"Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

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Sugar1
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"Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by Sugar1 »

Hi:

I was curious if anyone has used this healthcare website http://www.controlmycare.com/ ? For $20 a month they provide you some "light" nurse and doctor services over the phone. They will call a prescription in for you.

At this point i am petrified about signing up for obamacare, and probably will not do so.

I am looking for alternatives such a concierge doctor services in my area. Does anyone have an idea on how I should look for this in my area? I would rather go directly to a doctor and cut out the insurance company.

Any and all thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
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Ged
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by Ged »

What happens if you need hospitalization for something like say a burst appendix? Or if slip on some stairs and break an ankle?
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joe8d
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by joe8d »

Sugar1 wrote:Hi:

I was curious if anyone has used this healthcare website http://www.controlmycare.com/ ? For $20 a month they provide you some "light" nurse and doctor services over the phone. They will call a prescription in for you.

At this point i am petrified about signing up for obamacare, and probably will not do so.

I am looking for alternatives such a concierge doctor services in my area. Does anyone have an idea on how I should look for this in my area? I would rather go directly to a doctor and cut out the insurance company.

Any and all thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Do your DD on the ACA offerings.Many friends have found better coverage w/ lower total overall cost than they had with their previous coverage.
At this point i am petrified about signing up for obamacare, and probably will not do so.
All I can say about that statement is to stop listening to Fox News :D
All the Best, | Joe
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Sugar1
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by Sugar1 »

"Do your DD on the ACA offerings.Many friends have found better coverage w/ lower total overall cost than they had with their previous coverage."

I have been doing so. My insurance went up $500 per month, for 1/2 much insurance. Went from $6000 deductible to $12,000. What system are they using?

Won't sign up on obamacare. I don't want my identity stolen.

Maybe you can help me with finding doctors who i can go directly to?
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frugaltype
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by frugaltype »

joe8d wrote:
All I can say about that statement is to stop listening to Fox News :D
+1 Admin swoops through in 1, 2, 3...

I would have serious doubts about a doctor who would prescribe without ever seeing the patient.
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Ged
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by Ged »

Sugar1 wrote:"Do your DD on the ACA offerings.Many friends have found better coverage w/ lower total overall cost than they had with their previous coverage."

I have been doing so. My insurance went up $500 per month, for 1/2 much insurance. Went from $6000 deductible to $12,000. What system are they using?

Won't sign up on obamacare. I don't want my identity stolen.

Maybe you can help me with finding doctors who i can go directly to?
Given your family's $1 million dollar inheritance it seems to me you should be able to buy a policy directly from an insurance carrier without going through Healthcare.gov. All the web site does is provide access to subsidies which you probably don't qualify for anyway.

This would eliminate the bogeyman of having your ID stolen.
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by nisiprius »

Sugar1, it's a total misplacement of priorities trying to figure out what to do about the small stuff, the office visits and so forth. Or even the medium stuff, like the ambulance ride ($1,000) to the emergency room for a few stitches ($3,000). Don't fuss about that until you've figured out what you're going to do about the big-ticket stuff.

There are all sorts of things that happen, really happen, to young, healthy people who eat right and work out, things that probably wouldn't use up the whole $1 million but could take a big bite out of it. A lot of young healthy people do things like ski and ride horses, which can result in terrible and very expensive accidents. Or get multiple sclerosis, like a late friend of mine who was in his thirties.

If you don't want to use the website, don't use the website, but buy health insurance.

Get it done, get covered.

Worry later about the most cost-effective way to have someone safely take a splinter out of your foot (or, in my case, a DOG HAIR !!!!), or write the scrip for cough syrup with codeine, or give you the ten-year tetanus booster.

Worry next year about getting a better or cheaper policy.
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Sugar1
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by Sugar1 »

Man this board is something else. Everybody is so darn confrontational. Why? I have attempted to ask some questions albeit not so simple questions, and i have been attacked. I really don't appreciate it. If you don't have any answers or your choose not to answer, then fine, move a long, but don't question my motives. Don't attack me personally.

I don't want health insurance. I want to find a quality doctor who does a concierge service in my area. I have heard that they are springing up. that you pay around $1500 per year give or take. My wife and I would like to find a good primary physician.
I don't want obamacare. I want the option to go to MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering, if one of us gets cancer God forbid. Please don't question my motives.

Thank You.
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ResearchMed
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by ResearchMed »

Simply Google "Concierge Medicine" plus your city/location.
Then call and check out the listings.
You might be able to meet them to discuss how they work and find a practice where you feel comfortable (whether for a free consult, or for a fee).

What makes you think you need "insurance" to get medical care?

Most people want insurance to help them pay for the medical care, but you've got money, so that's not an issue.

In fact, at most hospitals in large cities (I don't know about Memorial Sloan Kettering in particular), you can use your money to pay for special care - fancier and larger hospital rooms, probably in a special wing or on a special floor. You can also arrange for private nursing care.
People with insurance would need to pay significant up-charges for these services; you'd need to pay the full amount, but the extra costs will swamp the "regular" costs.

Or just find a "regular" physician, and arrange to pay in full. (They might want some pre-payment for some services, so they don't risk being left without payment after they've provided the services.)

I'm truly confused about why you are so upset about not wanting insurance.
You'll probably need to pay the yearly penalty, but you don't need to get the insurance, if I understand the ACA laws now.

RM
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by Minot »

Have you tried googling concierge doctor [your city]? Oops. I see ResearchMed beat me to it.

Or maybe this website will be helpful.
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joe8d
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by joe8d »

I want to find a quality doctor who does a concierge service in my area. I have heard that they are springing up. that you pay around $1500 per year give or take
An article in our Sunday paper last week had Concierge coverage starting at a $25000 / year Retainer.
All the Best, | Joe
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frugaltype
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by frugaltype »

Sugar1 wrote:Man this board is something else. Everybody is so darn confrontational. Why? I have attempted to ask some questions albeit not so simple questions, and i have been attacked. I really don't appreciate it. If you don't have any answers or your choose not to answer, then fine, move a long, but don't question my motives. Don't attack me personally.
Well, I will take a guess here and say some are trying to provide information, but a significant number think you're fourteen years old and bored.
Johm221122
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by Johm221122 »

"I don't want my ID stolen"
Sighn up for life lock
http://www.lifelock.com/?promocodehide= ... 7AodMV0AKQ
John
denovo
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by denovo »

"Don't trust everything you read on the Internet"- Abraham Lincoln
robertalpert
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by robertalpert »

ResearchMed wrote:
I'm truly confused about why you are so upset about not wanting insurance.
You'll probably need to pay the yearly penalty, but you don't need to get the insurance, if I understand the ACA laws now.

RM

+1
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nisiprius
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by nisiprius »

Sugar1, I'm sorry if I came off as "confrontational." I'm afraid I was reacting to the word "alternative" and the idea that any kind of routine medical service could be an "alternative" to health insurance.

If someone wanted to know the name of a good mechanic with a nice waiting room who washes the car after servicing it as an "ALTERNATIVE" to car insurance, I would react to that, too.
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rkhusky
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by rkhusky »

I wonder if a catastrophic health insurance plan, coupled with a concierge doctor service, would count as being suitably covered under the ACA, so that you don't have to pay the alternative health tax? Or have catastrophic policies disappeared due to the ACA? I imagine that the concierge doctor (and the catastrophic insurance company) would have to give you a form to file with your taxes, stating the guaranteed level of care.
gd
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by gd »

A 10 minute internet search indicates that concierge medical services are generally premium access to doctors in addition to services covered by health insurance.

Edit - took less than a minute to get to the bottom of the OP linked site to the statement that it was not a replacement for insurance. You are free to not have insurance under the ACA. I'd guess the fines will be trivial compared to your first serious no-insurance health incident.
Jack
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by Jack »

rkhusky wrote:I wonder if a catastrophic health insurance plan, coupled with a concierge doctor service, would count as being suitably covered under the ACA, so that you don't have to pay the alternative health tax? Or have catastrophic policies disappeared due to the ACA? I imagine that the concierge doctor (and the catastrophic insurance company) would have to give you a form to file with your taxes, stating the guaranteed level of care.
The ACA exchanges allow catastrophic plans for those under 30 years of age and for certain hardship individuals. But it turns out that catastrophic plans are not that much different from many bronze plans.

Catastrophic plans have both a $6350 deductible and a $6350 out of pocket maximum, as do some bronze plans. Catastrophic plans also include three primary care visits per year and preventative services, the same as bronze plans. Bronze plans have a 60% actuarial value while catastrophic plans may have less than 60%. But it turns out that a $6350 out of pocket maximum works out to around 60% actuarial value anyway, so a catastrophic plan may only save you $20 or so per month. Bronze plans for young individuals are already pretty cheap.

The biggest difference is that catastrophic plans are not eligible for any subsidies, so they would be a worse deal for low-income people.

The numbers I have seen so far, which are very preliminary, are that less than 1% of sign-ups are for catastrophic plans. By far the largest number of sign-ups, more than 60%, are for silver plans. This is to be expected at this point since the people most eager to sign up first, low income people who couldn't previously afford insurance, are those more likely to benefit from subsidies and cost sharing reduction in a silver plan.
RobInCT
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by RobInCT »

One of the most significant cost savings to health insurance is the negotiated payment rates insurance companies have with health care providers. Several years ago I paid out-of-pocket for a medical treatment that was at the time not covered by my insurance plan. My company switched insurance providers the next year, and the same treatment was now covered by my insurance plan. I had the treatment again, and my insurance reimbursed the same doctor approximately 25% of what I had paid him the year before.

If you choose to pay for your own care out-of-pocket, be prepared to negotiate your own prices (or to attempt to do so). Uninsured patients pay much more for identical healthcare than do insured patients.
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by hicabob »

RobInCT wrote:One of the most significant cost savings to health insurance is the negotiated payment rates insurance companies have with health care providers. Several years ago I paid out-of-pocket for a medical treatment that was at the time not covered by my insurance plan. My company switched insurance providers the next year, and the same treatment was now covered by my insurance plan. I had the treatment again, and my insurance reimbursed the same doctor approximately 25% of what I had paid him the year before.

If you choose to pay for your own care out-of-pocket, be prepared to negotiate your own prices (or to attempt to do so). Uninsured patients pay much more for identical healthcare than do insured patients.

A usurious 4 times more is about the average!
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by ourbrooks »

Why bother with someone who advertises concierge medicine? Just about any doctor will happily accept cash, or even, credit cards for their services.

The problem is, the doctor's bill is one of the smaller parts of health care costs. The average emergency room visit costs $2168; nearly all of that goes to the hospital, not to your concierge doctor. The average cost of an inpatient stay at a hospital is $1,960 per day, exclusive of doctor's fees.

Forget about trying to find a concierge doctor. Find a concierge hospital, one with an emergency room and an intensive care ward.

If you do find a concierge doctor, check very carefully into his/her hospital admitting privileges. You might end up in a situation in which your concierge doctor is not been allowed to practice at the hospital in which you are; then, you'll end up paying for the house doctors and your concierge fee won't cover anything.

Also, you can't go to M.D. Anderson or Sloan Kettering unless your doctor has admitting privileges there; if your doctor doesn't have admitting privileges then you'll have to pay one of the doctors who does. That will be in addition to all of the money you pay directly to M. D. Anderson or Sloan Kettering for your hospital stay.
Last edited by ourbrooks on Sat Dec 14, 2013 6:51 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Ged
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by Ged »

Sugar1 wrote:
I don't want obamacare. I want the option to go to MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering, if one of us gets cancer God forbid. Please don't question my motives.

Thank You.
It used to be before Obamacare if you got cancer and had no insurance you were financially ruined unless you were really wealthy. To give you an example, my mother had cancer. The cost for treatment of her disease ran over $1 million. Fortunately she had good insurance and none of it was out of pocket.

Now with Obamacare you can get insurance after you get cancer. However there are limited times during the year when you can apply for insurance, the so-called 'open enrollment' periods. So there is a chance that you could end up paying out of pocket for cancer treatment for several months. How much could that be? A quite large amount of money. Maybe enough to bankrupt you.

It's your choice.
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by ourbrooks »

Of course, there's another federal health care program besides Obamacare; Johnsoncare already has 49 million people enrolled, far more than Obamacare.
So far, there hasn't been any large scale information theft from Johnsoncare computers; all of the theft has been from banks, stores, web sites, hospitals, insurance companies, and credit card processors who keep Johnsoncare information on file. (If you're really worried about identity theft, don't keep your money in banks and don't ever use a credit card.)

Both M. D. Anderson and Sloan Kettering accept Johnsoncare. (Strangely enough, both M.D. Anderson and Sloan Kettering accept many Obamacare policies.) Alas, Johnsoncare is not available to most people under the age of 65.
RobInCT
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by RobInCT »

Sugar1 wrote:I don't want obamacare. I want the option to go to MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering, if one of us gets cancer God forbid.
How does buying health insurance prevent you from going to MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering? :confused
goodenoughinvestor
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by goodenoughinvestor »

RobInCT wrote:
Sugar1 wrote:I don't want obamacare. I want the option to go to MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering, if one of us gets cancer God forbid.
How does buying health insurance prevent you from going to MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering? :confused
Foxnews just did a scare story on how top hospitals aren't participating in Obamacare so patients are being shut out. Memorial Sloan Kettering was mentioned specifically. But according to the hospital's website, they are in-network for some Obamacare plans:

http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/hospit ... arketplace
RobInCT
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by RobInCT »

goodenoughinvestor wrote:
RobInCT wrote:
Sugar1 wrote:I don't want obamacare. I want the option to go to MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering, if one of us gets cancer God forbid.
How does buying health insurance prevent you from going to MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering? :confused
Foxnews just did a scare story on how top hospitals aren't participating in Obamacare so patients are being shut out. Memorial Sloan Kettering was mentioned specifically. But according to the hospital's website, they are in-network for some Obamacare plans:

http://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/hospit ... arketplace
But OP indicated he was willing to pay out-of-pocket for MD Anderson or Sloan Kettering. I don't see how having insurance would foreclose that option. I doubt either of these hospitals is checking insurance cards at the door and turning away all insured people, regardless of their ability to pay.
etarini
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by etarini »

There's a reason they call it health INSURANCE. It's not about simply paying a doctor like you're shopping for a nice car. Things happen. You get blind-sided by someone who's going 70 miles an hour while texting. Now you're practically a vegetable - but still require a lot of medical care.

Kaiser Health News reported that for 2010, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that:

The top 1% of medical care users account for 21% of medical care costs.
The top 5% of medical care users account for 50% of medical care costs.

The top half of medical care users account for 97.2% of medical care costs.
The bottom half of medical care users account for only 2.8%.

http://meps.ahrq.gov/mepsweb/data_files ... t421.shtml

Do you feel lucky?

Eric
rkhusky
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by rkhusky »

RobInCT wrote:One of the most significant cost savings to health insurance is the negotiated payment rates insurance companies have with health care providers. Several years ago I paid out-of-pocket for a medical treatment that was at the time not covered by my insurance plan. My company switched insurance providers the next year, and the same treatment was now covered by my insurance plan. I had the treatment again, and my insurance reimbursed the same doctor approximately 25% of what I had paid him the year before.

If you choose to pay for your own care out-of-pocket, be prepared to negotiate your own prices (or to attempt to do so). Uninsured patients pay much more for identical healthcare than do insured patients.
That's one thing I've often wondered. Why didn't the government ever require hospitals and doctors to charge everyone the same amount, whether they had insurance or not. Charging those without insurance more than those with insurance never made sense to me, since the former generally had less money than the latter, which is why they didn't have insurance in the first place.
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

Post by bengal22 »

joe8d wrote:
Sugar1 wrote:Hi:

I was curious if anyone has used this healthcare website http://www.controlmycare.com/ ? For $20 a month they provide you some "light" nurse and doctor services over the phone. They will call a prescription in for you.

At this point i am petrified about signing up for obamacare, and probably will not do so.

I am looking for alternatives such a concierge doctor services in my area. Does anyone have an idea on how I should look for this in my area? I would rather go directly to a doctor and cut out the insurance company.

Any and all thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Do your DD on the ACA offerings.Many friends have found better coverage w/ lower total overall cost than they had with their previous coverage.
At this point i am petrified about signing up for obamacare, and probably will not do so.
All I can say about that statement is to stop listening to Fox News :D
:annoyed
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Re: "Control my care;" and other alternatives to healthcare?

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