Dr. Josh Umbehr addresses the BRI Student Leadership Conference 2015 in Washington, DC.[/caption]
Dr. Umbehr will talk to students about his direct primary care business model during a lunch meeting. RSVP is not required. The plan is to give students exposure to and a better understanding of direct primary care. This will prepare them for the ensuing debate that evening about the single-payer health care model. Food provided for this event is generously funded by the Family Medicine Interest Group. Thank you!
POST-EVENT SUMMARY: Thirty-two students attended a pre-debate lunch lecture—with food generously provided by the Family Medicine Interest Group—featuring Dr. Josh Umbehr. Dr. Umbehr gave a brief introduction to direct primary care and how much value AtlasMD brings to their patients. When students asked how the cost savings were possible, Dr. Josh clarified that he does not work with insurance and that many of the methods he ueses to save his patients money are available to all physicians. For example, most states allow physicians to buy pharmaceuticals wholesale and sell them to their patients. Dr. Josh did emphasize, however, that direct primary care is not a replacement for insurance; catastrophic insurance is still recommended.
“This was our most well attended lunch meeting and was received very well! There was a completely full room; more students showed up than we expected. The students loved Dr. Josh and had many great questions!” ~John Flo, BRI-SLU chapter president
More students than expected showed up, and the Q&A segment went all the way to the end of our official reservation time. One student asked what the downside to the direct primary care model is, because it sounded so good. Dr. Josh answered that while the lifestyle of an AtlasMD physician is fantastic, there is risk for abuse when giving patients full access to you as a physician. You have to put in the hours to work with these patients who may call excessively, but in this model, you’re actually able to do it!
“I can see how this business model would work really well for primary care. I thought Dr. Josh’s presentation was very well done. I’m still confused about how he can get drugs for so cheap.” ~SLU student attendee
“Dr. Umbehr gave the best 45 minute lunch discussion in the history of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine! I really enjoyed the description of how he has built his practice, Atlas MD, into a well-known direct primary care provider. I believe his methods are the most affordable and pragmatic for the future of healthcare in the United States.” ~SLU student attendee
Overall, students were very intrigued by the direct primary care model, which many of them had not heard of before. A few students stayed after to ask Dr. Josh even more questions.