Concierge Medicine
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Anonymous
+1 My parents have been concierge for over a decade and they are LMC (never made more than $40K/year combined)---they did it when their dr of over 20 years went concierge and they didn't want to loose them. They love it and I love it now that they are in their 80s it gets well used---when you have an appt it's always at least 30-45 mins---none of this 10-12 mins and out. The extra fee you pay allows the dr to spend more time with you, because insurance is not paying for that extra time. My parents choose to pay ~$250/month for them to have this privilege. |
Anonymous
Our concierge doctors have about 300 patients max, compared to over 3000 when they were just regular PCP. We are in a hospital system, as that's the norm where we live (95% of PCP are part of a hospital system). So that extra $3K/year gets us 30-45 min appts routinely, not 12-15 mins and rushed out. We never wait, can get same day and next day appts with our doc or another in the practice. They call with results (not the nurses/staff), and it's not a rushed call to discuss your results over the phone. You can text/call them anytime/anywhere. Someone is always on call. The extra fee is so the docs can take 1-2 patients per hour instead of 4-5. Insurance still pays out the same, so you have to pay for the privilege of getting the extra time. It is worth every penny we spend. They coordinate all care, if we need specialist they arrange it, and often can get us in sooner if needed. I no longer sit in a phone tree for 30+mins trying to schedule with my specialist. The CM office handles that. |
Anonymous
Doctor here. I am not a concierge doctor but it makes a lot of sense to me. The fee covers all the work doctors have historically been unfairly asked to do for free (and for which other professions, like lawyers, charge by the hour and much more): phone calls, talking to pharmacies, arguing with your insurer, completing disability and other forms, consulting other doctors we know, and more. In addition these are some diseases and some patients that require a lot of hand holding and are very labor intensive. There are still others who are entitled and expect to be treated as the exception and like VIPs. For all these people, concierge medicine is appropriate. And frankly, knowing what goes on behind the scenes, and how difficult access is right now PSLF-COVID, $2K annually is a bargain in these times. |
Anonymous
| ^post-COVID. |
Anonymous
+1 Would much rather skip eating out 3-4 times per month and pay the $250 for better service/care and a doctor who is not rushed and overworked. We think it is worth the cost and realize that insurance sucks and doctors do not get paid much relatively speaking, hence the 5-6 appts per hour. When my kids were little (15 years ago), the Ped would charge $120 for a well baby visit, and our insurance would pay $35--the negotiated rate. So $35*4=$140. $140/hour for the nurse responsible for you, the front desk staff, the IT staff, the office costs and HVAC/utilities, and the doctor and their malpractice insurance, etc. In the grand scheme they are NOT making very much for their education levels. |
Anonymous
They aren't doing it for free, its part of the patients appointment. |
Anonymous
Except many concierge practices do not do these things. I've been a patient at Foxhall Internists, and I can guarantee you they are not calling pharmacies or arguing with insurers. Most concierge docs like FH won't even take insurance or even Medicare. So, you are paying out of pocket AND paying a yearly retainer. As far as "coordination," my experience has been that when something is hard, they give you a referral to a specialist just like any other doctor would give you. I have filled out so many hipaa forms but my concierge doc has never actually picked up the phone to discuss my condition, disease, etc. with another provider (even when she said she would because it was so serious). The more money they make, the less they work for you. Concierge is like an income floor that is super high-takes away any incentive. |
Anonymous
Exactly, which is why so many people just choose their own specialists and if anything comes up, they go to urgent care. |
Anonymous
You clearly have no idea what goes on behind the scenes in many cases, or how medical practice business models are constructed (frequently without any input or control by the physician). The patients appointment covers the time doctors spend face to face with the patient. The additional time outside of that is normally uncompensated. It can be hours for some patients. As a general rule, 20% of cases can take up 80% of your time outside of appointments. |
Anonymous
I have similar care, but it’s not concierge. |
Anonymous
It’s safe to say you don’t know what they do. |
Anonymous
I should clarify. My doctor works in a small practice (just two physicians, no nurses) and already has his med school loans paid off, so he has the ability to be more flexible in the care he offers. He spends a lot of time with his patients, getting to know them, and treats me as if he were part of a concierge service. He is my age, however, so I know this won’t last forever. I agree, healthcare in this country is abysmal (outside of my gp). |
Anonymous
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We pay for concierge for my entire family. There are times I feel it’s not worth it but we like our doctor so much. When there have been specific medical issues with us or the kids, it’s been worth every penny to have immediate access to a doctor we know and trust.
I wouldn’t pay for something like One Medical but it our case it’s a private practice and we see the same doctor every time. But it costs more. It’s not a financial hardship for us. |
Anonymous
She knows what they don’t do. |
Anonymous
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12:00 again. Our doctor has coordinated with others for us when we have needed additional help. Everything from health specialists to counselors.
As you can see, there is a wide variety in what you get with “concierge.” |