It is no secret that healthcare costs are increasing and we need to rethink our approach to medical care. This was exactly what I was thinking when we went to see the doctor last week. It felt like we were on a conveyor belt, moving in and out of the exam room quickly so that the doctor could see the next patient. This is because doctors have to see a large number of patients each day in order to make money. It doesn’t help that 40 cents of every dollar we spend on healthcare goes to cover administrative costs. Ouch!

In Washington state, a new company, Qliance, has developed a new take on healthcare, as reported by Springwise. Qliance offers a monthly membership at their three Seattle area clinics. Each month you pay $44 to $129 (depending on what plan you choose) and you have access routine medical care that takes care of 90 percent of what we normally go to the doctor for.

You are able to spend more time with a physician and you have shorter wait times (mean, you don’t have to schedule appointments 3 months out?). Qliance also provides service 7 days a week, which is incredibly nice because medical issues don’t take the weekend off.

The one catch is that Qliance recommends that you get an affordable health plan to cover items (usually major stuff) that isn’t handled by Qliance. Sounds like you can get an affordable health plan that covers catastrophic events in case something major happens to you. Otherwise, you can go to Qliance clinics for routine physicals, immunizations, ongoing care, etc.

Unfortunately, Qliance is currently only in the Seattle area. Fortunately, they are considering expanding as early as next year. With venture capital backing from the likes of Michael Dell (Dell Computers) and Jeff Bozos (Amazon), Qliance might just have a fighting chance to change the way we pay for, and receive, healthcare.