepts insurance.
Bloomberg:
Pittsburgh’s Insurance-Free Doctor Charges $35 Per Visit
This fall, Dr. Timothy Wong opened the doors to iHealth Clinic, inviting patients for $35 walk-in appointments, seven days a week. The clinic’s hours are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. The sole staffer, he does everything from running the website to answering the phone to cleaning the exam room. (Cohen, 12/13)
In other insurance news —
Bloomberg:
New York Union Blames Out-Of-Network Doctors For Millions In Costs
[The union health plan called the 32BJ Health Fund] says markups by outside physicians inflate costs by millions of dollars each year. Thousands of times a year, the health plan pays a higher price because some doctors don’t take the same insurance as the hospitals where they practice. Over three years, 32BJ has paid more than $10 million to out-of-network doctors at New York hospitals in its network, according to data shared with Bloomberg News. Employers fund the plan, which is jointly governed by representatives of labor and management. (Tozzi, 12/12)
