This article is sponsored by WellMed.
Are you currently looking for a new doctor during the Medicare annual open enrollment period?
Dr. Josh Holinger, lead physician at WellMed Great Northwest, has some answers on how you can go about finding "Dr. Right", and finding physicians who practice value-based care.
What is value-based care?
"Another way to look at value-based care would be to say outcome-based care," Hollinger said. "The model is that physicians are rewarded and evaluated based on keeping their patients healthy."
"One of the advantages with that is a cost savings. Instead of letting diseases get out of control, or they're catching things at a very early stage and trying to prevent," said Hollinger. "These doctors are also evaluated on national standards that are based on evidence-based practice. WellMed and all of our associated physicians actually practice this value-based care model."
What questions should you ask your doctor or Medicare-licensed sales agent to figure out what is best for you?
"You want to talk to a licensed Medicare insurance agent. They have a lot of information about the different plans and different benefits with each of them," said Hollinger. "They can guide you through that process. You can also contact your insurance plan directly to ask them which of their providers practice the value-based care model."
Questions to ask:
- How many patients does the provider see per day?
- How much time are doctors allowed to spend with each patient?
- How do they coordinate with people who work in hospitals?
- Do the doctors practice value-based care?
Texas Fall Fair & Dance (free event)
You are invited to WellMed's Texas Fall Fair & Dance on Wednesday, Nov. 6, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Rosendale Park. Seniors at least 60 years of age get in free. There will be performances by Raulito Navaira and Flaco Jimenez.
WellMed is currently expanding to serve more people through employer health plans but is primarily available to Medicare-eligible individuals.
Doctors at WellMed practice value-based care which is based on prevention and evidence-based medicine.
For more information, visit WellMedHealthcare.com or call 1-833-925-0422.