For those who have a concierge primary care doctor, what services are included?

[Anonymous]

We paid about $2000 each last year. It includes the physical and lab work, appointments within 24 hours, phone call and electronic communications. His assistant is good to endure he sees messages and handles refills promptly, as well as adding things to our record such as immunizations we get elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Mine just has a monthly fee. I text or email almost all requests and questions. I almost always get a response within an hour. My insurance was being a pain about a medication so she got a drug rep to bring a sample in to get me through. She will take care of minor issues with no extra charge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We paid about $2000 each last year. It includes the physical and lab work, appointments within 24 hours, phone call and electronic communications. His assistant is good to endure he sees messages and handles refills promptly, as well as adding things to our record such as immunizations we get elsewhere.

I get all this from my non concierge doctor through the portal. I just contact her assistant and ask them to add recent flu shots etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: All I am getting is just an annual physical and no additional visits; and no access directly to the doctor via email or phone.

I'm not defending your doctor; it doesn't sound like this is a great concierge practice.

But - I would think of the $3500 concierge fee as a retainer. You are paying that money to allow the doctor to NOT have a huge caseload, so if you DO need an urgent appointment, there's more chance you will be able to be seen quickly.

[Anonymous]

Well you got a gem.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are with one medical because my cop went to them. I get prompt answers to messages, forms done online for kids. Urgent televisions or in person visits when sick. And it's what a $200 fee per person per year.

One medical is like the Walmart of concierge medicine, but it's what OP needs.

Have you used it? And if so, for what?

I ask because we have two medically complicated family members who have gotten primary care there for almost a decade.

We have been in the Wal-Marts of health care; that’s urgent care disconnected from the rest of your health history and a PA or NP shooting from the hip at what the patient thinks is wrong.

One Medical is not concierge, but it’s also not that. Bezos may still f it up, but not yet.

[Anonymous]

I get all that and more from Kaiser.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get all that and more from Kaiser.

Thus. $2,000 for an annual exam and blood work that should.be covered by insurance ?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine includes a full physical and bloodwork and EKG plus up to 5 sick visits a year. She did not take insurance anyway, so I was paying out of pocket for these things. I think it's $3500/pp. She's excellent and very attentive. Your Dr. does not sound like that. I'd leave after a year.

OP here: I feel scammed after finding out this doctor doesn't even allow email directly to them- not that I would abuse it, but it's nice to have in case there is just something I feel I need to ask directly that can only be conveyed through me, and not through an assistant. I have been with this PCP for about a couple of years, so I figured maybe I would be getting better care through this concierge model. Apparently not. I should at least be getting a means to communicate directly. All I am getting is just an annual physical and no additional visits; and no access directly to the doctor via email or phone. And in their defense, I do realize PCPs are busy and aren't compensated enough for their time and workload, but this is lame. Ugg, need now to start combing again for PCP recommendations.

Would you please clarify what you mean by directly emailing the physician? Does that mean opening Outlook, sending a message to "[e-mail]" or using the portal?

Technically, HIPAA does not permit docs to send messages via traditional email due to privacy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Mine includes a full physical and bloodwork and EKG plus up to 5 sick visits a year. She did not take insurance anyway, so I was paying out of pocket for these things. I think it's $3500/pp. She's excellent and very attentive. Your Dr. does not sound like that. I'd leave after a year.

OP here: I feel scammed after finding out this doctor doesn't even allow email directly to them- not that I would abuse it, but it's nice to have in case there is just something I feel I need to ask directly that can only be conveyed through me, and not through an assistant. I have been with this PCP for about a couple of years, so I figured maybe I would be getting better care through this concierge model. Apparently not. I should at least be getting a means to communicate directly. All I am getting is just an annual physical and no additional visits; and no access directly to the doctor via email or phone. And in their defense, I do realize PCPs are busy and aren't compensated enough for their time and workload, but this is lame. Ugg, need now to start combing again for PCP recommendations.

If you’re healthy enough to just require an annual physical then what do you need a concierge doctor for? Just to feel special?

[Anonymous]

Here is a thread that is not ten years old.

[Anonymous]

I pay an annual fee of $3200 and get an extensive annual physical and all of my primary care appointments are covered (with no billing of insurance). As many appointments as I need. Which was a lot of them last year as my doctor put me on Wegovy and to monitor that she wanted monthly in person follow ups. I'm pretty stable on that med now, so I will be having weight management follow ups less often now, every 3 months or so. When I had an issue with a bad headache and left a message on a Friday, she called me that Friday night -- I wasn't expecting that, lol. I was impressed. Patients are given a number to text her at any time.

She did a hearing test in office with my physical and caught hearing loss that requires a hearing aid (I was frustrated on the daily due to having trouble hearing, but I'm decades too young for a hearing aid to be normal so I never would have had my hearing checked on my own, just wouldn't have thought of it).

When Wegovy was taken from a tier 2 drug to at tier 3 this year, which meant I'd being paying over $600 per month, she did extensive paperwork to get me a tier exception so I now only pay $160 per month. I would have felt guilty asking my prior beleaguered pcp to do all that paperwork; with concierge I don't think twice about it. I appreciate it, but don't hesitate to ask.

There is no mid-level provider. I see my doctor for everything.

I also get a free appointment with a nutritionist each year.

It's been very good for me. My DH on the other hand, who has zero heath issues even though he's quite a bit older than I am, would never pay for concierge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get all that and more from Kaiser.

People hate on Kaiser and managed care but there is a lot to love about that system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I get all that and more from Kaiser.

People hate on Kaiser and managed care but there is a lot to love about that system.

Rather than provide actual OT, Kaiser told me to stop working with my dominant hand. Fcuk Kaiser.

[Anonymous]

There are different levels of concierge doctors, and the handholding you get is commensurate with price. $2100 is really low, a step above a normal private practice.