This Pittsburgh doctor sees patients for just a flat fee of $35 -- with or without insurance

Source: http://www.cuzzblue.com/2020/05/this-pittsburgh-doctor-sees-patients.html
Published: May 19, 2020
Author: staff
Post Date: 2020-05-19 16:55:29 by Ada
Views: 5099

A Pittsburgh doctor is trying a new approach to health care. Dr. Timothy Wong refuses to take your insurance and instead just charges $35 for a primary care visit. There is no membership or hidden costs.

Wong said by eliminating the overhead of insurance paperwork and staff at iHealth Clinic in East Liberty, he can afford to charge less.

Wong said the low cost is important for people who don't have insurance. He wanted to make it affordable for those people to see a doctor.

Wong said 8.5% of people in Pittsburgh don't have insurance coverage -- which works out to about 25,000 people.

"I worked in the traditional setting for almost five years after residency, and I kind of lost faith in the system," he said. "We had so much inefficiency, we were letting down patients, and it was actually worse than I even realized because I never even saw, really, how many people didn't have insurance."

Wong did his residency at UPMC Shadyside. He opened iHealth seven months ago and is working six days per week to make it work.

He estimates that if he sees 20 patients per day he can earn about 65% of an average doctor's salary, and describes this as much more rewarding.

Some patients do have insurance when they visit iHealth because they said it's easier to get a walk-in appointment and can still pay less than when they use insurance.

Wong said that if additional testing such as blood work has to be sent off site, there could be an additional fee.

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#1: BTP Holdings    To: Ada (#0)

When I first started working for State of Illinois, my primary care physician was located in Ravenswood Hospital in Chicago.

I heard that building has been empty now for 20 years, and they are planning on turning it into Senior Citizen housing. I hope they have been keeping up on maintenance of the place. ;)

BTP Holdings posted on 2020-05-19 17:09:36   Reply   Private Reply

#2: Dakmar    To: Ada (#0)

Get up offa that thang

Dakmar posted on 2020-05-19 18:13:18   Reply   Private Reply

#3: DWornock    To: Ada (#0)

When the government gets involved, the price skyrockets. Even adjusting for inflation, it now cost more after insurance than it costs 50 years ago without insurance.

DWornock posted on 2020-05-19 19:52:28   Reply   Private Reply

#4: Bill D Berger    To: Ada (#0)

A Pittsburgh doctor is trying a new approach to health care. Dr. Timothy Wong refuses to take your insurance and instead just charges $35 for a primary care visit.

I think Dr. Ron Paul did that when he had his own office...refusing Medicaid and operating the same way.

He estimates that if he sees 20 patients per day he can earn about 65% of an average doctor's salary, and describes this as much more rewarding.

$218,400/year - not bad.

Bill D Berger posted on 2020-05-19 22:59:56   Reply   Private Reply

#5: NeoconsNailed    To: Ada (#0)

How absolutely marvelous. Why don't they all do that and chuck the burocracy? 20 patients a day at that rate is $3500 a week, could be worse. Sounds like he's not even doing it 'concierge' where they'd have to pay a monthly retainer.

NeoconsNailed posted on 2020-05-20 01:03:10   Reply   Private Reply

#6: NeoconsNailed    To: BTP Holdings (#1)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcxdNofZshc

;)

NeoconsNailed posted on 2020-05-20 01:09:43   Reply   Private Reply

#7: Esso    To: NeoconsNailed, 4um (#5)

20 patients a day at that rate is $3500 a week, could be worse.

Well, except for the liability insurance & shit. Ins. Cos. probably take about what the Drs get.

Esso posted on 2020-05-20 01:20:50   Reply   Private Reply

#8: Esso    To: NeoconsNailed (#6)

There's a EweToob with some "urban explorers" in there. Appears all the "precious" medical records are there for the taking.

Esso posted on 2020-05-20 01:23:01   Reply   Private Reply

#9: NeoconsNailed    To: Esso (#7)

At $218,400 a year I think he might get by -- speshly if he deals some in cash (he'd be a fool not to).

NeoconsNailed posted on 2020-05-20 01:43:01   Reply   Private Reply

#10: NeoconsNailed    To: Esso (#8)

Right. And that place is so intact -- or was at its closing -- I think the hurricane is just an excuse.

"There's a EweToob with some "urban explorers" in there" -- I'm glad you noticed that ;) Such EewTubers show like nobody else how much waste goes on -- whole humongous facilities going to rack and ruin all across the country. In one set in a college there are nice fresh-looking Yamaha pianos just standing around.

NeoconsNailed posted on 2020-05-20 01:47:41   Reply   Private Reply

#11: Esso    To: NeoconsNailed (#9)

20 patients a day at that rate is $3500 a week, could be worse.

I'm doing OK at about one-tenth of that/year. I've got no debt though.

Esso posted on 2020-05-20 01:58:49   Reply   Private Reply

#12: NeoconsNailed    To: Esso (#11)

Good -- it seems to be a rare ameriKan that's not in debt anymore. I've always avoided it like the plague, but most ppl seem to have no concept of its negatives at all.

NeoconsNailed posted on 2020-05-20 02:13:43   Reply   Private Reply

#13: Esso    To: NeoconsNailed, 4um (#12)

...but most ppl seem to have no concept of its negatives at all.

Almost nobody can determine between wants and needs.

I might be old-fashioned, but both my parents were children of the depression, ya know, that old-timey one that started in 1929 and didn't really bottom until 1932. Kinda ended after WWII thingy.

If nothing else, I do pay attention, maybe too much.

Esso posted on 2020-05-20 02:30:21   Reply   Private Reply

#14: Ada    To: NeoconsNailed (#5)

Many doctors are now refusing to deal with insurance including my own but he charges considerably more than $35 per visit.

Ada posted on 2020-05-20 11:00:02   Reply   Private Reply

#15: NeoconsNailed    To: Ada (#14)

You're in a very special part of the country.

NeoconsNailed posted on 2020-05-20 11:33:00   Reply   Private Reply

#16: BTP Holdings    To: Esso (#13)

both my parents were children of the depression

Mine too. My Mom was in love with a SeaBee. But he got killed in the South Pacific.

Then she met my Dad at a Dance Hall. She always told my two sisters, "Don't ever marry someone you meet at a dance hall." :-/

BTP Holdings posted on 2020-05-20 12:28:11   Reply   Private Reply

#17: BTP Holdings    To: Dakmar (#2)

Detroit

I used to make produce deliveries in Detroit. Delivery time was always Midnight.

One night I was sitting on side street waiting to get into the dock. This black girl came up to the truck wanting to talk with me.

All of a sudden, four guys came running off the dock. They beat the crap out of the black girl and a black guy that was sneaking up on blind side of truck.

When they finished with them, they threw them both out in middle of busy street. I hollered a them, "Are you going to leave them there?"

They said, "Darn right we are. You KNOW what they were going to do to you."

And when word of that got around, nobody else went over there screwing around either. ;)

BTP Holdings posted on 2020-05-20 12:35:42   Reply   Private Reply

#18: Ada    To: NeoconsNailed (#15)

You're in a very special part of the country.

Rents are higher, and the doctors have to figure that into their fees.

Ada posted on 2020-05-20 13:18:28   Reply   Private Reply

#19: NeoconsNailed    To: Ada (#18)

And everything is simply higher in greater NYC. I speculate that it doesn't have to be, but a weird part of human nature is the subconscious notion that if life is more expensive it automatically means its of higher quality or moment ;)

NeoconsNailed posted on 2020-05-20 18:12:31   Reply   Private Reply

#20: StraitGate    To: NeoconsNailed, Ada (#19)

Ah, so you're an anti-placist? Great! You can buy a house on Clarion Street in Detroit for $1000. Probably just as nice as any of those $998,557 median value homes for sale in Manhattan.

StraitGate posted on 2020-05-20 21:38:56   Reply   Private Reply

#21: NeoconsNailed    To: StraitGate (#20)

No, I'm ANTI-PLACITIC, and I wouldn't pay a penny over $500 for that house ;)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqfAzpTGPGo&t=89s

NeoconsNailed posted on 2020-05-21 03:42:02   Reply   Private Reply