My daughter moved to Eugene, Oregon, recently and I promptly urged — OK, nagged — her to find a primary care doctor.
She asked around, then came back with news that surprised me.
The doctors she was hearing about didn’t take insurance. Instead, they charged a membership fee, generally $100 to $150 a month. In return, they promised to provide regular checkups, unlimited office visits for preventive care and minor problems, same or next-day appointments and discounts on some prescriptions and lab tests. Also, a clinician would answer your calls — no maddening phone trees!…