Doctor's office switching to "concierge" (additional cost outside of insurance)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't see the value.

What they are calling "concierge" is what used to be the normal standard of care.

It's just charging more to get what you already expected, with dishonest spin on top instead of just saying "free market, your choice".

Exactly. They advertise amenities like, “the doctor will answer your phone calls.”

Well, when you are sick, they used to come to your house. With no special charges!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank ACA.

This isn’t an ACA thing. It’s a privat insurance thing.

I would MUCH rather have a government bureaucracy making decisions about my health coverage and claims than a private enterprise trying to meet quarterly earnings targets.

Oh my God. You have obviously never worked with the government.

My mom was a VA nurse for 38 years. You do NOT WANT THE GOVERNMENT MANAGING YOUR CARE. So many unnecessary deaths due to poor docs. There was one surgeon they called "Dr. Death" because he nicked organs like weekly, leading to people dying of sepsis unnecessarily. Did the VA stop him from operating? Nope. He continued on for 15 more years doing this until he retired.

Both the Brits and the Canadians are struggling with with government management of care. Canadians now routinely come to the US border states for their knee replacements as they can get it scheduled in 30 days vs. over 2 or 3 years or more.

France is really pretty good, mixed system of government and private to supplement. Care does not take a lot of time, cost is great, meds are cheap too. Same issue as here with doctor shortages in rural areas.

It's not all smooth sailing in France either https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/expressions/what-are-challenges-ahead-french-healthcare-system

[Anonymous]

With the cost of training Im surprised this is not how we started.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank ACA.

This isn’t an ACA thing. It’s a privat insurance thing.

I would MUCH rather have a government bureaucracy making decisions about my health coverage and claims than a private enterprise trying to meet quarterly earnings targets.

Oh my God. You have obviously never worked with the government.

My mom was a VA nurse for 38 years. You do NOT WANT THE GOVERNMENT MANAGING YOUR CARE. So many unnecessary deaths due to poor docs. There was one surgeon they called "Dr. Death" because he nicked organs like weekly, leading to people dying of sepsis unnecessarily. Did the VA stop him from operating? Nope. He continued on for 15 more years doing this until he retired.

Well if they did not report that surgeon , they have blood on their hands.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank ACA.

This isn’t an ACA thing. It’s a privat insurance thing.

I would MUCH rather have a government bureaucracy making decisions about my health coverage and claims than a private enterprise trying to meet quarterly earnings targets.

Oh my God. You have obviously never worked with the government.

My mom was a VA nurse for 38 years. You do NOT WANT THE GOVERNMENT MANAGING YOUR CARE. So many unnecessary deaths due to poor docs. There was one surgeon they called "Dr. Death" because he nicked organs like weekly, leading to people dying of sepsis unnecessarily. Did the VA stop him from operating? Nope. He continued on for 15 more years doing this until he retired.

Both the Brits and the Canadians are struggling with with government management of care. Canadians now routinely come to the US border states for their knee replacements as they can get it scheduled in 30 days vs. over 2 or 3 years or more.

France is really pretty good, mixed system of government and private to supplement. Care does not take a lot of time, cost is great, meds are cheap too. Same issue as here with doctor shortages in rural areas.

It's not all smooth sailing in France either https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/expressions/what-are-challenges-ahead-french-healthcare-system

Interesting article. Thanks for posting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank ACA.

This isn’t an ACA thing. It’s a privat insurance thing.

I would MUCH rather have a government bureaucracy making decisions about my health coverage and claims than a private enterprise trying to meet quarterly earnings targets.

Oh my God. You have obviously never worked with the government.

My mom was a VA nurse for 38 years. You do NOT WANT THE GOVERNMENT MANAGING YOUR CARE. So many unnecessary deaths due to poor docs. There was one surgeon they called "Dr. Death" because he nicked organs like weekly, leading to people dying of sepsis unnecessarily. Did the VA stop him from operating? Nope. He continued on for 15 more years doing this until he retired.

Both the Brits and the Canadians are struggling with with government management of care. Canadians now routinely come to the US border states for their knee replacements as they can get it scheduled in 30 days vs. over 2 or 3 years or more.

France is really pretty good, mixed system of government and private to supplement. Care does not take a lot of time, cost is great, meds are cheap too. Same issue as here with doctor shortages in rural areas.

It's not all smooth sailing in France either https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/expressions/what-are-challenges-ahead-french-healthcare-system

Just reporting on my family's experience (I am from there).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank ACA.

This isn’t an ACA thing. It’s a privat insurance thing.

I would MUCH rather have a government bureaucracy making decisions about my health coverage and claims than a private enterprise trying to meet quarterly earnings targets.

Oh my God. You have obviously never worked with the government.

My mom was a VA nurse for 38 years. You do NOT WANT THE GOVERNMENT MANAGING YOUR CARE. So many unnecessary deaths due to poor docs. There was one surgeon they called "Dr. Death" because he nicked organs like weekly, leading to people dying of sepsis unnecessarily. Did the VA stop him from operating? Nope. He continued on for 15 more years doing this until he retired.

Both the Brits and the Canadians are struggling with with government management of care. Canadians now routinely come to the US border states for their knee replacements as they can get it scheduled in 30 days vs. over 2 or 3 years or more.

France is really pretty good, mixed system of government and private to supplement. Care does not take a lot of time, cost is great, meds are cheap too. Same issue as here with doctor shortages in rural areas.

It's not all smooth sailing in France either https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/expressions/what-are-challenges-ahead-french-healthcare-system

Just reporting on my family's experience (I am from there).

My family is also French. It just seems every country's health system is struggling, and medical staff in various countries are going en grève. When you research the highest ranked health systems, they are also under pressure.

[Anonymous]

Get rid of the artificial cap on medical school grads and residents. That solves 40% of the problem there.

But of course docs and the AMA will stomp their feet because they might only have to make $200k per year rsther than $500k-$1M per year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of the artificial cap on medical school grads and residents. That solves 40% of the problem there.

But of course docs and the AMA will stomp their feet because they might only have to make $200k per year rsther than $500k-$1M per year.

The problem rests squarely on what insurance companies are willing to pay. The rates have not changed in literally 20 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank ACA.

This isn’t an ACA thing. It’s a privat insurance thing.

I would MUCH rather have a government bureaucracy making decisions about my health coverage and claims than a private enterprise trying to meet quarterly earnings targets.

Oh my God. You have obviously never worked with the government.

My mom was a VA nurse for 38 years. You do NOT WANT THE GOVERNMENT MANAGING YOUR CARE. So many unnecessary deaths due to poor docs. There was one surgeon they called "Dr. Death" because he nicked organs like weekly, leading to people dying of sepsis unnecessarily. Did the VA stop him from operating? Nope. He continued on for 15 more years doing this until he retired.

Well if they did not report that surgeon , they have blood on their hands.

Report? To who? Who do you think cares? The government doesn't.

He was reported many times, nothing happened.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get rid of the artificial cap on medical school grads and residents. That solves 40% of the problem there.

But of course docs and the AMA will stomp their feet because they might only have to make $200k per year rsther than $500k-$1M per year.

That's part of it, but basically need to restrict residency programs and fellowships for specialty areas and drive more doctors into primary care.

We also need to shift the balance of reimbursement rates. Some areas get too much, while primary care doesn't get enough.

[Anonymous]

$50 for PCP annual visits and $60 for a dental cleaning is a joke, what the heck are you guys smoking? It's almost 2025!!! Haven't y'all's premiums gone up every single year? Why is the doctor who literally controls care getting squeezed??!? They suck at business! Very simple. I cant even get a decent meal for a family of that we will all poop out in a day for less than $100!

[Anonymous]

Doctors who charge concierge fees or opt out of insurance still care for patients who have limited means, via discounted/sliding scale rates or waiving fees. For those of you who do not think your doctor is worth the fees he or she charges, why do you stay with that doctor?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Doctors who charge concierge fees or opt out of insurance still care for patients who have limited means, via discounted/sliding scale rates or waiving fees. For those of you who do not think your doctor is worth the fees he or she charges, why do you stay with that doctor?

I can like a service provider and still move on to a different one if cost is too high, even though I theoretically can afford the cost. I pay 1k/mo in premium and wouldn't want to pay 2k extra for a PCP I see once a year. It just would not make sense.

[Anonymous]

I've paid $750 a year for my concierge internist for two years. It was either that or find a new primary doctor and I like him and his support staff enough to stay. I'm using health care more every year since my late 50s.