Sherpaa's take on health insurance: 24/7 phone/email access to doctors, no need for clinic visit 70% of the time

From CBS News:

Dr. Jay Parkinson is trying to change healthcare business with Sherpaa. The company gives 24/7 phone and email access to a group of doctors in New York City. "You can call or email and 70 percent of the time," Parkinson said. "We will solve that problem over email or on the phone."

For example, if you've suffered a nasty cut, you snap a picture, email it to Sherpaa, and a doctor will respond immediately with instructions. If you need stitches, Sherpaa will schedule a same-day appointment with one of the 100 specialist they work with. That could cut out the expense, and long wait on average more than four hours of a visit to the emergency room. Parkinson said instead of getting charged $4,000, it could be a $1,000 charge.

Sherpaa doesn't replace health insurance, but instead works to weed out inefficiencies, while offering a kind of everyman's concierge service. Companies like Tumblr pay about $1,000 a year per employee.

References:

Doctor's company reimagines health care delivery - CBS News http://goo.gl/DLXUd

High deductible health insurance can be bad for your health

See why:

"The individual health insurance policy they bought to replace Janie's group coverage at work has such a high deductible that they've sharply cut back doctor visits, skipping some routine care and going only when absolutely necessary.

Freelancers Janie and Chris Peterson love the freedom of life without a boss. But it comes with a high price -- dwindling savings, erratic cash flow, and a ton of financial anxiety."

References:

Financial planning for freelance workers - Mar. 11, 2010. CNN.

Image source: United States one-dollar bill. Wikipedia, public domain.

Acupuncture Is Popular with Patients but Insurance Does Not Cover It

From the NYTimes:

Because her insurer did not cover acupuncture, Ms. Kumar had to pay for the $70 weekly treatments she hoped would put her cycle on a more normal schedule.

Acupuncture remains a largely out-of-pocket form of health care. Sessions with an acupuncturist run about $65 to $120, depending on where you live (and some leading acupuncturists charge as much as $300). Most ailments require at least three treatments, while some chronic issues like arthritis might require biweekly or monthly sessions, depending on the situation.

In a 2007 survey, 3.1 million adults reported using acupuncture in the previous 12 months, up from 2.1 million in a 2002 survey.

References:

Patient Money - Acupuncture May Help, but You’ll Need to Pay - NYTimes.com.

Acupuncture can spread serious diseases: bacterial infections, hepatitis B and C, even HIV
Does traditional Chinese medicine have a place in the health system? http://goo.gl/RH04o

Image source: Needles being inserted into a patient's skin, Wikipedia, public domain.