Article: The Rise of Direct Primary Care in America
Publication: KevinMD.com
Featured: Andy Bonner

Andy Bonner, CEO and Founder of Healthcare2U, recently wrote an article for KevinMD.com about the rise of Direct Primary Care (DPC).

Bonner discussed in the article how it’s rising specifically in America, how DPC puts patients first, how it enhanced the doctor-patient relationship, and more. He explains how DPC has been rising for years, and that it is rapidly gaining momentum as a viable alternative to the traditional fee-for-service healthcare system.

Read the full article here: KevinMD.com

Healthcare2U showed up at the Salvation Army in Austin, TX, complete with Santa, his helper, and a trailer full of toys.

The company adopted a total of 75 angels and ten toy tags and even earned a feature in a FOX 7 News story. This is the second year the company has participated in this holiday event.

To check out more coverage of Healthcare2U in the news, check out our “In the News” section on our website.

Andy Bonner, CEO and Founder of Healthcare2U, was invited to speak on the “Self-Funded with Spencer” podcast on Direct Primary Care (DPC). Bonner spoke about why he thinks DPC is the future, how he started his DPC journey, and how his company Healthcare2U is making waves in healthcare as the nation’s fastest-growing hybrid DPC membership.

Click here to watch the podcast.

To learn more about Healthcare2U’s DPC membership, check out our blogs.

Press Release: Healthcare2U Introduces Direct Primary Care Advantage
Publication: Insurance Newsnet

AUSTIN, TX. September 21, 2023 – Healthcare2U announces the introduction of its DPCadvantage initiative, a new zero-dollar office visit fee healthcare membership. This initiative arms health brokers with an innovative solution to help employers contain costs related to their healthcare offerings as it diverts claims against major medical insurance plans.

“We understand the challenges associated with receiving quality healthcare and are diligent in our pursuit to make it affordable for everyone. Our zero-dollar visit fee DPCadvantage initiative is a necessary step toward reshaping the healthcare experience for our members,” said Andy Bonner, President and CEO of Healthcare2U. “Our goal is to empower individuals to prioritize their health and seek a path toward healthier lives.”  

Read the full press release here: Insurance Newsnet

Healthcare2U’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Rodriguez, is featured in a news story with Katie Aupperle on their “Focus at Four” segment discussing how Direct Primary Care can help fix the problem with current healthcare, something that a recent poll stated many Americans are dissatisfied with.

Transcript

Katie Aupperle: Unexpected costs, access challenges, and long wait times. The barriers to seeing a doctor can stand in the way of receiving healthcare. A new poll finds that public satisfaction with the US healthcare system is remarkably low. Many are now looking for ways to make improvements- this is where direct primary care comes in.

To explain more about what this is, we’re joined by Dr. John Rodriguez. Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today. We wanted to start off, what did we see from the recent poll about satisfaction with our healthcare?

Dr. John Rodriguez: Yeah, I mean, again, to me, no surprise. We’ve been seeing this decline for quite a number of years now. It’s just the “hurry up healthcare system” we’re in now. Everyone’s in a hurry- doctors are in a hurry to see as many patients as they can, people ae trying to fight insurance companies because of the poor reimbursement, etc. So, we’re seeing the inevitable result is just poor patient satisfaction. When you’re only allowed seven minutes with your physician to maybe go over two or three items, it can be pretty frustrating in terms of the care received.

Katie Aupperle: What are some concerns that we’re seeing from people?

Dr. John Rodriguez: One of the concerns is that “the doctor didn’t listen to me”, right? So, patients walk out of the exam room just feeling like their questions weren’t answered and their care wasn’t appropriate. They’re left kind of in the dark in some sense, and good or bad, the patient is not happy and then they may seek care somewhere else or find another physician or clinic to what they think is receiving better care, but unfortunately, can be the same song and dance from clinic to clinic.

Katie Aupperle: What are some steps that you are hoping can be taken to improve circumstances?

Dr. John Rodriguez: Well with Healthcare2U, we advocate more of a direct relationship with your provider. The sad thing is, at the end of the day, it’s about trying to make a living. When you’re not paid enough by insurance companies and third-party payers, the quality of care suffers. We’re trying to bring more quality back in healthcare and make it more direct, like our direct primary care model, which is advocates for the relationship between patient and physician. That really puts the responsibility on the physician to provide that better care without having to worry about filing claim after claim after claim.

Katie Aupperle: How can this make a difference for patients?

Dr. John Rodriguez: For patients, it’s much better experience. The patient is allowed more time with the physician or their primary care provider. Instead of seven minutes, now it can go really as long as 15 to 30 minutes, if need be, to listen to the complaints of the patient. And the physician is obliged at that point because he’s now in a better financial position to be able to take care of that patient and provide the care they need, whether it’s further testing, less testing and saving the system money because the physician is able to listen, etc. I think that’s the key in all this is that the quality of the patient care is heightened as well as the value of the care given is improved on, and that there’s not a lot of wasted testing, a lot of wasted referrals, etc. which adds to the cost of healthcare in general.

Katie Aupperle: Are there any steps that patients can take to improve their experience?

Dr. John Rodriguez: Absolutely. I think number one is being patient with your current provider. Understanding that there’s a lot of burnout amongst physicians. They’re just very unhappy and feel like they’re trapped., so a lot of physicians just are not capable of giving the care they would like to give. I think that’s the frustrating thing in all of this. So, what patients can do is just be patient with their provider and understand that they’re going through some struggles. But at the end of the day, really what can the patient do, if they’re looking for better care for themselves, is to seek out a practice that has a DPC sort of a model. In other words, a cash direct model where the patient would pay a small monthly fee to be in that practice as a membership, thus allowing that provider to give the care that that patient deserves.

Katie Aupperle: Dr. Rodriguez, thank you so much for taking the time to come on the show and walk us through this.

To view more helpful Healthcare2U videos, check out our YouTube Channel!

Article: Customizable Benefit Solutions Can Deliver Impressive Cost Savings
Publication: America’s Benefit Specialist
Featured: Andy Bonner

Healthcare2U Co-Founder, President, and CEO Andy Bonner recently sat down to write an article for America’s Benefit Specialist. He spoke about the struggles employers are currently facing when trying to provide quality, affordable care to employees, and how direct primary care (DPC) is one solution that is gaining momentum.

DPC is experiencing an impressive annual growth rate of 36%, emerging as an affordable and more accessible non-traditional healthcare alternative. Healthcare2U’s DPC membership offers nationwide, unlimited access to board-certified family care physicians or internists, and includes unlimited access to primary and urgent care, bilingual virtual care, an annual physical with four labs, and early-stage chronic disease management for 13 prevalent chronic diseases.

DPC is a solution that might not be known by every company, but should.

Read the full article here: America’s Benefit Specialist

Article: CEO Andy Bonner Talks with The Silicon Review About His Vision to Expand Healthcare Access
Publication: The Silicon Review
Featured: Andy Bonner

Healthcare2U Co-Founder, President, and CEO Andy Bonner recently sat down for an interview with The Silicon Review. He shared his vision of revolutionizing healthcare delivery through affordable and accessible primary and urgent care. In this interview, Andy elaborates on his challenges when launching Healthcare2U, how he overcame them, and what sets Healthcare2U apart from other direct primary care companies.

Today, Healthcare2U’s membership program allows unlimited access to board-certified family care physicians or internists nationwide through their Private Physician Network™. Healthcare2U’s plan includes unlimited access to primary and urgent care, bilingual virtual care, an annual physical with four labs, and early-stage chronic disease management for 13 prevalent chronic diseases.

Third-party administrators, carriers, and brokers partner with Healthcare2U. The nationwide DPC membership provides clients an alternative to primary care access via traditional insurance. Healthcare2U is especially attractive to employers who offer high-deductible health plans as it allows for access to day-to-day care and eliminates the need to file a claim against a member’s major medical plan for care provided within the DPC ecosystem.

Andy’s mission to transform primary care access and enhance the overall patient experience is evident in this interview.

Read the full article here: The Silicon Review

Article: Healthcare2U Enables Individuals with Modest Incomes to Afford Primary Care Consultations for Early Detection of Major Health Conditions
Publication: CEOCFO Magazine
Featured: Andy Bonner

Recently, our Co-Founder, President, and CEO, Andy Bonner, sat with Lynn Flosse of CEOCFO Magazine to share his vision to redefine the delivery of healthcare by providing affordable and accessible primary care services to individuals across the United States. Andy was inspired to found Healthcare2U in 2013 after an uncoordinated healthcare experience resulted in cancer going undiagnosed. He aimed to develop a nationwide program based on the Direct Primary Care (DPC) model, which makes primary care consultations affordable and accessible for everyone.

Today, Healthcare2U’s membership offers primary care in all 50 states and provides unlimited access to family care physicians or internists through their Private Physician Network™. The plan includes the following:

• Patient advocacy line for members
• Unlimited 24/7 bilingual telehealth for $0 out-of-pocket cost
• Unlimited in-office visits for $10 per visit
• Unlimited urgent care visits at $25 per visit
• Annual physical examinations with four basic labs
• Early-stage chronic disease management for 13 prevalent chronic diseases.

Through benefits brokers, Healthcare2U serves employers as a supplement to existing health plans for their employees. For example, members with high deductible health plans can benefit from Healthcare2U because the membership will serve as a gap solution, providing valuable day-to-day healthcare that is otherwise not covered by their major medical plan.

Get to know Andy and learn about his passion for revolutionizing primary care access and improving the overall patient experience by addressing the flaws in the traditional fee-for-service healthcare model.

Read the full article here: CEOCFO Magazine

Healthcare2U’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. John Rodriguez, is featured in a news story with Amanda Hill speaking about how the doctor shortage, which is set to get even worse in the next few years, will affect the US.

Transcript

News Center Maine: Have you noticed it takes a little longer to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician right now? Or once you’re at that appointment, you feel rushed through it. Dr. John Rodriguez says it’s a problem nationwide, but it’s impacting every community, especially smaller ones.

Dr. Rodriguez: I see a lot of my friends, primary care friends, have called it quits. They’ve either left the scene already, they’re joining the big groups, they’ve left healthcare, or they’re working for insurance companies.

Amanda Hill: But why are primary care physicians leaving? Dr. John Rodriguez is the Chief Medical Officer of a direct primary care office. Essentially, it’s a practice that has either a membership fee or takes direct payment from the patient, cutting out the need for an insurance company. While it’s not an affordable option for everyone, Dr. Rodriguez says it does afford a more intimate relationship with patients and cuts down on overwhelming paperwork, which has become two reasons for doctor burnout.

Dr. Rodriguez: Your visits now are down to seven minutes on average. I mean, that’s fine if it’s a head cold, but if you’re dealing with three or four medical problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, that’s impossible to keep up with that in proper form.

Amanda Hill: Is there a concern for you- a misdiagnosis or something that’s missed in the appointment?

Dr. Rodriguez: Absolutely. And I’ve seen it. Sometimes I’m a second opinion doctor, so I’ll see patients from other offices, and as well-intended as they were, their diagnosis was off, and we come up with a different diagnosis. And again, I see it- they were in a hurry, the patient had a few complaints, and they didn’t think they were important, but they were.

Amanda Hill: The Association of American Medical Colleges projects that in 2034, the US will have shortages of between nearly 18,000 and 48,000 primary care physicians. That’s in just the next decade.

Dr. Rodriguez: I would bet that most of your listeners have probably experienced that already.

Amanda Hill: It’s not a new issue. About five years ago, we met Dr. Bill Med, who worked well beyond his retirement years in the town of Norway because he couldn’t find a replacement. Do you worry about what will happen to them when you leave?

Dr. Bill Med: Oh, yeah. That’s probably the main thing that’s continuing my work.

Amanda Hill: But there are changes being made. Dr. Med started working with Maine Health on a program to recruit more doctors to rural parts of the state. The question remains whether those changes are happening quickly enough.

Dr. Rodriguez: It’s going to get worse. And really, the issue is, you need the quarterback. You need someone who knows the healthcare system and how to maneuver through that. And if you don’t have that, it’s chaos.

Amanda Hill: So, some advice: if you’re losing your primary care physician, it’s worth asking the practice or the physician themselves if they’d refer you to someone else. We’ve also shared a link on our website with a list of direct primary care physicians in Maine if that is something you’re interested in.

To view more helpful Healthcare2U videos, check out our YouTube Channel!