Author Kofi Ampaabeng in The National Interest writes a compelling piece that you should read. He is concerned that “DPC is ripe for government takeover, which would defeat much of its purpose and fail to free up providers’ time for patient care.” He may have a point.
Here are some more highlights of the article:
So, what could go wrong? The government could hijack this model. In fact, it’s already trying to.
In 2018, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a request for information to try to implement a DPC model within Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). While they were right to recognize DPC’s potential, the reality is that DPC is antithetical to public insurance. The very introduction of a third-party payer makes the model fall apart.
Public reimbursement for care may sound tempting to DPC doctors who are just getting started. But they would do well to remember that government funding comes with strings attached. For example, stores that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, or food stamps, are subject to regulations by the Food and Nutrition Service—including a laborious application process, extensive program integrity rules, and other regulatory compliance requirements. By accepting Medicaid and Medicare beneficiaries, DPC doctors risk running into the same old paperwork burdens all over again.
Kofi is right. There’s more there for you to read in his whole article but suffice it to say, we ALWAYS have to worry that the same idiots who made us jump from the system will either tempt us to come back or just take us over.
Make no mistake: The antidote to a government takeover of health care is a booming private market—one that delivers superior value to patients and empowers providers to focus more on top-quality care. But stakeholders need to be vigilant, lest regulators sneak up and undermine their success.