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By way of a full transparent disclaimer, I'm in an income bracket where this amount is just under 7% of my gross income. I also have the free VA Health Care System I maintain to certify my essential coverage, and a company fully paid health plan that is use for ancillary services.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rfomd129
I re-read your post and wanted to clarify your costs. The $2,000 I would pay is per year - are you saying you pay more than $2,000 per month or per year?
Yes, I have what is more commonly known as dedicated physician medical. With the explosion of "concierge" medicine, my form if now a lesser known way of doing things. I guess the best way to describe my type is to look at the basis for the old TV show "Royal Pains". That's more the type I have.
My PCP polled his patients to see if there was interest in concierge services. He also wanted to charge 2K per year for this service. He ended up joining a regular network and just practicing his specialty instead of also practicing internal medicine. Now I am out of a regular PCP for basic stuff and need to find another.
My friend, who is related to one of the richest people in the US, became ill and the family member paid for my friend to have a real concierge service doctor. He could call this doctor day or night on his personal cell phone. This was truly like the old TV show, Royal Pains, where the doctor came to your fancy home via helicopter or by private plane cross country, prepared with all types of portable scanners. Crazy. This guy has hospital wings named after him.
Internal medicine guys do not make the big money. This concierge service thing is a way for them to make way better money. If you have the extra money you are paying for better service (same as a lot of other services you can afford that you enjoy). When my doctor was initially selling this to his patients there were scare tactics as people were afraid they would not get access to regular medical care with the advent of ACA and most of them being on Medicare. In my case I was just attached to my doctor and it came about as an abrupt change I was not prepared for. I am glad I experienced it; but, it was an increase in my budget. I have been able to get good doctors with plenty of access and the same or better level of doctoring. I am glad that I did not spend another $20,000 on it since I left because I have spent that and more at my dentist and my cat's dentist. I could have had a very nice luxury car for what we have spent on dental care alone.
My primary care doctor is going Concierge. The cost will be $2,000 per year for patients who sign up. Included in the $2,000 is special advanced testing and scans.
Has anyone chosen to join their doctor in the Concierge system? Any opinions or experiences would be very welcome.
A few years ago, my Daughter and son-in-law had a PCP who one day announced she was "going Concierge", and would they sign up.
Well they decided no, and went and found new PCPs. About a year later, the old PCP wrote and said she was dropping the Concierge idea, and would the kids rejoin her practice.
Well they by now had a good relation with their new PCPs, who also were closer to home and work, so they declined to return.
So apparently not all Concierge plans work well for the doc.
BTW, when I, as a retired widower, relocated to live with the kids, the old PCP would not accept me on Medicare. A neighbor recommended a guy who I was with for 10 years until he retired.
My primary care doctor is going Concierge. The cost will be $2,000 per year for patients who sign up. Included in the $2,000 is special advanced testing and scans.
Has anyone chosen to join their doctor in the Concierge system? Any opinions or experiences would be very welcome.
Concierge docs can run the gamut from excellent to awful. $2000 a year sounds awfully low, but I guess this depends on what this includes. Will you also be paying for phone calls, consultations? If so, check those prices.
Most of the concierge docs I know have a yearly retainer, somewhere between 50-75k, but that includes everything, including home visits, clinic visits, labs, etc. And they will only take on a few patients, making sure they're available for everyone. At 2,000, he might take on a lot of patients and really not offer any individual attention beyond what you'd otherwise get from a PCP from your insurance network.
If you're happy with your PCP and can afford 2k a year with not much trouble, I'd say go for it. But if your PCP was just average, I'd look for other options. Also if the 2k a year means significant cuts elsewhere.
A few years ago, my Daughter and son-in-law had a PCP who one day announced she was "going Concierge", and would they sign up.
Well they decided no, and went and found new PCPs. About a year later, the old PCP wrote and said she was dropping the Concierge idea, and would the kids rejoin her practice.
Well they by now had a good relation with their new PCPs, who also were closer to home and work, so they declined to return.
So apparently not all Concierge plans work well for the doc.
BTW, when I, as a retired widower, relocated to live with the kids, the old PCP would not accept me on Medicare. A neighbor recommended a guy who I was with for 10 years until he retired.
One of my concerns is that since it would be a new business model for the practice, if there aren't enough patients to keep the practice going, the doc might go back to the original format of working with insurance companies and the patients would still be married to the Concierge company. The $2,000 per year wouldn't be a hardship but I still wouldn't want to throw it away if the practice doesn't get enough patients signed up.
One of my concerns is that since it would be a new business model for the practice, if there aren't enough patients to keep the practice going, the doc might go back to the original format of working with insurance companies and the patients would still be married to the Concierge company. The $2,000 per year wouldn't be a hardship but I still wouldn't want to throw it away if the practice doesn't get enough patients signed up.
many of the concierge mds take ins and bill ins just like any other dr. What you get with a concierge dr is access and humans ,not impossible telephone systems to deal with.
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I could have had a very nice luxury car for what we have spent on dental care alone.
