Yesterday, I was privileged to accept a Small Business Development Award from SCORE Lancaster/Lebanon. Through SCORE, I have been privileged to work with a mentor, Hugh McMaster, who has guided me through the inception of CovenantMD in 2015 and its growth along the way. The following is the text of my acceptance speech.
Sharing Plans and Direct Primary Care
On Saturday, a married couple who are business owners signed up for CovenantMD. They emailed us shortly after signing up, and I would like to share with you some of their comments (used with their permission): “Our new rates came in from the Affordable Care Act with a whopping price tag of $23,925/year premium, $9,000/year annual deductible, and a $14,300/year maximum out-of-pocket. That said, if we continue with regular health insurance, we would lose our business."
Health Insurance and Direct Primary Care
Yesterday, Healthcare.gov opened for “window shoppers,” those that would like to get a preview of health insurance rates prior to the Exchange opening for purchasing on November 1st. Let's crunch some of these numbers and see how much money we can save if we pair a high deductible plan with CovenantMD.
Stories From Our First Ten Months
I was in Harrisburg on Friday morning, presenting the concept of direct primary care to a room full of employers, employer benefits specialists, and other doctors. It was the inaugural conference of the Free Market Medical Association, Pennsylvania Chapter. For many in the audience, it was the first time that they had heard of such a thing as direct primary care. I always love the reactions I get: enthusiasm, relief, and hope for lowering cost on something so foundational as primary care.
Hapless with Highmark (and the Hope of Direct Primary Care)
We caught our first glimpse of storm clouds in October with this article in LNP. Highmark, the health insurer with the largest proportion of plans purchased by Pennsylvanians on healthcare.gov, would be dropping it’s most popular plans for 2016.
Why in the World World Would I Pay TWICE for Healthcare?
On Sunday, November 1st, LNP (the local newspaper of Lancaster, PA) published this article about CovenantMD, and on November 3rd, Fox 43 featured this segment. I think it's fair to say that these caused a local social media sensation. There were many cyber high fives, and some that expressed reservations about the model. In this post, I'll address what was by far the most frequent objection to Direct Primary Care.
Your Car Insurance Now Pays For Your Gas! (An Exercise in Absurdity)
Appropriated Press: Officials in Washington have confirmed that car insurance companies will now be required to pay for gas. "Transportation is a fundamental right of all Americans. Therefore gas is a fundamental right of all Americans," said one congressman. Consumer groups are split on the issue. Some embrace the savings to American families, others see the ghastly (gassly?) auto insurance premium hikes coming down the pike, and they are also aghast (agassed?) at the new Federal mandate coming in 2017.
Introducing BCF Group
CovenantMD is proud to announce a new partnership with BCF Group. Small, medium, and large businesses can take advantage of CovenantMD's primary care umbrella, paired with insurance products offered through BCF. Employees enjoy the high-touch quality of Direct Primary Care, while employers enjoy savings through limiting ER and urgent care copays and cash-pay discounts on medications and radiology. Check out CovenantMD's employer page, email us, or give us a call at 717-287-1983. To hear more about insurance options, email or call Brad Forney, CRM at 717-560-7730.
What is Direct Primary Care? (Part 3 of 3)
This post will conclude my three-part series, “What is Direct Primary Care?” In the first post, I defined Direct Primary Care (DPC) and talked about the first of three distinctives that will set CovenantMD apart from other practices: adequate time with your doctor. In the second post, I talked about access to your doctor. In this post, I’ll talk about value in primary care.
What is Direct Primary Care? (Part 2 of 3)
What do I mean by “access?” Put simply, it’s how patients engage their primary care provider in order to get a question answered, or to be seen for a medical problem during business hours, or to be seen for an acute problem after business hours or on holidays or weekends. If all things were equal, and you had ideal access to primary care, what would it look like?