Ep. 32: How your business can lower their healthcare costs with Dr Stephen Schimpff

09/29/15 • 37 min

This episode of Surviving Healthcare is a continuation of direct primary care with practical applications. You will hear how business, both large and small, can implement direct primary care to both improve the healthcare of their employees and decrease what they are paying for medical costs. Joining me on the show again is Dr. Stephen Schimpff. Dr. Schimpff is an internist with training and board certifications in internal medicine, medical oncology and infectious diseases. Dr. Schimpff was a clinician, educator and researcher before taking on multiple leadership roles within the University of Maryland Medical System, which is recognized as one of the largest and most prestigious medical systems in the country and even the world.

You will hear Dr. Schimpff begin by summarizing direct primary care and immediately dive into how direct primary care is of great benefit to patients by building a stronger, more personal relationship. Additionally, physicians have more time to spend with their patients in this model of care. Dr. Schimpff gives several specific examples to illustrate the potential savings, by using models championed by specific companies.

Dr. Schimpff then discusses the new dynamic between the patients, employers and insurance companies. He explains how he envisions the future, which I found very interesting and I believe you will, too.

You’ll hear specific scenarios in which companies can convert their current health benefit systems into a direct primary care model, while getting a better handle on care and costs. Specifically, we discuss how this approach gives patients more control over their care and reduces the waste in the system. You will hear how self funded groups as well as fully insured groups can implement this in their business.

Dr. Schimpff explains how direct primary care helps “the sickest of the sick” by discussing a company that is doing just that around his area. If the quality of outcomes is better and the cost savings are realized while serving these Medicaid patients, which you’ll hear about, then this model can be applied in your company.

The bottom line is, doctors and patients are not getting the time to develop a relationship which is critical to better healthcare. Direct primary care allows a return to relationship medicine and drops the total cost of healthcare and it is a model you can employ as an individual or a company today.
Resources:

Dr. Stephen Schimpff

Medical Megatrends

Fixing the Primary Care Crisis

The Future of Healthcare Delivery

Dr. Stephen Schimpff

Medical Megatrends

Fixing the Primary Care Crisis

The Future of Healthcare Delivery

Previous Episode

Ep. 31: A return to relationship medicine through direct primary care with Dr Stephen Schimpff

In this episode of Surviving Healthcare, you’ll hear about a topic of huge importance and excitement, one that can have an enormous impact on our healthcare system. I’m talking about direct primary care. My guest for this show is Dr. Stephen Schimpff.

Dr. Schimpff is a physician with tons of experience and insights into our healthcare system. He is internationally renowned as a cancer specialist and has held numerous leadership positions with the University of Maryland Medical System, one of the largest medical systems in the country and the world. He has authored a number of books about our healthcare system including the one we’ll be discussing today, Fixing The Primary Care Crisis.

Our discussion begins with the problem: physicians have too little time to spend with patients. Patients don’t feel like they’re getting proper care from their physician with the limited amount of time and physicians are extremely frustrated. Dr. Schimpff explains what direct primary care is, what it entails and why it gives both physicians and patients the time they need.

You’ll hear about the benefits of direct primary care. We talk about the importance of allowing the physician to spend more time on patient problems and lifestyles and not just pawn off patients to specialists or send them home with a prescription. We discuss the negatives that opponents bring up. You’ll see how paying your primary care physician directly is actually more cost-effective.

The next part of our discussion focuses on the dynamic among patients, doctors and insurance companies. The indirect relationship between you and your physician is a symptom of a big problem. Dr. Schimpff discusses how paying the doctor directly, called direct primary care, actually makes health care better and improves the doctor-patient relationship.

We then talk about the financial aspects of such an approach, wherein you take a less expensive, high-deductible insurance plan and buy a primary care membership and/or pay for each visit through a medical savings account, which could save you money on taxes, as well. We also talk about how many direct primary care physicians save their patients money on drugs.

The ideas in this podcast may seem counterintuitive, but when you hear this discussion, you may change your mind. Paying for your own primary care could means more time with your physician and higher quality care. It may even save you some money. The important thing to remember is it is something you can do immediately to improve the time and access to your physician. Listen and let us know what you think.

Resources:

Dr. Stephen Schimpff

Medical Megatrends

Fixing the Primary Care Crisis

The Future of Healthcare Delivery

Next Episode

Ep. 33: Medicare’s annual open enrollment tips and tricks with Danielle Kunkle

In this episode of Surviving Healthcare, you will hear tips and tricks to surviving Medicare’s annual open enrollment period. This happens every year from October 15th to December 7th. This is a very important time of year for Medicare recipients, and this particular show aims to provide you with important information during this time as well as hints that you are on the right Medicare path.

You will hear from Danielle Kunkle, who is a founding partner at Boomer Benefits, a Medicare insurance agency that is licensed in more than 40 states and which consistently ranks among the premier national Medicare agencies in the country. She specializes in educating Medicare beneficiaries about their available insurance options, so they can go into the market with eyes open and confidently choose the insurance plan that best fits them and their medical needs. She has written numerous articles on the subject of Medicare benefits and is a frequent speaker on these issues.

Our discussion begins by talking about what Medicare open enrollment is, what it means and how it works. Specifically, we talk about the different parts of Medicare and how open enrollment works with each. Danielle explains how Medigap insurance fits into the picture. She explains the Annual Notice of Change letter, what that means to you and how you should handle it.

Next, you’ll hear how changes to your Medicare plan have to be made and why and she gives some great advice for easily making side-by-side comparisons of costs and plan details. During this part of the discussion, she reveals some new legislation being considered in Congress that could be a game-changer.

You will also find out what happens when you sign up for a plan during open enrollment and the importance of research before you choose or change a plan and making sure you’re comfortable. There are many choices you should know about and consider.

Danielle provides questions everyone should consider when choosing between a Medicare Advantage plan and a Medigap plan, such as:

How do you get your peace of mind?
Where do you live during the year?
Are you on a fixed income and will the cost of a plan be too much?
Does your current plan raise rates every year?

There are several things you should know about Medicare’s annual open enrollment and Medicare Advantage plans. Such as:

Have you reviewed your Notice of Change packet this year?
Are you willing to review search out the best plan for you if your plan changes?
Are your doctors are in the network?
Do you want co-pays and deductibles or a higher premium?

In closing, you’ll hear Ms. Kunkle discuss the importance and the relative advantages of Medicare Advantage and Medigap plans overall. This show is a very informative discussion that anyone facing Medicare’s annual open enrollment will find informative.

Resources

Boomer Benefits

Danielle Kunkle

Articles at Benefits Pro

1-855-732-9055