Concierge Medicine?

[jsmla]

Our family doctor will be switching over to concierge practice in January. Has anyone used this type of medical service and did you think it's worth the extra cost? It would be $3000/year for both of us and the practice would have a 400 patient limit.

Thanks!

 

[wilkeliza]

We switched when ours went to concierge. I couldn't imagine paying that much more on top of our insurance and none of it goes to premiums.

 

[teacup princess]

Our old doctor tried that. He was kind of rude to me when he ushered us into the room where they tried to sell it to us. I guess he already knew I wouldn't pay for that so we switched doctors. We got several more letters trying to get us to buy in. Then a few months later a letter that he had reconsidered and decided not to become a concierge doc and begging us to come back to the practice. I guess he didn't meet the quota.

 

[mommajo143]

The problem with this is that in a world where you are required ovhave insurance it makes NO SENSE to see a doctor & pay OOP?

 

[havaneselover]

My ex used it for a while and was very happy with it. I doubt he still does because of the cost. If having a strong relationship with my doctor was important to me for some reason and I had the money I'd do it. You are buying access and longer appointments.

 

[Alesia]

Our family doctor will be switching over to concierge practice in January. Has anyone used this type of medical service and did you think it's worth the extra cost? It would be $3000/year for both of us and the practice would have a 400 patient limit.

Thanks!

Do you normally spend that much per year for doctor bills?

I wouldn't consider it, but the last time we spent any money at the doctor was in 2009 when my daughter got strep throat - and we only paid a $10 copay for that. Spending $3000 a year for something I don't use would be stupid, but it might be worth it if you tend to get sick alot.

 

[LadyD]

We had a doctor that operated a micro practice. It was just her - no nurse, secretary, etc. She had a smaller number of clients and really spent time with you getting to know you, your health, and your lifestyle. Our appointments typically lasted at least 30 minutes and we had her cell number for after hours emergencies. While she was not a concierge doctor, her practice set up had a lot of the same benefits as one. When I had some health issues and needed to see some specialists, she got on the phone herself and fought to get me in to see the specialists ASAP since they told me it would be months before they could get me in. I was seen by the specialist within a couple of weeks.

Unfortunately, we moved across the country and had to leave her practice. I'm considering signing up for a concierge doctor because I miss that level of care. I miss having a doctor who would engage in conversation and listen to my concerns, not just dismiss them without explaining why. I miss having someone who would sit down, pull out my blood work, and go over the entire thing with me to make sure I understand what the results were indicating about my health. I miss the open, honest conversations she would have with me about my health and what was going on. Too many doctors walk into a room with a diagnosis before even seeing you and you're lucky if you get 5 minutes of their undivided attention where they actually listen to what you're saying and what concerns you have.

 

[wilkeliza]

Is it so sad what once was considered basic care you now have to pay extra for. My obgyn was great and spent more than enough time with me (even took me back to her office after the procedure portion) to really discuss my options and what she could do to support me.

Same with my pcp. I didn't feel rushed at all and I had her email so we discussed my levels and other things in detail once they came in. We even discussed how my BMI was bad but she didn't see that I was unfit so no need to worry one bit and only needed to loose if I wanted to not because she told me to.

 

[kymom99]

I guess I have been lucky because my doctors have for the most part been willing to sit down with me and really listen. When I was first pregnant I suffered from hyperemesis or severe morning sickness. My obgyn sat down across from me and talked to me in depth about my pregnancy and what I could do to help myself feel better. My son just saw a PA about an issue he was having. She was incredibly thorough and didn't dismiss our concerns. So I guess I'm saying this would not be something I would spend money on.

Our family doctor growing up had a practice that was just him and his wife. It was very personal care, but he retired once the large practices started taking over.

 

[AquamarineSteph]

If I could find a doctor who operated that kind of practice here, I'd pay the money in a heartbeat. I only need a doctor maybe once a year? But I'd do it. We already have a $10,000 deductible through my other half's insurance at work (everyone in this state has that - not just us - but this company has offices worldwide and not all of them have that feature). But anyway, at least then i'd know I had a doctor I liked and trusted. Our current MD does her entire practice by reading questions off the iPad. Seriously. An MD, not a nurse or a nurse practitioner.

 

[jsmla]

Thanks for the input. The $3000 is independent of any office visit fees. It's a family rate and if our kids were still young we'd do this in a heartbeat. We really like this doctor and the idea of not waiting forever for an appointment or in the office is tempting. We both have medical conditions that require monitoring.

For the fee you'd get:
An annual comprehensive physical tailored to the patient's specific needs.
Guaranteed 30 minute office visits.
Guaranteed same day appointments
24/7 phone/text access to one of the two doctors in the practice

I hate those mega practices and have left doctors who joined them, including a pediatrician and our previous family doctor.

The fee doesn't include the cost of any office visits outside of the annual physicals although the longer visit will be not be billed as extended. To be honest, I'm not all that wowed by the idea of a longer appointment. I'm not a fan of going to the doctor as it is. In fact this particular physician is one of the very, very few that I'm at all comfortable with. We have also been very pleased with the specialists he has recommended.

The fee would not be covered by health insurance. We own a small business and our insurance is very pricey as it is. It also wouldn't go toward our $5000/each annual deductible.

Our doctor plans to reduce his patient load from 4000 to 400 with the new model.

 

[pittsburghmom]

Has anyone done the math on this one Yet? I am figuring this doc has the potential to make close to $1000000 a year with this modality, not including the other office visits once you have maxed out one the ONE visit per year covered under this plan.

 

[jsmla]

I'm pretty sure I don't need to do the math-it's going to be an additional $2K/year for this program. I don't think it's meant to be a money saver in any way. To me it feels more like boutique shopping vs hitting the outlet mall on Black Friday-enhanced access and service at a price.

Is there anyone who has actually used a concierge doctor?

 

[LadyD]

I'm pretty sure I don't need to do the math-it's going to be an additional $2K/year for this program. I don't think it's meant to be a money saver in any way. To me it feels more like boutique shopping vs hitting the outlet mall on Black Friday-enhanced access and service at a price.

Is there anyone who has actually used a concierge doctor?

If you struggle to find doctors you like and you are comfortable with this one, if you have the money to, why not try it for a year? Every concierge doctor's set up is different anyway and everyone's medical needs are different, so it would be difficult to value someone's else's experience against what your doctor is potentially offering for your needs.

Though my doctor was not officially a concierge doctor, she basically was with her micro practice set up. We had all those benefits plus more from what you listed. I would have paid 3k or more a year in a heartbeat to use her because she was an amazing doctor.

If you try it for a year and you don't like it, you can move onto a new doctor, but at least you would know you tried it and you'll be less likely to have regrets over leaving the practice and struggling to find a new doctor.

 

[TwoMisfits]

My sister has a concierge doctor for her family and she loves it. But her family has 2 people with lifelong potentially-lethal genetic heart conditions (1 adult/1 child) that need frequent monitoring and she herself also has some conditions needing monitoring, along with 2 other rambunctious kids. So, her family has medical needs that both require consistent and semi-constant monitoring (so they have appointments every 3 months). For her, it probably is worth it. For me, since we only do our annual physicals each year, it never would be. It really probably matters if you need medical services on a continual basis to decide if it's worth it.

 

[ellie05]

Personally I would never pay out of principle. The fact that they need to charge us more for what should be basic dr visit is ridiculous. It seem it is very much like the airlines just adding fees for the same services. I couldn't trust a doctor no matter how much time he/she spent with me knowing how important this profit is.