I have lost three excellent primary care docs who used to ask me about my life, fears, doubts and insecurities. Two quit in their prime and the last one is noticeably rattled by documentation strain. His former palpate, percussion and auscultation has devolved to listening to inspiration on the left and exhalation on the right as he turns to click off the CPT. He is employed by a large teaching institution who celebrates and advertises their EHR and Patient Centered Care. After 51 years with diabetes I can finally state that medicine has disappeared in America.

You couldn't have said it better. As a Patient Best Certified Advocate I see patients and doctors under the strain of bureaucracy every day. More and more physicians are going to Direct Primary Care which allows them to get to know their patients once again. They become the trusted "partner in health" with their patients. They do not take insurance. They are not subjected to the 178 mandates insurance requires within an office visit. They sit, listen, converse and allow their patients the time they need. Average visit 45 minutes to an hour. Need to see your Direct Primary Care today? You text them. Unlike Concierge doctors who still take insurance and have to pay for a gargantuan staff to support insurance regulations, DPC physicians have a staff of one. You pay a monthly subscription of about $50-$100 to this doctor. The only problem I see is when a physician opens his or her office as a DPC, they fill fast. Patients are flocking to this care. They still carry catastrophic insurance but the Direct Primary Care can direct you to the best place for that.