Family physician Steven Butdorf of Eugene, Ore., was tired of rushing patients through appointments, tired of insurers denying procedures, and tired of paperwork…. [so he] opened Exceptional Health Care, which lets patients pay a set monthly fee in return for specific health care services — leaving out insurance companies altogether.
Butdorf charges patients between $39 and $79 per month, depending on their age, plus $20 for each office visit. He says he devotes an average of 30 minutes to each appointment, and 60 minutes for an annual physical.
“What I’m doing allows the patient to come to the doctor and pay the doctor without a third party there to set rules and regulations for how we conduct medicine,” Butdorf said.
More on this new approach to improve health care quality in USA Today.
