Hi Dr. Holly,
I appreciate your thoughtful email. I feel like we agree on most things. I agree with you that Medicare mis-prices the value of primary care. I also don't have faith that the new reimbursement model they've come up with is going to solve the problem. Not because they aren't smart, but because in the history of the world no central planners have ever been able to set prices successfully. I also agree with you that we need more primary care and chronic care management.
I think where we may have differences is in the "how." How do we restore equilibrium in such a way that primary care and chronic care are valued more appropriately. The government's effort to set prices has failed to do so, and this is in part for all of the reasons we've discussed. They're flying blind, with no good price signal from anyone as to what the right price is for this stuff.
Direct primary care is providing them that price signal that they need, to at least get us closer to a point where this kind of care can be compensated appropriately.
All that said, how do you think we can move to a place where people can receive unlimited pimary/chronic care, as it seems we both believe they should be able to receive and would have a positive impact on overall health care costs?
thanks,
alex
From: James L. Holly
Sent: Wednesday, July 17, 2013 7:29 AM
To: 'Alex Tolbert'
Subject: RE: Response to Alex Tolbert's article, Top Three Obstacles to Better Primary Care in the July 2013 Medical Home News
It is sneaky in a vigorous dialogue to ask a complex and difficult question. Smile Your question: “How do you think we can move to a place where people can receive unlimited primary/chronic care, as it seems we both believe they should be able to receive and would have a positive impact on overall health care costs?” will be the subject of my thoughts over the next several days and then I’ll get back to you.
The key may be the concept of “unlimited” in “primary/chronic care.” We may have to develop an operative concept for what “unlimited” means. Who defines it; who determines it?
Thank you for your response. I agree that we moslyt agree. I have never questioned your commitment to excellence just the method for getting there.
Larry Holly
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