By Anna Skinner
Habig siblings Christopher, Adam and Meghan Johnston and Arie Jones are taking strides to bring a new type of healthcare to Hamilton County.
The direct medicine organization, Freedom Healthworks, operates directly with doctors to create a clear method of healthcare. All procedures – tests, office time, etc. – are listed with a set price, so patients know what they will be paying from the get go.
“A patient and a doctor contract directly with each other. In our model, a patient would sign up to join a practice and pay the equivalent of a gym membership and be able to see a doctor when needed to,” said Chris, co-founder of Freedom Healthworks. “What this does is everything is transparent. It’s kind of like a concession stand, and everything is posted and you pay right there.”
Chris said he and siblings construed the idea of Freedom Healthworks after another business, Isprit, a disease-management tool, continued to run into snafus with insurance and government.
“We kept running into interference and obstacles from insurance companies and government regulations would change,” Chris said. “We tried to figure a way to do business directly with medical professionals and make everything easier and simpler.”
Chris said with Freedom Healthworks, doctors can choose pro-bono work if they desire, such as if their patient is elderly and needs treatment, yet can’t afford it.
The pilot program will only involve a few doctors until the Habigs get the business up and running.
“We are just a business partner for doctors, we are service and support and the software component. They all want to be independent and run their own practices, so we will help them do that,” Chris said. “Each doctor will have their own office. This is the doctors’ show, and we want them to run it. We are teaching them how to run their own business model.”
The pilot model is tentatively planned to launch Sept. 1. For more, contact [email protected].
