Doctor Keeps Costs to a Minimum at His Unusual Clinic
By Lindsey Erin Kroskob
lkroskob@wyomingnews.com
CHEYENNE – When you call Dr. Jason Bloomberg’s medical clinic, don’t be surprised when he is the one who answers your call.
When you walk in the door for your appointment, he’ll also be the one who checks you in, takes your vitals, records your medical history and does the examination.
And late at night, he’ll be the one cleaning up after a long day.
He’s a medical one-man show at Access Health Care, and he does it all so he can bring affordable health care to uninsured and low- income patients.
“I look at health care and access to health care to be as much a basic human right as food, housing, heat in winter and cool in the extremes of summer,” Bloomberg said.
He has stripped his practice to the bare necessities so that the costs of running his practice don’t burden his patients.
His office isn’t in the most prominent and expensive medical office, because a low rent means less cost. His exam rooms are small compared to what most see today, but they are far from basic.
All his records are electronic and can be accessed from a secured Web portal.
He has a motion sensor and TV monitors in the exam rooms so he always knows when someone walks in the front door.
“Despite its humble appearance, and despite that I do everything I can to keep rates low for my patients, I’m still committed to trying to provide the best care possible,” Bloomberg said.
He does this by not only utilizing his medical skills, but by encouraging his patients to take an active role in their health and providing incentives for staying healthy.
When someone opens a business, they want to figure out how to get the most from their customers. In medicine, the challenge is to get the most from the insurance companies, Bloomberg explained.
“But when you have a problem of so many people who don’t have insurance, that kind of model can become a barrier for people to get health care,” he said.
“If you look at the national statistics and apply them to Cheyenne we should have somewhere between 17 and 20 percent of our population that doesn’t have health insurance,” he said.
Additionally, processing insurance often can add as much as $60 per person to the cost of caring for people, Bloomberg said. That is why Access Health Care does not process any form of insurance.
Unlike many health clinics that do not take insurance however, Bloomberg does accept Medicare and Medicaid. He didn’t want the people who use those federal programs as a safety net to go without. This did, however, force Bloomberg to make some changes to price.
“It places my practice in a situation where I can’t do what I would ideally like to do for people who are uninsured in a simple and straightforward manner,” he said.
Because he accepts Medicare and Medicaid, Bloomberg is not allowed to charge his patients any less than what he charges the government.
“I was not satisfied with the kind of cost burden that still leaves people who are uninsured,” he said.
So he has adapted and done everything he can to keep costs low by providing discount incentives and charging based on the government’s poverty sliding scale.
People who live a healthy lifestyle by eating right, exercising, not drinking to excess, not smoking and avoiding drugs can receive a 5 percent discount on their bill.
Those with chronic illnesses who take the necessary precautions to manage their illness also can receive a discount.
And those who vow to quit smoking on the day of treatment and continue to do so are eligible for the discount.
“What I’m trying to convey is that their health is worth it for me to receive a smaller amount of fees for the services I provide,” Bloomberg said. “If you are serious about taking care of yourself, I’m serious about helping you.”
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