Why This Clinic Ditched Insurance and Embraced Bitcoin - Roger Moczygemba

When it comes to bitcoin, it of what we call in the You know, we know what we do. We know bitcoin is sound and to a point now that it works scale. And I really feel like that's It's proven. It's proven to the point that and all we're doing now is So if somebody feels like not. You know, we're right where I ready for it to scale. And I'm so happy now that for payment for services.

Welcome to the Business The show dedicated to helping business with bitcoin, the I'm your host, Josh Friedman, Roger Mochegemba, who heads up Antonio. Today we're going to be the DPC model and accepting We're also going to be talking something. He was the first physician at Teladoc. He was also an early adopter to bitcoin. We're going to get to our Roger right after this. Dr. Roger, welcome to the podcast. I'm glad to be here. Thanks for inviting me.

So I'd like to start off every that help us to get to know us some insight for our own lives. Are you ready for these? Yes. Question number one is this. When and how did you first Well, actually, I first heard living in Utah. My. My neighbor told me about it, there. And I never really got I just wasn't. It just wasn't time for me then. And so then last year, a me about stuff he was doing And then I, I. My interest peaked at that time.

And then I got an email from telling me how I could So that's how I got started That's how I heard about it Question number two is what's that you wish everyone understood? I wish that everybody and it's not just something to And most importantly is, it's, and that kind of makes it So that's, I think we'll talk I really like that because it Now question number three is most recommend to other people?

I really like the Seventh That was the perfect book for about how our monetary systems And then it goes, it shows centralized banking and how And there's patterns that he through the ages. And then he does a very good still pretty new to Bitcoin He goes into as much technical want. It's pretty technical. So that's why I really like Question number four is beyond Bitcoin. What's a resource, tool or idea?

This has been helpful to you That the idea of this, this I'm a doctor obviously and for me stepping away from the insurance and dealing directly primary care or direct pay. So I, I talk to business with the high cost of health And I tell them how this model show them how this model can spend and provide affordable So that's made a great big also in my career, the way I practice. Now we have our final, what we question and it's this.

As a general life principle, You know, I think the, the questions. So why or why not in my mind or that one. But the most important thing you're asking. I firmly Believe that things You know, you'll find answers. You know Scripture says seek I firmly believe that when a looking in their environment, talking to people, they'll get That's a great answer. I don't think we've ever had but I think it's a good word, Well, Dr.

Roger, we're here today to recently begun accepting Bitcoin. You've just introduced the your previous answers. We've had one other, I think physician before and some But I love the concept and I a little bit about how you got and some of the strengths the business side, but also Great. Yeah. I was living in Utah and I there that was a hybrid. They were doing insurance, but care. And I thought, oh my gosh, how people that are paying me that with this clinic. And I thought, wow, this is amazing.

And so I came across a guy model and I said, hey, well, I So I, I started working with And make a long story short, The, with working with him, myself in San Antonio. And it's called Direct Med Clinic. And as far as I know, it's the in San Antonio. And it's been so refreshing, this way. And it's so rewarding to get me like, I'm so glad you're I wouldn't have anything.

And it's rewarding to see I know they need rather than or conditioned to just provide for, you know, working with And I, I saw this so much to treat people the way my were, were telling me they And people responded to that. And many people told me, like, For saving my life, thank you parents, you know, so that's. That was so rewarding to do that. And now we have other things people that aren't reimbursed So I kind of forgot the question. Did I answer the question?

I got kind of on my soapbox a Yeah, I think you answered the the. What are some of the benefits model goes? You know, you've just talked practice medicine, how you what does the financial side conventional model? We don't have a waiting room We get to spend time with our know them. Doctors in primary care might or 4,000 patients. Ours is under a thousand usually. So we spend time and then the.

Financially, we don't have to insurance companies all the So we don't need that expense And what patients pay us pays And it provides a nice us. So one of the interesting is that at least all of the basically a monthly retainer.

You kind of pay a certain You might have some additional That model makes so much more to paying for things on a Now, I will admit that paying to just paying one time is a it's upfront and clear as companies where a lot of the hard to really get down to the So is that a pretty, pretty you, or are there some for your patients? That's a great, great point. And we try to be very, very transparent. All of our prices are listed comes in and they need labs or of service what it's going to cost.

You know, a clinic can pricing or discount pricing. Because we're a clinic and my imaging facilities in the area. So we get direct cash pay So imagine this if you're a the doc and he says, well, I X ray. Go up to the front desk and desk our patients will pay 50 X ray right there. And then they go get the, the So it's upfront and it's transparent. If someone needs labs, like people, the routine labs might Then if somebody tries to go set of labs might be 100 or $200. So how, how cool is that?

You know, that as a patient, you. So it's, it's a wonderful I, I'm so passionate about the that a couple of years ago I Texas to a special committee need insurance for primary care. Because I'm proving, I'm proof You know, it's affordable and People can reach us same day They can text us after hours visits. If they need us, we'll do a text them. Our goal is to keep people out room so they have access to us.

How realistic is it to have no insurance? Like you've just said, direct insurance. How realistic is it to have a primary care and maybe health such as crowd health, as a more conventional approach every step of the way. Is that realistic for an or are there reasons why it That's a great question, Josh. And it is realistic in order Right. I think that we need to take a to do.

It's designed to take care of going to break the bank if, if You know, for example, if we cancer, well, we all need to That's insurance that will That's what insurance was Health care insurance has You know, we don't need it for need our car insurance to pay You know, it's, it's the same concept. And so there are other models can be used to keep the cost more affordable. One of the things that we is that you found yourself And I'd be interested to hear about.

First of all, now that bitcoin It's been over and it's been comes out, it might be over again. But, you know, in the $100,000 they're late to bitcoin. Could you talk about kind of bitcoin, and how that has been Yeah, I, I love finding ways And I think because of that, that I've been able to help One of them was a company I was the first doctor doing of the physician association nationwide network. And I, I knew what I could do. I knew I was competent and take care of people that way.

And I, I knew what, what I I knew if someone could have a wouldn't let that happen, you tool for a trained doctor. So I was, I feel really that and had no bad outcomes And then direct primary care I feel so fortunate to have I wish I would have found it then when it comes to bitcoin, concept of what we call in the You know, we, we know what we do. We know bitcoin is, is sound to a point now that it works just needs to scale.

And I, I really feel like It's proven, it's proven to has developed and all we're So if, if somebody feels like I think not. You know, we're, we're, we're be, you know, ready for it to scale.

And I'm so happy now that for payment for services. And what is it that you use I'd be interested for you to how your clientele have Yeah, so we, we switched to a their credit card or they can, It's called Zap. Right. And so from there it goes into there I can move it into a So then I've not had a lot of yet, but I'm still trying to know people and share what we we do and educate people about Excellent. So one of the things that I kind of B2B relationships on my understanding is correct.

I'd be interested to learn a we've talked about the peer to also just a benefit in giving this through their job. How does that work? And I guess is this something or is it, I'm guessing it's or, you know, working with families. But how does, how has this Yeah, it's been working very well. As, as I was growing up in my have interactions with a lot need from their clinic or from So as I started Direct Med to employers. And what I found was that people really struggle to find health care benefit.

And sometimes they just go such a financial burden on them. So I, I tell them how we can with them. Like you, here's what a You buy these memberships for the benefits they get and I, I on their healthcare spend on that. And so these employers will of the memberships for their employees. It works really well. And yeah, I really, it just People have affordable access. And then another thing that we them access to 1100 generic Wow. So people love that.

In Texas, unfortunately, medication out of the office. So this is in Texas for us, So one thing I always like to since optimally, doctors are what's happening in the Since we have you, and I know I'm curious to know your First of all, what's something there or strange that in the common sense? And then the next thing is, today that in the future we're I can't believe we did that. All right, so a couple of in. I've been amazed at what is some practices.

One of them is PRP or platelet This is some amazing science. And the, the, the community, a little bit unsure about it, I think it's just a matter of it to. We need to have the right indications. In other words, we just have good outcomes with it. We've started to do that and not traditionally reimbursed it, it works and it, it So another one that I've come who started a practice So he told me some, some cases me away.

So that's something that is, that I, I hope that we will and it'll, it'll be developed And then the other question and, and say, I can't believe I I think that I hope that I can't believe we were eating There's some foods out there Are there some things that you the foods? Obviously, there's maybe a shouldn't be eating that are for you. But are there certain things from at this point in time, eat these things. In general, the more whole foods, the better.

There was another thing that I To mention is that one of the think why it resonates with me In my model of direct primary in. In our, in our centralized Right. It's. It's. There are these third parties system, like with, with the rates there. All of that is controlled by a. Right. So there's kind of a parallel I think that Bitcoin is to our direct pay and direct primary There's this.

Healthcare has become very input from the government and The government has always but what they were mandating And there's a big difference and health insurance. By mandating that, they. They put in place this thing is part of the Affordable Care And it says that in small pay. They have to Pay, by law, 80% back to doctors and hospitals. In larger markets, they pay So if you are the insurance You make it on that 20% or on So if you want to make more low or high? You want it high. Right.

So that's just an example of can kind of backfire and cause experience with the high cost

So in the direct pay model, we See, it's. You are a patient. I'M a doctor. You have a sickness. I know how to treat that. And so there's this direct relationship. Okay. So I think that's part of the Bitcoin and the whole bitcoin Dr. Roger, I appreciate you are a lot of connections to peer payments with bitcoin. So I appreciate you Are there any final thoughts up today's interview? Yeah. I hope everybody will look own benefit. It's a wonderful way to with your doctor.

And I want to thank you for and visit and share and where can. People go if they want to keep are doing? That's. That's. Thank you for asking that. The name of the clinic is We're@directmedclinic.com and we do and direct primary care there. I'm also on LinkedIn, so you Feel free to reach out and Great. Dr. Roger, thank you so much for It's been a pleasure. Thank you, Josh. Well, friends, it's a wrap. Thanks so much for listening Show.

If you want to reach out to Roger, you can find those And if the DPC model is if there's one in your area. As always, keep building, keep living and leading. Well.