How Physicians Can Offer Direct Primary Care to Employers: An Interview with Dr. Samir Qamar of MedLion

Posted by Abraham Whaley on April 3, 2013

Staying with the theme of practice models for independent physicians, here’s an interview with Samir Qamar, MD of MedLion.

Mary Pat: You are the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of MedLion, as well as a practicing Family Physician. Tell us your story.

Dr. Qamar: I grew up around the world the son of a UN diplomat, with a lot of time spent in Europe (including medical school). Growing up, I always wondered why most Europeans never needed insurance for basic medical care. I also learned a lot about the pros and cons of government-run health systems.

Physicians are Leaving Hospital Employment and Starting New Practices on Their Own Terms

Posted by Mary Pat Whaley on January 23, 2013

In our consulting practice we are seeing physicians fleeing hospital employment just when many people are predicting the death of the private medical practice. We affectionately call these physicians our “Single Shingles” and they are approaching private practice much differently. These physicians often bring their spouses into the practice as their business partners, and we teach them how to manage the practice.

Here are some practice models that solo physicians are considering for their Single Shingles.

The Retainer-Based Practice

Although the retainer-based practice has many other names, calling it retainer medicine seems to be the most generic way to describe direct care, or care that patients pay for directly without the intervention of a third-party payer source. There are as many variations of retainer-based practices as there are name variations, but the three main types are listed below.

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Tags: Single Shingles, starting a house call practice, starting a micropractice, starting a retainer practice, starting a solo practice, starting a telepractice, starting a virtual practice

Posted in: Headlines, Innovation, Medicare & Reimbursement, Memes