Concierge medicine is a free market solution to rising health care costs

Democrats seem to believe the only solution to any health care issue is more government. Medicaid was expanded far beyond its original intended capacity by the Affordable Care Act, and the current Senate health care proposal is more of a tweak than a repeal.

Board certified family physician James Pinckney M.D. told Chris Salcedo that it’s essential to figure out how to serve the 22 million projected to lose their health care coverage and access while reinvigorating the doctor/patient relationship. Dr. Pinckney provides medical services through a concierge group.

He reported on today’s “Chris Salcedo Show” that people abuse the Medicaid system every day, evidence of which he sees in the emergency room. People use the ER in place of a primary care physician. Some are not citizens, and many others go when they cannot get in to see their doctor due to overwhelming demand. This drives the cost of medical care delivery up from an average of $50 per visit to potentially thousands.

Dr. Pinckney suggested a return to a free market system to lower costs. Membership medicine, also known as concierge care, is one such solution. Members pay a monthly fee for virtually unlimited medical care. Cash-only, fee-for-service models and telehealth (online or over the phone doctor visits) also drive costs down, eliminating the third party overhead imposed by insurance companies.

To see more from Chris, visit his channel onTheBlaze and listen live to “The Chris Salcedo Show” weekdays 2–5 p.m. ET, only on TheBlaze Radio Network.