LEAWOOD, Kan. — A local doctor fed up with the way he’s reimbursed by insurance companies says he’s not going to accept health care insurance anymore.
Dr. Troy Burns also cites a new billing system needed for the Affordable Care Act as another reason he’s offering his patients a monthly membership fee for his primary care services.
“There’s no such thing as an additional office visit charge for X-rays, if someone slips on the ice and slices their leg open, we sew them up and don’t charge an extra penny for that,” said Dr. Troy Burns.
Burns said his monthly fees are based on age the same way insurance companies access payments. Burns said patients in their teens pay $30 a month, a man in his 40’s would pay $70 a month, while a man 70 years and older would pay $125 a month.
With the monthly fee patients have access to him 24 hours a day, seven days a week via email and text. While you pay a monthly fee, patients who opt for this plan still need insurance in case of a catastrophic illness or if they need hospitalization.
Is it comparable to the Affordable Care Act? That depends on a number of factors such as the level of care you choose, whether you qualify for a subsidy, your age and if you smoke.
Dr. Burns won’t accept coverage from the Affordable Care Act either because he says in order to use it he has to pay a hefty fee to upgrade his billing system.