Tuesday, October 24, 2017

America could use a few more like Doc Adams and Dr. Jaoust

  Have you ever heard of Dr. Jaoust -- Dr. Thomas S. Jaoust? Of course you haven't because I just made him up. But, you might want to read about him, anyway.
  He's probably the only self-sustaining doctor in all of America. Now, when I say self-sustaining, I mean he sustains his medical practice all my himself: No nurses, no aides, no schedulers, no technicians.
   When you want to see Dr. Jaoust, you call him up. He makes the appointment himself. When you need an X-ray, he runs the X-ray machine himself. Now, if you were to take Doc Adams from Gunsmoke and bring him alive into our day, plopping him down with out explaining all the financial changes there have been, he might well open a practice just like the one Dr. Jaoust has.
   Doc Adams was the original Dr. Jaoust.
   Actually, this type of medicine was standard practice back then. The average doctor practiced medicine without an accompanying cast.
   So, what happened? And, has what happened been for the better? I'm guessing the average doctor sees maybe four patients an hour. That's a broad guess, and I'm probably off a little. But, four patients an hour is 32 a day and 32 a day is $960 a day if you're charging $30 a visit.
   Seems someone could make a pretty good living. I know Dr. Jaoust pulls in a lot of money. But, what is interesting here is why Dr. Jaoust does it this way: He's on a crusade to lower health-care costs. He figures that if he doesn't have to pay for appointment clerks, and nurses, and technicians, there's going to be some savings -- big savings.
   Before I get too far, I should mention that he doesn't take insurance. You walk into his office without that little encumbrance.
   Dr. Jaoust opened his practice back in 2007. It's 10 years later. You should think he's built up quiet a bit of saving from making $1,000 a day, but he hasn't. He's plowed the profits right back into his business. He's watched for discount medical equipment to go on the market -- MRI machines and such -- and he's purchased them. He's now got quite the collection. So, when you go into Dr. Jaoust's office and you need an MRI, he gives you one for free.
   Now, if the average MRI costs $2,600 and you pay no more than the $30 that it costs for the office visit, how much are your health-care costs going down?
   A lot. I'm not sure we couldn't use a few more Doc Adamses and Dr. Jaousts. A few more of these guys just might put a dent in America's outrageous medical bills.

(Indexes: Stories, health-care reform)

 

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