In Episode 89, Dr Roussel discusses texts, calls and emails between the doctor and patients in a DPC practice. DPC practices by their very nature can feel extremely liberating for both sides to no longer have to deal with the madness of fee-for-service, but at the same time this new found freedom can lead patients to wonder how best to communicate with the doctor? In his discussion Dr Roussel discusses the challenges of being open to patients’ calls, texts and emails for their medical needs while at the same time creating a healthy, sustainable practice that can best care for the needs of every member.
In Episode 88, Dr Roussel discusses task management in a direct primary care practice. In particular, he elaborates on strategies to manage the large number tasks that are often required of DPC doctors. After a discussion on the key differences between DPC and fee-for-service when it comes to managing tasks, this episode focuses on how to work tasks into the work-flow of a practice to provide high-quality, high-attention primary care.
In Episode 87, Dr Roussel discussed staffing in a DPC practice. In the episode, Dr Roussel reviews what kind of employees a direct primary care practice needs to provide high quality patient care. In particular, he compares DPC practices to traditional fee-for-service practices and reviews some of the key differences as well as particular pointers for hiring/staffing when it comes to a doctor who is looking to convert/start a DPC practice.
In Episode 86, Dr Roussel discusses the issue of a DPC doctor’s schedule. In particular, he delves into the question of how DPC doctors should best manage their time now that no longer constrained by a per-visit quota. When more visits does not = more $, how does a doctor navigate the freedom of opportunity when it comes to setting one’s schedule with the demands of caring for one’s panel and running a sustainable business?
In Episode 85, Dr Roussel interviews Dr Garrison Bliss, founder of Qliance Medical and regarded by many as the founder of Direct Primary Care. In the interview, recounts his experience working for Qliance Medical while the company participated in a Medicaid initiative to provide comprehensive primary care to Medicaid beneficiaries, an initiative which failed in terms of fiscal sustainability. Dr Bliss further discusses his perspective on the similarities and differences between that initiative and the Primary Care First initiative proposed by CMS.
In Episode 84, Dr Roussel interviews Jay Keese of the Direct Primary Care Coalition about the new Primary Care First Initiative announced by CMS earlier this year. In the interview they discuss the background of the initiative in terms of Medicare’s goal to engage primary care doctors as well as the aims of the program based on his extensive discussions with the agency throughout the course of the initiative’s development.
In Episode 83, Dr Roussel discusses the CMS Primary Care First Initiative and how it could or could not work with his own primary care practice. In particular, he further elaborates on some potential challenges of incorporating a value based initiative into an existing DPC practice.
In Episode 82, Dr Roussel discusses the Primary Care First Initiative, a new alternative payment model introduced by Medicare to promote value and reduce cost in healthcare. In the episode, Dr Roussel gives an overview of the PCF Initiative before delving into the nuts and bolts of what this model is about, how it is similar and different to Medicare fee-for-service and how it may affect DPC practices.
In Episode 81 Dr Roussel discusses how much it costs to start a direct primary care practice from scratch. In particular he not only delves into the start up expenses needed to start a practice but also goes through a hypothetical scenario of funds needed to keep a practice afloat until it breaks even.
In Episode 80, Dr Roussel interviews Bethany Burk, Quality Specialist at the AAFP, and Amy Mechley, DPC Doctor in Ohio, about the 2019 DPC Summit. In the interview they not only discuss the details of the summit but the focus of this year’s summit compared to previous ones and the role of the summit in the context of the growing DPC movement.
In Episode 79, Dr Roussel breaks discusses how much overhead costs to run a DPC practice. In particular he breaks down the major factors involved in keeping a DPC practice open and how these are similar and/or different from a traditional, insurance-based medical practice.
In Episode 78, Dr Roussel discusses income potential for direct primary care doctors. In particular, he delves into how much direct primary care doctors can earn compared to fee-for-service or employed doctors.
In Episode 77, Dr Roussel interviews Mike Lubin, VP of growth at Hint Health, to talk about the third annual Hint Summit. Taking place in April 2019 in San Francisco, the Hint Summit brings together people from the healthcare space and the employee benefits space to explore, discover and grow the direct care movement. In the interview they discuss the agenda of the Hint Summit, new features of this year’s Hint Summit, and most importantly how the Hint Summit can help catalyze growth for the direct primary care movement.
In Episode 76, Dr Roussel interviews Dr Victor Chou of the Medical Marijuana Clinic of Louisiana about important medical aspects of medical marijuana. In the interview they discuss qualifying conditions for which medical marijuana is indicated, the current state of research with medical marijuana, formulations of medical marijuana, and important practical concerns for practices to take into account when dealing with medical marijuana consultations.
In Episode 75, Dr Roussel interviews Jacob Irving, lawyer, in-house counsel for Ilera Holistic, and lobbyist for medical marijuana legalization. In the interview, they discuss the status of medical marijuana across the 50 states, in terms of Federal law, and steps doctors can take to remain compliant should they decide to recommend medical marijuana.
In Episode 74, Dr Roussel discusses the medical, legal and social impacts of medical marijuana. In particular he focuses on how medical marijuana is likely to affect his practice in the wake of Louisiana’s Act 261 and how it will likely impact other direct primary care practices across the country in the coming years.
In Episode 73, Dr Roussel interviews Dr Shane Avery about the future of DPC and Medicare. In the interview they talk about Dr Avery’s meeting last fall with the head of CMS, Ms Seema Verma, and the head of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Mr Adam Boehler, and their discussions on how to incorporate solo docs ‘into the fold’ of Medicare.
In Episode 72, Dr Roussel interviews Dr Robert Ryan, faculty member and co-founder of East Jefferson General Hospital Family Medicine Residency program, affiliated with Tulane University. In the interview they discuss trends in what careers family medicine residents are choosing when they graduate, increasing consolidation in healthcare, how these changes are impacting the doctor patient relationship, and how DPC can improve the status quo.
In Episode 71, Dr Roussel talks about the options for DPC doctors when dealing with Medicare patients. In particular, he details how DPC doctors can see Medicare patients and run a DPC practice. Also, he further discusses the new Final Rule released by CMS involving new payment schedules for primary care doctors.
In Episode 70, Dr Roussel interviews Dr John Bender, DPC doctor and recent candidate for President of the American Academy of Family Physicians. In the interview they discuss the current state of HR 6199, the bill to allow the use of HSA funds to pay for DPC services, and the AAFP’s efforts to promote primary care through DPC.