Doctors Charging "Membership" Fees

[ssawka]

Has anyone else’s doctors enacted a membership service? DW and I have the same primary doctor who we really like. Anyway, the other day we received a letter stating that the doctor was going to a "subscription based" service and if we wanted to join it would cost us each $25 a month until age 40 (a couple years for us) and then $45 a month after that. The letter also said that although the doctor will still continue to take "non-members" as the "membership" filled up, we would most likely have to find another doctor if we did not join. The letter lists the benefits such as "more personal care", "online access to medical records", etc. But $600 per year for the both of us, then rising to $1080 in a couple years just seems a little too steep to be getting the service that you should already be getting, especially since we are young and generally only go a couple times a year. I understand that the doctors are a business and have to make money, but aren't there doctor lobby groups that can be lobbying Congress against the insurance companies instead of making the patients pay more? The easy solution, for us, is to find another doctor, but I fear that the best doctors will also enact similar "plans".

 

[eeyorethegreat]

Has anyone else’s doctors enacted a membership service? DW and I have the same primary doctor who we really like. Anyway, the other day we received a letter stating that the doctor was going to a "subscription based" service and if we wanted to join it would cost us each $25 a month until age 40 (a couple years for us) and then $45 a month after that. The letter also said that although the doctor will still continue to take "non-members" as the "membership" filled up, we would most likely have to find another doctor if we did not join. The letter lists the benefits such as "more personal care", "online access to medical records", etc. But $600 per year for the both of us, then rising to $1080 in a couple years just seems a little too steep to be getting the service that you should already be getting, especially since we are young and generally only go a couple times a year. I understand that the doctors are a business and have to make money, but aren't there doctor lobby groups that can be lobbying Congress against the insurance companies instead of making the patients pay more? The easy solution, for us, is to find another doctor, but I fear that the best doctors will also enact similar "plans".

Wow never heard of such a thing. We just found out that our DR whom we have had since 1994 when he first started practicing left the practice we are in. Office says a letter was sent out. I never got it. I'm very upset by it since This is the only Dr my kids have ever had. I've also called the office before and after this Dr left and never once was it mentioned that he had left or was leaving. Hmm maybe if I had a membership...

 

[sam_gordon]

Is this membership fee just allowing you to see the doctor, or is there some kind of other benefits (ie: reduced rate for checkups, office visits, etc)?

I can see the doctor's side of this, but I'd be looking for a new doctor if I'd have to pay $1K a year on top of my health insurance!

 

[Swimalie]

Is this membership fee just allowing you to see the doctor, or is there some kind of other benefits (ie: reduced rate for checkups, office visits, etc)?

I can see the doctor's side of this, but I'd be looking for a new doctor if I'd have to pay $1K a year on top of my health insurance!

I'm wondering the same thing. Does this mean you don't have to pay a co-payment when you go in? Do you get better hours? What benefit do you get other than what you listed. Personally, I don't see any benefit to what you have listed for the price.

 

[ajk912]

I'm wondering the same thing. Does this mean you don't have to pay a co-payment when you go in? Do you get better hours? What benefit do you get other than what you listed. Personally, I don't see any benefit to what you have listed for the price.

I agree. If the copay was waived I would do it, but if it's just online access to my records and the ability to make an appointment, uh, no thanks.

 

[herdtoDisney]

Yeah, I wouldn't be interested in this membership at all.

 

[ssawka]

Well, I haven't read all the details, but it sounded like the fee is on top of the co-pay. They are pushing it as being that you'll have better access to your doctor because they will have less patients to see. Still, I have a problem having to pay whether I go or not. Now, if there was an added fee (say $25-$50) everytime I see the Dr, I probably wouldn't have a problem with it, but $25-$45 dollars a month for each patient seems a bit steep to me.

 

[vicki_c]

It sounds like your doctor is becoming a concierge doctor. So I guess it's really your decision as to how important that doctor is to you, to pay the fee -- it's like a retainer to ensure quicker / better / whatever access to the doctor. It's fairly common in the past few years especially in wealthier areas, from what I have read.

Here's some info from Wikipedia (not the best reference I know - but it's a start):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concierge_medicine

 

[Disneefun]

I hadn't heard of any doctors that are currently doing this, but I had heard it bandied about it the news and magazines as the wave of the future. "Boutique health care" I think they called it. Patients who want access to the best doctors, best scheduling, best treatment options, etc. will pay these fees, while those who can't or won't pay will just get whatever is left over or have to use public options. Doctors will fill their practices with paying patients and all others will have to look elsewhere.

Supposedly, doctors are making less and less per patient thanks to insurance, medicare, and legal regulation, so they have to make money somewhere and it's going to be in fees like this. Also expect to see more records fees and fees for things like calling in prescriptions, etc. I don't agree with it, but it sounds like your doctor has heard about this and decided to be "the wave of the future."

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I have heard of something similar to this, but what heard of in the past was an optional "Valet Service'. If you joined you got service you got benefits such as calling/faxing in prescriptions, etc... if you didn't pay you would have to go to the office and pick up the script (just one example).

Honestly I am not surprised. I had back surgery this past winter and everytime I needed a prescription while I waited for surgery, I had to call my PCP. My surgeon wouldn't write precriptions for pain killers, he said they now have everything go thought the PCP to prevent doctor-shopping for meds. I never walked into my PCP's office once or got billed, but her office was constantly returning my calls and sending in new scripts for me. I felt bad at first, but that all went away when I had a procedure that took one minute and was billed $300 for it! Literally she told me to stop in during her lunch, she walked in the room and was done and back at lunch in a minute!

 

[msmama]

Is/was your doctor older?

I know several doctors in my area are doing this as a first step to retirement. It lessens their patient load and makes them more $$. I guess if they lose enough patients they can spend more time on the golf course, lol.

 

[tiffany123]

Our family doctor went to this several years ago. We left his practice and found another doctor. Insurance is high enough without having to pay additional fees to a private office.

 

[ssawka]

Is/was your doctor older?

I know several doctors in my area are doing this as a first step to retirement. It lessens their patient load and makes them more $$. I guess if they lose enough patients they can spend more time on the golf course, lol.

No, she is quite young, maybe late 30's to early 40's.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I'd pay it to keep the best doctor/dentist. If my kids' ped. ever enacts something like this, I'll totally pay it. I could see his practice doing this as you can't even get into the practice unless he literally visits you in the hospital after you give birth (or are a sibling of the newborn). He is THAT good that he can be that picky.

You can't put a price on the excellent medical care that a very good doctor gives, and buying some exclusivity so that you get seen in a timely fashion is worth it to me. I might be in the minority on this, though.

 

[StephMK]

I'd pay it to keep the best doctor/dentist. If my kids' ped. ever enacts something like this, I'll totally pay it. I could see his practice doing this as you can't even get into the practice unless he literally visits you in the hospital after you give birth (or are a sibling of the newborn). He is THAT good that he can be that picky.

You can't put a price on the excellent medical care that a very good doctor gives, and buying some exclusivity so that you get seen in a timely fashion is worth it to me. I might be in the minority on this, though.

I love my kids' ped so I might consider it for her. She runs on time, spends time talking to them & we never feel rushed. Depends on if it's a per family or per person charge though. 3 kids would be way too much to absorb.

I don't like my doc practice enough to consider that and would have no trouble switching. That seems pretty high considering online access to records is already potentially lessening the doc's office time to deal with paperwork you might need. That does not seem worth paying extra for, my ped does this already for free because it saves them time.

 

[PrincessSuzanne]

I work in healthcare (with the self pay and uninsured) and this is the MOST ridiculous thing I have ever heard of. This is going to push more and more people to use the ER as their primary care facility instead of working to get these people in to practices to help bring the cost of healthcare down.

There are already enough people out there that have no access to medical care and to do this, crazy. If my doctor did that, I would be finding a new one. I wouldn't think something like that would be legal, it is at the very least unethical.


Suzanne

 

[ssawka]

I'd pay it to keep the best doctor/dentist. If my kids' ped. ever enacts something like this, I'll totally pay it. I could see his practice doing this as you can't even get into the practice unless he literally visits you in the hospital after you give birth (or are a sibling of the newborn). He is THAT good that he can be that picky.

You can't put a price on the excellent medical care that a very good doctor gives, and buying some exclusivity so that you get seen in a timely fashion is worth it to me. I might be in the minority on this, though.

I might see paying it if you had major health problems and the doctor was the primary source of care, but for a family doctor that we see a couple times a year? I don't think so!

 

[mrsklamc]

I'd pay about anything I could afford to keep good doctors. The doctor who treats my cancer has an 8 month waiting list to begin with.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, I haven't read all the details, but it sounded like the fee is on top of the co-pay. They are pushing it as being that you'll have better access to your doctor because they will have less patients to see. Still, I have a problem having to pay whether I go or not. Now, if there was an added fee (say $25-$50) everytime I see the Dr, I probably wouldn't have a problem with it, but $25-$45 dollars a month for each patient seems a bit steep to me.

Not buying (no pun intended) it. They can do the same thing without extorting their existing patients: simply stop accepting new patients.

 

[01spirit750]

I think it would all depend on the situation.

If I had severe health issues and my PCP was doing something special or unique I would pay.

If I was healthy and only went to the doctors once every year or two, I would be switching to a different Dr.

I find the OP Drs interesting. My perception of his statement is: " I am starting a new pay for service practice, but I still need you until I have my new business built up. I will then drop you. Please do not leave until I am successful."