Direct primary care model may be ideal for some doctors
Doctors in Texas may be pushing for an alternative to health insurance that they call “direct primary care.” Both the state and federal government have been working to address the financial issues of insurance coverage for Texas residents. Insurance costs are high throughout the state, which insurers suggest is due to the rising cost of medical care and various other factors. Doctors, however, believe that the cost of insurance coverage may be prohibiting people from receiving the care that they need.
Insurance bureaucracy may be preventing some people from receiving the care they need
Doctors embracing the direct primary care model suggest that it provides them a way to keep their costs in check while also allowing them to avoid the bureaucracy associated with the state’s health insurance industry. Doctors must fill out insurance forms in order to receive payment for the care they provide, and this can be a time consuming and laborious process, especially if insurers see problems with the claims they receive. The claims process can impact the wages of medical professionals to some degree, which may also affect their ability to provide care to those that need it most.
Doctors are finding that insurance is having an impact on their revenue
Some medical professionals in Texas claim that they have seen a significant drop in revenue over the past 15 years as the insurance landscape began to change. Insurers making changes to their networks and the type of coverage they provide has also changed the way medical professionals provide care. Even simple medical procedures can sometimes be held off for months at a time due to the bureaucracy of the insurance system.
Consumers seem to favor the direct primary care model for some services
Those embracing the direct primary care model tend to limit the services they offer to basic and preventative care. This allows doctors to provide services to people without having to get insurance companies involved. Patients have praised this model as being more inclusive as it allows them to receive care relatively quickly rather than wait for procedures to be paid for by their insurance providers.
