There’s so much to consider when making your open enrollment selections. As part of our Pathway to Longevity series, Palomar Health Medical Group CEO Ryan Olsen and Chief Medical Officer Phil Yphantides, M.D. (Dr. Phil) share insights for navigating the insurance selection process and the importance of regular primary care visits. Here are edited excerpts from that conversation.
Can you explain a little about open enrollment and the importance of having a primary care physician?
Ryan Olsen: Absolutely. You know, patients have a choice in their health plans and their physicians, and the primary care physician, if I can use a football analogy, Ps are the quarterback of all care. Whether you’re in a PPO or HMO, your primary care doctor knows exactly what you need at the right time. We have some primary care doctors who have been practicing internal medicine in our community for 30 years. They know best about the patient’s pathway. And every bit of clinical (evidence) or other literature would indicate that if you stick with your primary care physician, and do your yearly visit, then you will absolutely live a longer, healthier, more satisfying life.”
Dr. Phil: As Ryan said, primary care doctors, serving as the patient’s advocate — the quarterback if you will — can typically manage 85-90% of all medical needs for that patient. Yet there’s always going to be a need for specialty care at some point in life. And the primary care doctor has relationships with all these specialists, so whether you’re in a HMO plan, where you have to stay in-house, or a PPO, where you can see whoever you want, your primary care physician can expedite referrals to get you the care you need. That’s why we stress that everyone should have a primary care physician.
How can having a primary care physician help patients stay proactive with their health and wellness?
Dr. Phil: I’ll give you an example from my own practice as a primary care physician prior to my current role. There were several cases in which I recommended routine breast cancer screening for women and — before anything could be felt or detected on exam — I picked up early cases of breast cancer on mammograms. And we were able to get these women right in to see a breast cancer specialist and they all did great. They did not have to go through a full mastectomy and several of them did not have to undergo any chemo or radiation because we picked it up so early on the mammogram. That’s what primary care doctors are responsible for.
What are some of the exciting things happening at Palomar Health Medical Group?
Ryan Olsen: I think the amazing thing about Palomar Health Medical Group is the quality and the care that our physicians provide. , we were different medical groups from across the North County and, in the last two years, because of physician leaders like Dr. Phil and others who created diversity of backgrounds and expertise, we’ve been able to come together as a medical group. And when you do that, you’re able to deliver even higher quality care to the community, which they deserve. And then the continued growth — we’ve almost tripled in size — and we’ve been nominated for the IHA Excellence Award for two years in a row, which speaks to the quality of the physicians.
