Friday, May 13, 2016


Why Not Marketing of Free Direct Market Care through Health Agents?
You see things; and you say, “Why?” But I dream things that never were, and I say,”Why not?”
George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), Back to Methuselah
Because of marketing of health exchange plans through ObamaCare navigators, private health agents feel threatened with extinction.    At the same time, because of ObamaCare-induced high premiums and unaffordable deductibles, more employers are turning to direct primary care and direct-pay ambulatory surgery centers for cost relief. 
Given this situation, why not have health agents open up a new line of business, namely, marketing lower cost direct primary care and direct ambulatory surgery center to employers.   This is not a new idea,   the Atlas Medical Group in Wichita, Kansas and the Surgery Center of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City is already doing it.
Why not?  Employers are already doing it, often in concert with Health Savings Accounts, which by themselves are saving employers 20% or more on their health costs.  
Why not?  Ambulatory surgery centers produce results, comparable or better than hospital surgical units and at a fraction of the costs. 
Why not?  Hospital acquired physician’s practices, partly due to hospital facility fees, and partly secondary to hospital management fees,   often charge twice the fees of free-standing independent practices.
Why not?  Direct primary care practices are seeking new sources of patients, and health agents are seeking new lines of business.   
Why not?    A national organization,  the Free Market Medical Association,  has existed for two years, with the express purpose  of promoting new models of care offering lower cost, high quality  personal care for patients and their employers who pay for patients'  care.

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