Is concierge medicine affordable now? Concierge medicine isn’t going anywhere son, for years doctors have been offering concierge medicine to paying patients. Since the practice continues to increase in popularity are the prices seeing any difference?
Concierge doctors charge an additional annual fee to patients and offer concierge like service. They take on only a fraction of the amount of patients that the average doctor sees per year. The retainer allows doctors to offer more personalized service and 24/7 availability by phone, email and sometimes same-day appointments. They may also coordinate or sit in on specialty care and give bedside attention during hospital visits. Fewer patients mean less wait time for you when seeing your doctor and higher profits for your doctor.
Most doctors that start their own concierge medicine practices are primary care doctors who feel they are underpaid and/or overworked. The average primary care physician sees between 3,000 and 4,000 patients per year and is unhappy with the impersonal care.
The practice of concierge medicine has been heatedly debated by economists, insurance companies and health-care professionals. One such argument is that the practice of concierge medicine is broadening the gap between the rich and the poor. In additional, doctors are allowed to hand-pick their patients meaning that the seriously sick patients are less likely to find a concierge doctor.
Supporters of concierge medicine argue that the practice of concierge medicine re-introduces patients and practitioners. They are able to take control of their health care again. Physicians are able to take better care of their patients. She can also advise the best type of treatment without worrying about whether insurance will cover it.
It is no secret that the U.S. may soon be facing a doctor shortage. Supports of concierge medicine argue that the practice will encourage more medical students to become primary care physicians.
The average annual retainer for obtaining a concierge doctor in Scottsdale is around $1500. Given the rising cost of health insurance, premiums and lack of available primary care physicians, $1500 doesn’t seem so steep to me. I wouldn’t mind paying the extra fee to know that I would be able to see my doctor immediately in case of emergency.
