a nudge to be insurance-free

I think we are all aware that the medical insurance industry in our country is completely dysfunctional. We are living in the twilight zone where insurance companies get to dictate the care that we provide to patients. A world does exist outside of medical insurance, where the relationship is strictly between the patient and the doctor. I live in this reality and you can too. So many people are programmed to only do “what the insurance covers” You may not be able to change those patient’s minds, but there is a small but growing population of patients who prioritize their health and they realize the care they need often falls outside of the scope of health insurance. These are the patients that you want in your practice. They are educated, motivated, compliant and invested in their health. It is so rewarding to work with this population because they feel the improvements in their vision and they are so appreciative. When my staff answers the new patient phone calls, they always tell patients that we do not take insurance, and it is not a problem. This is because of several reasons : 1. We have developed a referral network of holistic, like minded practitioners who also do not take insurance 2. We offer a specialized service that almost non-existent within the managed care system. I love vision therapy but I do not think you need to have a vision therapy practice in order to be insurance-free. I do think that you need to differentiate yourself from the other optometrists in your area. Focusing on understanding the relationship between vision and movement, vision and balance, vision and learning and you can be the subject matter expert in the area, and help many people who need it along the way.