True Solutions to the Health Care Crisis

A friend of mine is moving away. I'm sad that she is moving, but I am also very excited. Her husband is a medical doctors in family practice. He is starting a unique clinic that I think is an example of how the health care crisis could be solved through the creativity of local communities.

This clinic will serve two sets of people. The first set, the patrons, pay a rather hefty annual fee but in return they receive "Cadillac" medical care with around the clock access to their doctor at the clinic during clinic hours and by phone and email after hours. They also have the ability to book appointments online. The second set of patients are people who do not have adequate health insurance and cannot afford regular medical care. These people pay only a small amount per visit. The rest of the expense for their care is covered by those with the capacity to pay for Cadillac care.

Such a clinic makes insurance unnecessary for regular care and by its very nature keeps the cost of heath care down. Doctors need to be prudent about expenses so that they offer quality care (in order to keep their patients) but are also able to serve the uninsured.

This is the kind of creativity that you will never see coming out of government. Such creativity is not the nature of government. However, government could do a lot of good by subsidizing efforts such as these. The principle of subsidiarity is too often neglected by politicians. We have come to expect government to solve all of our problems for us. Yet, if the principle of subsidiarity were followed it would empower true solutions that serve the real needs of real people.

Please pray for the success of this clinic and for Doctor Michael as he seeks to serve God by serving the poor.