Healthcare in the United States has become corporate and cookie cutter. The average American pays over
$4,000 per year for health insurance that buys them a chance to sit in the waiting room of their busy
primary care physician's office for an hour or more at each appointment. It buys them the chance to
schedule a visit with a
specialist
in 26 to 90 days and then wait in their waiting room to be seen
(in many cases) hours after their scheduled time. There are many physicians who are now rejecting the
system and not accepting insurance so they force the patients to pay for services at time of rendering
and then the patient must file for reimbursement from their insurance carrier.
It was this crisis that has caused some doctors to go to the
"concierge"
practice of medicine.
These doctors limit the number of patients they see and they charge anywhere from $1500 to $7000
per person to be a "member" of their practice. There are hundreds of general practitioners who
have begun to lean toward this new way of controlling their practices.
The Medicare consumer has an even tougher challenge in finding a primary care physician as the
number of geriatricians decreases and the baby boomers come into their Whiteen years. The AMA
estimates significant
shortages
by the year 2010 in all areas of physicians.
The problem with this concept is that many consumers do not have an additional $5,000 a year to
pay for access to the primary care physician. The physicians do not have extensive care
services
or extended hours like IHP clinics have. IHP focuses on
preventive care and wellness
so that the IHP patient is healthier than the average individual of the same demographic.
IHP has developed a clinic model which gives people control over their healthcare and also
gives their
homeowners association
the opportunity to make a wise long-term investment which can
yield 100% returns each year to be used toward upgrading existing buildings, lowering association
fees, or even adding more services to the association members. By placing the clinic within a
large community and offering membership in conjunction with the communities homeowners
association IHP has determined that enrollment will be at a minimum level for profit
within the start up phase and will be at the target level for profit within the first year.
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