Robert's rules

Innovative doctor’s practice of transparent pricing looks better than ever | Joel Belz

Now and then, we end up with egg on our journalistic face. We feature some person or organization in WORLD—and then later have to admit that that person or that organization had feet of clay and didn't deserve the attention we gave them.

Naturally, I like it better when we can say, "I told you so." I much prefer watching someone to whom we devote editorial attention then go on to get even more coverage on an even bigger platform.

Twice in the last few years, we've told you about an unusual medical doctor, Robert Berry, who is trying almost single-handedly to revolutionize the way in which health care is typically delivered here in the United States. If I tell you, among other things, that Dr. Berry doesn't accept any payment from insurance companies, you'll get a sense of just how out-of-step he is. His PATMOS clinic (that stands for "Payment At TiMe Of Service") in Greeneville, Tenn., features signs in the patient waiting area that list the cash prices for a variety of treatments and services. Dr. Berry likes to point out that a typical bill is roughly equivalent to what a patient would pay for a lube or brake job on his or her car. His rates tend to be about one-third to one-half what patients would pay if they were using typical health insurance programs.