The doctor of the future will see you in person or by web cam, communicate directly or via e-mail, schedule appointements online, and will only take cash.

This is the vision proposed in a recent article in Fast Company, “The Doctor of the Future.”

This article profiles a new medical portal Myca  and a new health service, Hello Health  that runs on it. Essentially, Hello Health is a web storefront and social networking site focused on health care. The thing that makes this so interesting from a cash-pay perspective is the business model. Hello Health takes only cash, you have to subscribe to the service for $35 per month and pay for visits and other services as needed. Hello Health does not bill or take insurance claims. The subscriber can elect to submit receipts to their insurance if that insurance allows out-of-plan physician visits.

The other end of this cash pay system is about knowing how much the subscriber should pay for other services, even services not offered by Hello Health. Hello Health will provide the subscriber with information on how much should be spent on a given service and recommend providers in the area.

This is evidence that the health care market is changing. Providers will be competing on a more level field where patients armed with information about the market will be making more informed decisions. These patients will be supported by medical groups and physicians that understand the needs of patients who are managing their own health care dollar. The doctor of the future will be online and ready to provide patients with recommendations for their health care and their spending for health care.