Jump to Part 2. Within days of the Milliman report warning of the “imperative to control for patient selection in DPC studies [lest] differences in cost due to underlying patient differences [] be erroneously assigned as differences caused by DPC”, the first rumbling of resistance from the DPC advocacy community emerged. This was a suggestion,Continue reading “DPC cherry-picking: the defense speaks. Part 1.”
Tag Archives: katherine restrepo
Union County Direct Primary Care in a nutshell.
Union County is estimated by Milliman to have lost money. The odds that Union County saved more than 5.2% are less than one in twenty. The odds that Union County saved 28% or anything near that are miniscule. Do you remember when DPC was claimed to be saving Union County $1.25 Million per year? SoContinue reading “Union County Direct Primary Care in a nutshell.”
dpcreferee’s 2017 op-ed on Union County’s failure to save with DPC proved to be almost spot on.
In February 2017, I sent the op-ed piece below to the Charlotte Observer. It was not selected for publication. But it has been proven accurate in a detailed, independent study by a team of health care actuaries from the Milliman firm, known widely for its health care work. The study was prepared for the SocietyContinue reading “dpcreferee’s 2017 op-ed on Union County’s failure to save with DPC proved to be almost spot on.”
DPC and Medicaid expansion politics.
DPC docs uniformly recommend that their non-indigent patients have wrap-around insurance coverage. But for indigents, particularly for what are known as “Medicaid expansion adults” too many DPC docs are willing to push their state for an indigents’ program heavy on direct primary care coupled to, at best, skimpy coverage of downstream costs. They’re eager forContinue reading “DPC and Medicaid expansion politics.”
Spin doctor says DPC saves 85%. Don’t bet on it.
In a May 2018 “Policy Position” for the John Locke Foundation, Kathleen Restrepo wrote the following: A study conducted by University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University researchers found that patients seeking treatment from Access Healthcare, a direct-care practice located in Apex, North Carolina, spent 85 percent less on total health care spendingContinue reading “Spin doctor says DPC saves 85%. Don’t bet on it.”
Spin Doctor: DPC office visits are four times as long as PPS office visits. Don’t believe it.
“A university study found that patients treated in one Apex practice enjoyed average 35-minute office visits, more than four times longer than the average visit in a more typical practice. They also spent 85 percent less money.” Kathlerine Restrepo, John Locke Foundation press release of March 22, 2017 As discussed in a prior post, Ms.Continue reading “Spin Doctor: DPC office visits are four times as long as PPS office visits. Don’t believe it.”
Going insurance-free does not, and cannot, reduce the overhead expenses of primary care practices by 60%, or even 40%.
Updated 4/4/21. About 13% of revenue (22% of overhead) according to peer reviewed academic research. I’ve back-tracked Katherine Restrepo’s and Julie Tisdale’s 2016 claim that: By dealing directly with patients and filing no insurance billing whatsoever, DPC practices are able to eliminate 40-60 percent of their overhead expenses. A footnote there takes you to a 2015 KatherineContinue reading “Going insurance-free does not, and cannot, reduce the overhead expenses of primary care practices by 60%, or even 40%.”
DPC Referee 