-
An Eau Claire child is about to undergo his fourth heart surgery just days before his second birthday.More >> The woman accused of crashing her car into city hall after allegedly huffing now faces a third charge of huffing.More >>
Menomonie (WQOW) - Imagine a place where knowing the
cost of your health care is as easy as ordering off a menu.
ReforMedicine, in Menomonie, is a
family practice that operates on a direct pay basis. The clinic has been open for 18 months and
because of a demand for care, it's adding a second doctor and expanding
hours. Dr. David usher used to work at a
large clinic in Eau Claire,
but decided to start his own practice because of changes surrounding the
Affordable Care Act, and concerns he's heard from patients about the cost of
health care.
"This is a better
way to go because people are actually in control of the care that they receive.
They have the power of the purse and we as doctors have to be, in this system
better at explaining the value of the thing we're recommending. If we want
somebody to have a test and to pay for it, we have to be really good at
explaining why it is that this is going to help them, " says Dr. Usher.
Here's one
example of how the clinic's direct pay system works: for an office visit you'd
pay a flat fee of $55. Dr. Usher says it provides an affordable option for
people with health savings accounts, high deductible health insurance, or no insurance.
