Some doctors are ditching health insurance. How you can sign up for that plan...

You’re not the only one who hates dealing with health insurance...

More and more doctors are going rogue and kicking their insurance systems to the curb to cut costs and pass those savings onto you. Direct care practices, also known as concierge or boutique medicine, are popping up across the nation and offering patients an alternative to the red tape of health insurance for routine stuff.

Typically, these family physicians charge a monthly membership, much like a gym, for about the same price. In some cases that membership fee will include the basics like checkups, office or home visits and other procedures done in the office like EKGs and biopsies. No extra charge, no co-pays and no health insurance paperwork hassles. Some of these private physicians also have access to pharmacy medications and lab work at wholesale cost as an added incentive.

Direct care may be a good option for you if you’re in relatively good health, but it’s not a substitute for health insurance. It won’t cover out-of-office visits to specialists, emergency room care, hospitalization or major surgery. To learn more or to find a direct care or concierge family physician near you, go to the American Academy of Private Physicians online at www.aapp.org.