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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.
I've had concierge for years. The first thing is to know exactly what that $2,000 includes. I pay over twice that amount each month, but that includes 24/7 doctor visits at my location. There are so many ways concierge physicians or services can operate that knowing what you will be getting and at what level of service and at what cost, is vital.
Now my service is via a physician's office which means the doctors themselves are who I interact with when service is needed. That doesn't mean if I call for flu like symptom that the doctor will be at my door in 15 minutes, but I will geta call from the RN or the PA/NP within minutes and if it's agreeable, they will come by usually within an hour or so. However, I will always geta follow-up visit or call from the actual doctor. Each of the RN's, PA or NP carries what is a portable doctors/treatment office; it's not a handheld black bag, it's an entire suitcase of equipment and medications.
My practice does not accept insurance although they will provide the necessary approved billing/treatment documents for me to file on my own. I don't know what my practices ratio of patients to doctors but it's very small. Small enough that same day house call visits are the norm.
There are some other "concierge" services that are basically the doctors office with a fee. You still make appointments although with less patients, the availability is much sooner. But everything else is pretty much the same as before. You still go to their office and house calls are the rarity. Basically, your paying for the privilege to be a limited number patient.
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.
I've never been able to see why concierge care would be of benefit to me. I'm fairly healthy at sixty-four and those short visits with my family doctor have worked out well. The concierge trend concerns me. There is a shortage of physicians and concierge medicine means fewer people will be seen by the doctors already in the system.
I've had concierge for years. The first thing is to know exactly what that $2,000 includes. I pay over twice that amount each month, but that includes 24/7 doctor visits at my location. There are so many ways concierge physicians or services can operate that knowing what you will be getting and at what level of service and at what cost, is vital.
Now my service is via a physician's office which means the doctors themselves are who I interact with when service is needed. That doesn't mean if I call for flu like symptom that the doctor will be at my door in 15 minutes, but I will geta call from the RN or the PA/NP within minutes and if it's agreeable, they will come by usually within an hour or so. However, I will always geta follow-up visit or call from the actual doctor. Each of the RN's, PA or NP carries what is a portable doctors/treatment office; it's not a handheld black bag, it's an entire suitcase of equipment and medications.
My practice does not accept insurance although they will provide the necessary approved billing/treatment documents for me to file on my own. I don't know what my practices ratio of patients to doctors but it's very small. Small enough that same day house call visits are the norm.
There are some other "concierge" services that are basically the doctors office with a fee. You still make appointments although with less patients, the availability is much sooner. But everything else is pretty much the same as before. You still go to their office and house calls are the rarity. Basically, your paying for the privilege to be a limited number patient.
This is an interesting concept and worth looking into. Our primary is very responsive to calls.
I've had concierge for years. The first thing is to know exactly what that $2,000 includes. I pay over twice that amount each month, but that includes 24/7 doctor visits at my location. There are so many ways concierge physicians or services can operate that knowing what you will be getting and at what level of service and at what cost, is vital.
Now my service is via a physician's office which means the doctors themselves are who I interact with when service is needed. That doesn't mean if I call for flu like symptom that the doctor will be at my door in 15 minutes, but I will geta call from the RN or the PA/NP within minutes and if it's agreeable, they will come by usually within an hour or so. However, I will always geta follow-up visit or call from the actual doctor. Each of the RN's, PA or NP carries what is a portable doctors/treatment office; it's not a handheld black bag, it's an entire suitcase of equipment and medications.
My practice does not accept insurance although they will provide the necessary approved billing/treatment documents for me to file on my own. I don't know what my practices ratio of patients to doctors but it's very small. Small enough that same day house call visits are the norm.
There are some other "concierge" services that are basically the doctors office with a fee. You still make appointments although with less patients, the availability is much sooner. But everything else is pretty much the same as before. You still go to their office and house calls are the rarity. Basically, you're paying for the privilege to be a limited number patient.
The services you're getting are far different from what I think I would be getting. Having a medical professional come out to your home is amazing! Thank you so much for responding. I don't know anyone who has gone the Concierge route except for a friend who is a retired Orthopedic surgeon who dropped his Concierge doc.
I've had concierge for years. The first thing is to know exactly what that $2,000 includes. I pay over twice that amount each month, but that includes 24/7 doctor visits at my location. There are so many ways concierge physicians or services can operate that knowing what you will be getting and at what level of service and at what cost, is vital.
Now my service is via a physician's office which means the doctors themselves are who I interact with when service is needed. That doesn't mean if I call for flu like symptom that the doctor will be at my door in 15 minutes, but I will geta call from the RN or the PA/NP within minutes and if it's agreeable, they will come by usually within an hour or so. However, I will always geta follow-up visit or call from the actual doctor. Each of the RN's, PA or NP carries what is a portable doctors/treatment office; it's not a handheld black bag, it's an entire suitcase of equipment and medications.
My practice does not accept insurance although they will provide the necessary approved billing/treatment documents for me to file on my own. I don't know what my practices ratio of patients to doctors but it's very small. Small enough that same day house call visits are the norm.
There are some other "concierge" services that are basically the doctors office with a fee. You still make appointments although with less patients, the availability is much sooner. But everything else is pretty much the same as before. You still go to their office and house calls are the rarity. Basically, your paying for the privilege to be a limited number patient.
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? I'm not including what I pay for Medicare which is very high. The Concierge fee would be in addition to the ridiculously high Medicare fee I now pay.
I have a phone call scheduled this week with the rep who's signing patients up so your post gives me a good starting point to ask questions and find out exactly what the patients will receive. The special testing/scans is what they are promoting as a reason to sign up.
One thing that concerns me is that the Primary Care doc doesn't have hospital privileges. I was told many PCP don't have the ability to admit patients anymore and the patient is sent to the ER to be admitted by the hospital docs.
Are you in an area where you can't get another primary doctor? If it were me, I'd just switch since you say you're already paying a high Medicare bill.
I have a friend who has paid for concierge medical care for years. In return for her monthly payment, she is guaranteed a call back within an hour, doctor or his PA within 24 hours.
His office files her insurance forms, and she pays her deductible and co-pays.
She has multiple medical issues and likes that she sees the same medical providers all the time.
My understanding is that his concierge fees cover his overhead -- lease, office staff, M.A,, malpractice insurance, etc.
This allows him to practice the kind of medicine he wants rather than rushing patients through in order to pay the bills.
Are you in an area where you can't get another primary doctor? If it were me, I'd just switch since you say you're already paying a high Medicare bill.
I really like the doc I have now. I feel like she knows me and my medical history because she already spends quite a bit of time with me during my office visits. I'm reluctant to start all over with a new doctor.
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