In theory, a public health care plan sounds like a fantastic idea- it’s free for everyone, right? Wrong. The money for a government-subsidized health care system comes right out of the pockets of the citizens through an increase in taxes. In fact, the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as it is frequently called, has actually cost millions of Americans their health insurance plans due to their employers or insurers being unable to afford the new requirements.

Luckily, there are alternatives to a public system. Dr. Umbehr and his health care network, known as Atlas MD, serve as an excellent example of the efficiency of a private system. This group of doctors has a business model like Costco’s: they offer a set membership fee and then deliver a variety of services at little to no cost directly to their “customers.” They make their money off of the membership fees rather than off of goods or services. At Atlas MD, for a low rate of $50 for adults and $10 for children a month, patients get access to an unlimited clinic, work and home visits, massively discounted medication and a variety of other usually costly services like stitches. The customers all receive this for free through their membership package; the only additional expenses they pay are for the discounted medication, which is provided directly by Dr. Umbehr.

Kansas, where Atlas MD is located, is one of the forty-four states that allows doctors to serve as medication distributors. By eliminating the middleman pharmacist, Dr. Umbehr can offer significantly lower prices for medicine, such as migraine medication for $6 rather than the absurd price of $200 under Obamacare. Dr. Umbehr not only improves the health of his patients but also helps them achieve economic stability.

This is just a small-scale example of the benefits that a privatized health care system in this country could reap for its citizens. If our country did not have public health care, doctors across the country would be able to embrace a free market and establish profitable practices that are far cheaper for their patients. In order to fix the health care dilemma in our country, we must repeal Obamacare and allow the free market to flourish, therefore giving Americans access to high-quality care at the cheapest prices possible.