Legislators Confuse Definition of Healthcare Measure

by Aaron Lief, Grassroot Institute,  July 8, 2016

Grassroot analyst Andy Slaven interviewed Dr. Phil Eskew to discuss the confusing health care related legislation Hawaii is currently pursuing. Dr. Phil Eskew has dedicated much of his career to spreading knowledge of direct primary care, an alternative to traditional insurance plans. However, in Hawaii, legislators have confused direct primary care with concierge medicine.

Dr. Eskew said direct primary care is a type of healthcare that avoids sending claims to insurance providers. “In layman’s terms, the definition is designed to allow the practices that need protection from the insurance commissioner to get it.”

However, legislators have confused this with concierge medicine, a type of medicine that allows doctors go door to door.

Eskew said “I can’t think of a bigger mistake. That is the worst way you can go about this. It becomes confusing for everyone. Failing to have a clear definition of DPC means you haven’t even understood the original problem.”

Dr. Phil Eskew said that the current system is set up in the insurers favor. “There’s plenty of resistance from insurance companies at the state level against direct primary care. It’s mostly because they don’t really understand it. Once you get the knowledge and education out there you get the wider adoption. When Hawaii wants to study DPC, it’s a way of not addressing the issue because there’s nothing to study right now. What they need to do is make a gray area black and white so you have more patients to adopt something.”

You can listen below for more of the interview conducted by Andy Slaven as a part of The Grassroot Institute with Keli’i Akina, a radio show on KAOI 1110AM Maui:

May, 2016: Health: Hawaii Lawmakers Struggle to Define Direct Primary Care