Local Doctor Offering Affordable Health Insurance Alternatives

March 25, 2010 - PRLog -- 1 in 6 Americans do not have health insurance because of preexisting conditions, premium costs, and no employer coverage.  As president Obama continues to push for healthcare reform, healthcare providers are becoming aware of the need to offer affordable healthcare options in their communities.  Many clinics are offering services to those without insurance.  Yet the cost of prescriptions and lab testing often make the cost too much for most working Americans to afford.

Carrie M. Lee MBA, a Doctoral student at Walden University developed a new way of helping those without health insurance get the care they need. Lee states, “People without insurance tend to only see a doctor when they have a major problem, or visit Emergency rooms to receive care for non-urgent problems.  This is actually more expensive in the long term for the individual because Emergency room visits cost 10-20% more than a single doctors visit.  If a person waits until they have a life threatening complication such as a heart attack or stroke, they look at hospital bills of $10,000 or more, recovery time, time lost from work, and possibility of life long disability: if they survive.”

So what was Lee’s solution?  Offering primary care services at a discounted rate that include lab testing and medication for common chronic conditions.  “Primary Care services are the most needed to prevent and treat most conditions that effect people.  Primary physicians treat a wide variety of conditions, and keep patients from seeking more expensive specialist treatments, which are often unnecessary.  HMO’s and IPA’s have been using primary care physicians to control costs for many years.  This idea comes from the IPA model, which uses associated providers and services that work together to give the most affordable access to primary care, pharmacy, and lab services.”

Lee contacted Burke Internal Medicine, INC with her Primary Care Access Plan.  The plan is now offered in Prince William County at Manasssas Clinical Research Center and in Fairfax County at Burke internal Medicine & Research.  These two offices have been serving the uninsured already with low cost care, yet The new Primary Care Access (PCA) plans will cover 7 office visits, a yearly physical with pap smear and EKG, lab testing up to 4 times per year, and medications for as little as $99 per month.  Participants do not have to be healthy to participate.  The PCA plan covers those with Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, certain Thyroid conditions, Arthritis, and Gout.

Lee states, “The implementation of the PCA program will help those without insurance take better care of themselves.  This plan also goes beyond what many insurance companies cover, and costs far less than health insurance.  Many insurance companies do not cover physicals every year, and do not allow for physicians to screen for common conditions like high cholesterol.  The PCA plan offered by Burke Internal Medicine, INC goes beyond what insurance companies allow and gives higher quality of care.”

This plan does not cover care received at a specialist, and it is not health insurance.  However, it is a good alternative to no insurance.  Other groups in the Northern Virginia area are also looking to help those without insurance get specialist care.  The Good Will Network is a network of physicians in the Northern Virginia Area that have agreed to offer their services at greatly reduced prices.  The Good Will Network consists of many specialists and diagnostic centers, and has even become an alternative to health insurance for small businesses in the area.