Ask most people what concierge medicine is, and they’ll
think it’s getting a Band-Aid from the hotel concierge. Or they think of it as personal physicians
for the very wealthy. Well, in the past
that may have been true, but it’s becoming more mainstream, and more patients
will need to make a decision of whether they want to use a primary care
physician who has a concierge practice. This
post will explain what concierge medicine is, why it’s becoming more prevalent,
and provide links for additional reading.
What is Concierge
Medicine?
The basic premise of concierge medicine is that a doctor
will see and manage fewer patients, but provide more personalized and thus more
effective care for each patient. For
example, a family doctor may reduce their patient inventory from 2,000 to 500. The doctor would provide his cell phone and
email address to patients, and generally be more available to patients as well
as provide more personalized attention to their preventative health needs. The doctor may also be more involved in
working with specialists when a patient referred to them.
Concierge physicians will typically use one of two business
models, though there are variations. In
the first model, the concierge doctor will charge an annual fee to each
patient, ranging from $600 to $5000, averaging out at $1,500. The doctor will continue to accept insurance
in addition to the annual fee.
In other cases, concierge doctors will charge patients an
agreed upon cash rate for their visits, and the patient is free to file their
own insurance claim if they wish. The
doctor won’t file claims or accept insurance from patients.
Why is Concierge
Medicine Growing?
So why is concierge medicine on the rise? Much of it has to do with the reductions in reimbursement
payments from private insurance companies and public insurance programs (i.e.
Medicare) made to primary care physicians.
In order to make up for the reduced payments, these doctors must see
more patients. They will typically
reduce or eliminate hospital and emergency room visits, reduce patient
appointment length, and increase clinic hours.
At some point many family and internal medicine doctors end up feeling
like they’re on a never ending treadmill and can’t get ahead. They also typically complain that the need
for volume reduces the time they can spend with patients on preventative health,
which typically reduces the cost of healthcare.
For example, if a doctor can discuss lifestyle issues with a patient and
change their behavior instead of just prescribing medication, it’s ultimately less
expensive for the health care system and the patient. So they opt for concierge medicine.
Learn More
Expect over the coming months and years to hear more about concierge
medicine and its advantages and drawbacks.
To learn more, check out these links.
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