Sat. Apr 27th, 2024

In another classic case of confusion, Dawnielle Robinson-Walker, just couldn’t figure out the difference between concierge medicine and DPC. Where have we seen this before? Oh, yeah, I wrote a whole piece called:

What is the Difference Between Direct Primary Care and Concierge Medicine?

To be fair to Dawnielle, she was very positive about DPC and what we are doing:

Can you remember the last time you scheduled a same-day appointment with your doctor? No wait or quibble over a copay or deductible when you arrived at the office, and then you and your doctor discussed the stress of your new job and alternatives to anxiety medication? No? Neither can I. However, that experience does exist in the world of concierge medicine.

There was a DPC doctor mentioned in the article, that being Troy Burns, M.D., founder and medical director of ProPartners Healthcare, a direct primary care practice in Overland Park, Kansas.  Here’s his quote:

“In a busy insurance-based primary care practice, you don’t have enough time with patients,” says Troy Burns, M.D., “Doctors are paid for how many people turn the turnstile.” Unsurprisingly, people who choose traditional primary care are frustrated with the lack of access to their doctor. “They love their doctor but hate the office,” he says.

Well, said, Dr. Burns!

Honestly, I think the author did us right here. She could fix a few things. She also could explain that many Concierge Medicine practices still bill insurance while DPC offices do not. She could also explain that DPC is the affordable version of this type of care. In fact, this article could have been titled What Is Direct Primary Care And Is It Worth The Price Tag?

And the answer would be YES!

22250cookie-checkForbes Magazine Writes About Direct Primary Care! (But Keeps Calling Us Concierge Medicine)
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By Douglas Farrago, MD

Douglas Farrago MD is board certified in the specialty of Family Practice. He is the inventor of a product called the Knee Saver which is currently in the Baseball Hall of Fame. The Knee Saver and its knock-offs are worn by many major league baseball catchers. He is also the inventor of the CryoHelmet used by athletes for head injuries as well as migraine sufferers. From 2001 – 2011, Dr. Farrago was the editor and creator of the Placebo Journal which ran for 10 full years. Described as the Mad Magazine for doctors, he and the Placebo Journal were featured in the Washington Post, US News and World Report, the AP, and the NY Times. Douglas Farrago, MD received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia in 1987, his Masters of Education degree in the area of Exercise Science from the University of Houston in 1990, and his Medical Degree from the University of Texas at Houston in 1994. His residency training occurred way up north at the Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Maine. In his final year, he was elected Chief Resident by his peers. Dr. Farrago has practiced family medicine for twenty-three years, first in Auburn, Maine and now in Forest, Virginia. He founded Forest Direct Primary Care in 2014, which quickly filled in 18 months. Dr. Farrago still blogs every day on his website Authenticmedicine.com and lectures worldwide about the present crisis in our healthcare system and the effect it has on the doctor-patient relationship. Dr. Farrago’s has written three books on direct primary care: The Official Guide to Starting Your Own Direct Primary Care Practice, The Direct Primary Care Doctor’s Daily Motivational Journal and Slowing the Churn in Direct Primary Care (While Also Keeping Your Sanity) are all best sellers in this genre. He is a leading expert in direct primary care model and lectures medical students, residents, and doctors on how to start their own DPC practice. He retired from clinical medicine in October, 2020.

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