A local medical clinic is taking a step into the world of cryptocurrency after it announced it would begin accepting bitcoin as a payment method for treatment.
Columbus Physical Medical Center at 118 Enterprise Ct. announced in a press release that it would be one of the first such businesses in the area that would begin accepting bitcoin as a form of payment.
“After the stock market meltdown of ’08-09, I have witnessed suffering from hundreds of families that lost jobs, retirement savings, and even their homes due to greedy government backed bankers and HMO’s alike,” said Dr. Eric Codner, lead doctor at CPMC.
“Using Bitcoin for your purchases returns power to the consumer by allowing payment through a decentralized currency that cannot be manipulated by any bank or government,” Codner said.
Bitcoin came onto the scene in 2009 as one of the world’s first cryptocurrencies. It is a digital currency that is created and held completely over the internet. It isn’t printed or controlled by a bank or country and is largely untraceable.
That’s been a boon for fans of privacy and personal control, as well as for malicious hackers and others who don’t want to be found. Bitcoin has been in the news most recently for its use in notorious ransomware cases, where hackers seize control of a computer and demand payment to unlock it.
But for many people, it’s simply a different way to pay for things, with the bonus value of not having to go through traditional banks and financial organizations.
“Columbus Physical Medicine Center has always been on the cutting edge; their treatment of is a testament to that. Using modern medicine and innovative pain management techniques, Dr. Codner prides his practice on relieving patients of their ailments without keeping them on medication for life,” the clinic said in a press release.
“Now with the introduction of Bitcoin as a payment option, they are again setting an example for the future of medicine.”