Yesterday, the state Senate passed the Health Care Empowerment Act by a vote of 32-0. Tomorrow, the bill will be heard in the House Health Committee, its last stop before a vote of the full House of Representatives. This is a big week for healthcare freedom in Tennessee.
The proposal will protect the practice of Direct Primary Care (DPC) in the Volunteer State. More and more doctors are embracing this model, which allows them to enter into monthly agreements with patients for healthcare services. Think of it as a gym membership for your healthcare. The video below highlights the benefits of DPC.
Patients love DPC because it gives them more access to their doctor at a more affordable price, especially if they cannot afford health insurance or have a high yearly deductible. Oftentimes, these agreements can cost as little as $30 per month, and the services patients receive in exchange are far better than what they could otherwise get.
Doctors also love DPC because it allows them to cut expensive overhead costs and saves them time and energy trying to collect payment for their services. Thus, they get to spend more time with their patients and can go back to doing their job as doctors, instead of as bill collectors.
Unfortunately, some government busybodies have intervened in other states and attempted to treat the DPC model as insurance. Telling a DPC doctor they are an insurance company virtually eliminates their ability to practice under this model. The Health Care Empowerment Act simply clarifies that doctors practicing direct care are not and cannot be treated as insurance companies.
After this week, Tennessee should be one step closer to restoring the relationship between doctor and patient. That’s something that should make us all proud.