No insurance, no problem

Deborah Walker knows all about the challenges of traditional health care.

As a longtime nurse practitioner, she was a witness to the pressures of lower government and private-insurance reimbursements on the physicians for whom she worked. The result was doctors often had less time for patients because of financial pressures.

In September, Walker acquired a clinic called Gulf Coast Family Care in Cape Coral with an unusual twist: It takes no insurance. Instead of spending money on administrative staff to file insurance claims, Walker charges just $60 to $80 for a visit, payable in cash or by credit card.