It is only at ONE PRACTICE. It's not insurance. It is permission to attend a doctor at THAT practice only. There are about a dozen docs there (my doc is there, but I see her at another practice closer to home). You cannot see a doctor at that practice unless you become a monthly member.
This is in addition to any health insurance. For comparison, hubby and I are retired - he took up private health cover as soon as it was offered in the 80's, and is grandfathered in at an amazing rate: 2 of us for $377/ month. (I remember when that amount was my monthly rent in the USA!). If he were to quit and re-join, he would lose that grandfather clause, and it might be double that.
Well, every "patient" here must fight the algorithm. It's a really firm algorithm. I know that the doc my friend is seeing (my doc) is not so firm, and wants to learn - asks me questions about how I got my scores down, etc. (I've never had a doc ask me that!).
So - unlike California - I think there is still some privacy in the room with the doc. BUT the doc must comply or will be hanged. (or delicensed, or suspended, or - whatever AHPRA decides to do based on the complaint) (I have had 3 of my docs suffer from AHPRA inquisitions, some of which ended poorly, and often when I go looking for a special doc - I'll find they are suspended for talking nutrition, which is forbidden).
Influence the clinic? What are you asking? The clinic is corporate, how could anyone influence that? You may be able to influence a little bit at the doc level.
For $30 a month, that's a bargain. I pay a lot more for 2 kinds of insurance per month in the States. Glad this actually exists!
Do such patients have a say in what sort of doctors the insurance supports?
It is only at ONE PRACTICE. It's not insurance. It is permission to attend a doctor at THAT practice only. There are about a dozen docs there (my doc is there, but I see her at another practice closer to home). You cannot see a doctor at that practice unless you become a monthly member.
This is in addition to any health insurance. For comparison, hubby and I are retired - he took up private health cover as soon as it was offered in the 80's, and is grandfathered in at an amazing rate: 2 of us for $377/ month. (I remember when that amount was my monthly rent in the USA!). If he were to quit and re-join, he would lose that grandfather clause, and it might be double that.
Aha. And do members have any influence over the clinic?
Well, every "patient" here must fight the algorithm. It's a really firm algorithm. I know that the doc my friend is seeing (my doc) is not so firm, and wants to learn - asks me questions about how I got my scores down, etc. (I've never had a doc ask me that!).
So - unlike California - I think there is still some privacy in the room with the doc. BUT the doc must comply or will be hanged. (or delicensed, or suspended, or - whatever AHPRA decides to do based on the complaint) (I have had 3 of my docs suffer from AHPRA inquisitions, some of which ended poorly, and often when I go looking for a special doc - I'll find they are suspended for talking nutrition, which is forbidden).
Influence the clinic? What are you asking? The clinic is corporate, how could anyone influence that? You may be able to influence a little bit at the doc level.
Of course. That's the root of the problem. If we had patient-doctor insurance cooperatives, we would have influence.
In the system as it is, we are the ones paying, and get no influence. Sucks.