“Freedom-Based” healthcare clinic in Florida is staffed by doctors who were fired or disciplined for rejecting evidence-based healthcare

[essentialsaltes]

The clinic, called We The People Health and Wellness Center, opened its doors in Venice, Florida on Sept. 7. In the last six weeks, 350 people have signed up to its subscription-model, which bypasses insurance companies, co-owner Vic Mellor told The Daily Beast.

“You can’t work here unless you’ve been fired by the establishment for believing in your patients first,” Mellor told The Daily Beast. “They’ve all been fired for it.”

Mellor’s key ally in setting up the clinic is local conservative activist Tanya Parus.

Parus, a mother-of-two and president of the Sarasota chapter of Moms For America, says she was incensed by her children’s school requiring masks during the pandemic.

She told The Daily Beast that during the height of the pandemic she began working with families to find doctors who could write mask waivers for their children, or were willing to prescribe off-label ivermectin for COVID.

 

[dogs4thewin]

The clinic, called We The People Health and Wellness Center, opened its doors in Venice, Florida on Sept. 7. In the last six weeks, 350 people have signed up to its subscription-model, which bypasses insurance companies, co-owner Vic Mellor told The Daily Beast.

“You can’t work here unless you’ve been fired by the establishment for believing in your patients first,” Mellor told The Daily Beast. “They’ve all been fired for it.”

Mellor’s key ally in setting up the clinic is local conservative activist Tanya Parus.

Parus, a mother-of-two and president of the Sarasota chapter of Moms For America, says she was incensed by her children’s school requiring masks during the pandemic.

She told The Daily Beast that during the height of the pandemic she began working with families to find doctors who could write mask waivers for their children, or were willing to prescribe off-label ivermectin for COVID.

As long as the doctors can still legally practice I suppose that if the patients are OK with that then it is not really any of anyone else's business what they may or may not " believe in" medically.

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

Tanya Paris was so angry about her children wearing masks. During a deadly pandemic. So she did decided to put other children and adults in danger of getting COVID-19. By getting mask waivers and horse pills. If she can't follow rules to keep a pandemic down. Then she won't be able to behave for God. Which is no surprise.

 

[rambot]

"incenced" for having to wear a mask?

Honestly, It truely feels to me like some of these people have literally never suffered a day in their lives. How can wearing a mask make you feel "incenced"? How much spare time do you have?

But in regards to this thread, I find it baffling that you'd go to the "Flunky Doctor's" school. But I guess if you're willing to believe flunky stuff you find on the internet, why wouldn't you go there?

 

[jayem]

Either I missed it, or the article omits some important information. Is this a free clinic? And if not, who pays for medical visits and treatments? Are adult patients, or families of pediatric patients billed directly for services? The article mentioned this clinic bypasses insurance coverage. Even standard, low-tech office tests like X-rays and blood tests can get expensive. Will these charges be covered? And suppose a patient is seriously injured, or an unvaccinated child with meningitis, or a serious case of RSV, needs hospitalization? Who foots the bill?

 

[essentialsaltes]

Either I missed it, or the article omits some important information. Is this a free clinic?

In the United States?!?

Do you accept insurance?​

Our clinic does not accept insurance. Instead, we offer a flat monthly or annual fee for our services. This allows us to provide more personalized care and spend more time with our patients, without the constraints of insurance regulations and paperwork.

What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a healthcare model that provides patients with comprehensive, personalized medical care for a flat monthly or annual fee. DPC clinics focus on building strong relationships between patients and physicians, with a focus on prevention, wellness, and continuity of care.

 

[civilwarbuff]

I am curious, what exactly do the people here believe that the typical masks available to the public (cloth and 'surgical' style masks) accomplish?

 

[RocksInMyHead]

Either I missed it, or the article omits some important information. Is this a free clinic? And if not, who pays for medical visits and treatments? Are adult patients, or families of pediatric patients billed directly for services? The article mentioned this clinic bypasses insurance coverage. Even standard, low-tech office tests like X-rays and blood tests can get expensive. Will these charges be covered? And suppose a patient is seriously injured, or an unvaccinated child with meningitis, or a serious case of RSV, needs hospitalization? Who foots the bill?

The article says something about a monthly subscription model. Looks like monthly costs range from $85 to $160 depending on your age, plus a one-time registration fee. Family plans start at $250/month.

They don't cover X-rays, CT scans, or ultrasounds at all, and there's no hospital coverage either. Lab tests are offered, but most cost extra. Basically, this is just a standard family practice/primary care facility that operates outside of the health insurance structure, but using a health-insurance-like system.

 

[essentialsaltes]

I am curious, what exactly do the people here believe that the typical masks available to the public (cloth and 'surgical' style masks) accomplish?

Off-topic.

 

[civilwarbuff]

Off-topic.

It is not off topic at all. You posted an article that specifically mentions the "mask waivers":
From your article:
She told The Daily Beast that during the height of the pandemic she began working with families to find doctors who could write mask waivers for their children, or were willing to prescribe off-label ivermectin for COVID.
I am simply asking what people who respond to your post believe about what commonly available masks actually accomplish.
You did read your own article, correct?

 

[Nithavela]

I am curious, what exactly do the people here believe that the typical masks available to the public (cloth and 'surgical' style masks) accomplish?

I don't know about the USA, but N95 masks were available at just about any place during the pandemic except during the first few months, and can still be bought easily in any drug store.

 

[Nithavela]

In the United States?!?

Do you accept insurance?​

Our clinic does not accept insurance. Instead, we offer a flat monthly or annual fee for our services. This allows us to provide more personalized care and spend more time with our patients, without the constraints of insurance regulations and paperwork.

What is Direct Primary Care?
Direct Primary Care (DPC) is a healthcare model that provides patients with comprehensive, personalized medical care for a flat monthly or annual fee. DPC clinics focus on building strong relationships between patients and physicians, with a focus on prevention, wellness, and continuity of care.

In before this being revealed as a scam.

 

[civilwarbuff]

I don't know about the USA, but N95 masks were available at just about any place during the pandemic except during the first few months, and can still be bought easily in any drug store.

Not so much here. Cloth and (sometimes) surgical masks were available from personal experience.

 

[essentialsaltes]

Not so much here. Cloth and (sometimes) surgical masks were available from personal experience.

Governor Newsom had distributed nearly 25 million N95 masks in California, and signed contracts to produce 150 million N95 masks per month in April 2020.

 

[jayem]

The article says something about a monthly subscription model. Looks like monthly costs range from $85 to $160 depending on your age, plus a one-time registration fee. Family plans start at $250/month.

They don't cover X-rays, CT scans, or ultrasounds at all, and there's no hospital coverage either. Lab tests are offered, but most cost extra. Basically, this is just a standard family practice/primary care facility that operates outside of the health insurance structure, but using a health-insurance-like system.

That's what I was thinking. But if the adults are employed, and drop their employer-provided health coverage, they're taking a significant risk in not being insured for hospital/ER care. Uninsured medical expenses are one of the top 5 causes of personal bankruptcy.

Top 5 Reasons Why People Go Bankrupt

It's a disgrace to our nation that getting sick can lead to bankruptcy. Not to mention that employment-provided health insurance is obsolete, excessively expensive, and in dire need of a top-to-bottom redo. But that's for a different thread.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

That's what I was thinking. But if the adults are employed, and drop their employer-provided health coverage, they're taking a significant risk in not being insured for hospital/ER care. Uninsured medical expenses are one of the top 5 causes of personal bankruptcy.

Yeah, their FAQ recommends retaining a medical insurance policy to cover emergency/hospital care.

In before this being revealed as a scam.

Dunno if it's a scam, precisely, but it's definitely exploitative, and on multiple levels. It's exploiting the far-right/conservative distrust of the medical establishment to convince people to sign up, and it's also exploiting the doctors that it's employing (who can't get employment elsewhere). Consider that a primary care physician in that area (Tampa/St. Petersburg-ish) makes, on average, $200,000/year. That works out to close to $17,000/month. If they're surviving solely on subscription fees, that means they'd need 200+ subscribers per doctor - or they're paying their doctors significantly less than the regional average. And that's before accounting for admin staff, nurses, supplies, rent, utilities, etc. Frankly, I can't see this business model working long-term in any sort of sustainable way. It's an illustration of why shrinking the insurance pool makes everything more expensive for consumers.

 

[Nithavela]

Yeah, their FAQ recommends retaining a medical insurance policy to cover emergency/hospital care.


Dunno if it's a scam, precisely, but it's definitely exploitative, and on multiple levels. It's exploiting the far-right/conservative distrust of the medical establishment to convince people to sign up, and it's also exploiting the doctors that it's employing (who can't get employment elsewhere). Consider that a primary care physician in that area (Tampa/St. Petersburg-ish) makes, on average, $200,000/year. That works out to close to $17,000/month. If they're surviving solely on subscription fees, that means they'd need 200+ subscribers per doctor - or they're paying their doctors significantly less than the regional average. And that's before accounting for admin staff, nurses, supplies, rent, utilities, etc. Frankly, I can't see this business model working long-term in any sort of sustainable way. It's an illustration of why shrinking the insurance pool makes everything more expensive for consumers.

My guess would be that they collect the subscription money and as soon as the people who subscribed start getting ill and are trying to get healthcare (or whatever they are offering as a substitute) at a substantial rate, the clinic will mysteriously go bankrupt and close while the owners move to sunnier pastures.

Then again, that would suggest a long-term plan. Modern scams hardly are that far reaching, so they probably will commit some tax fraud into the mix or do something else to make faster illicit money.

 

[Pommer]

My guess would be that they collect the subscription money and as soon as the people who subscribed start getting ill and are trying to get healthcare (or whatever they are offering as a substitute) at a substantial rate, the clinic will mysteriously go bankrupt and close while the owners move to sunnier pastures.

Then again, that would suggest a long-term plan. Modern scams hardly are that far reaching, so they probably will commit some tax fraud into the mix or do something else to make faster illicit money.

I went to school at a Catholic Hospital that was neighbors with the largest Catholic cemetery in the city and thought “how convenient is that!?”

 

[civilwarbuff]

Governor Newsom had distributed nearly 25 million N95 masks in California, and signed contracts to produce 150 million N95 masks per month in April 2020.

Hmm, maybe that's why they were in such short supply here and elsewhere?
Respirators such as nonsurgical N95s give the most protection. KN95s and medical masks provide the next highest level of protection. Cloth masks provide less protection. The CDC says that surgical N95 masks should be reserved for health care professionals.

Can face masks protect against COVID-19?

Face masks can help slow the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Learn about mask types, which masks to use and how to use them.

www.mayoclinic.org

 

[Ana the Ist]

"incenced" for having to wear a mask?

Honestly, It truely feels to me like some of these people have literally never suffered a day in their lives. How can wearing a mask make you feel "incenced"? How much spare time do you have?

If you think that's bizarre....

There's people out there who think they're being "persecuted" if you don't use the pronouns. In some cases, these pronouns aren't real....and are entirely made up. In other cases, they're plural despite only referring to one person.