Noreta in the News and a Word about Price Transparency

Recently, Kirk from The Northeast News, came out to do a story on Noreta Family Medicine. Thank you very much to Ms. Cameron for agreeing, on short notice, to give her perspective on Direct Primary Care and Noreta! Through the course of our conversation, we discovered that Ms. Cameron’s father used to work with Kirk at the paper! Check out the article below.

One of the things the Northeast News article touches on is that price transparency is important to me. I understand the frustration of not knowing how much a procedure, test, or office visit will cost until weeks or months afterwards. A few months ago, a patient brought in a bill they had recently received in the mail for a test that was done 18 months prior. This is simply unacceptable! This is like going to Target and picking out a cartful of unpriced essential items (toilet paper, soap, shampoo, etc), only to receive the bill from Target 6 months later. There would be an outcry! Think about the times you went out of your way to shop at a store that was having a sale, or the times you used a coupon to save money. Shopping around and saving money is not possible in this country without price transparency. Even I myself have been subject to an unexpected medical bill for a procedure. The bill was for $1000 more than it was estimated to cost before I had the procedure done.

Why can all of these things happen? Because there are no consequences for the senders of the bill and there is little competition. If you have insurance, then you often have to use their network of hospitals and doctors, taking away your choice. If you do not have insurance, then good luck trying to price shop.
How does Noreta Family Medicine help to ensure price transparency? We lay out your costs up front. Before you receive any care at Noreta, you know how much that care will cost each month. We price-compare your medicines to see if receiving your medicines at Noreta can save you money. I can also let you know your lab costs up front. I have cash-priced imaging studies and again, can tell you how much the test will be up front. Spending more time with you (30-60 minutes for an average visit) allows this to happen.

It’s simple, really. Save your insurance for things that cost a lot (hospitalization, surgery, etc.) and receive affordable primary care with Noreta Family Medicine!

Click here to view the full news article.