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Super Contributor
Posts: 259
Registered: ‎02-06-2019

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!

My husband and I belong to MD VIP and we love it.  It's easy to get an appointment....our doctor is very thorough and takes all the time you need......and they do file claims with our insurance.  We also have the personal cell phone number of our doctor which I had to call one Sunday evening regarding a situation with my husband.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,371
Registered: ‎03-09-2010

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!


@Starpolisher wrote:

@CalminHeart 


@CalminHeart wrote:

"It's been this way since 1973 when that president made health insurance profitable in the HMO Act.  Doctors made good living before then and they've made good livings since then.

 

When ACA was being developed, the goal was to give more power to people instead of all the power to insurance companies.  Due to amendments demanded by some, it ended up giving power to insurance companies.

 

Doctors don't totally lose when only part of a cost is paid. It's the way doctors and practices reduce taxes by writing off losses.  

 

It's insurance companies who have really profited.  Be angry at them."

 

 Yes! I remember when that started! (40 years ago when my ds' were infants) I had a choice to change to an HMO and my ds's pediatrician advised me against it. He said they told him which drugs, tests and even hospitals he could use. I distinctly remember him saying he had a patient with Type 1 Diabetes he could no longer see because of the HMO. They insisted she go to a hospital 20 miles away that he was not affiliated with. He also said some insurance guy would call him from his car phone(no cell phones yet) and tell him what he could or could not do!(not a doctor) I did not change but some of my friends did and so did my parents. All regretted it and switched back. My dad had a major problem with his kidneys because he was given a medication that was not the medication of choice by the doctor. The HMO's sounded too good to be true and they were!

 

 

 






 


Over the years since ACA, I had heart surgery, thyroid cancer surgery, eye surgery, and other issues.  I never had a problem like you describe.

 

My dad has diabetes and never had an issue like that either.  

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Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,364
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!

[ Edited ]

@CalminHeart 

 

 

I was talking about the HMO in the late 1970's, early 1980's. My dad most definitely had a serious problem with his kidneys after being prescribed a medication that the HMO approved. NOT the physicians drug of choice!

"Kindness is like snow ~It beautifies everything it covers"
-Kahlil Gibran
Honored Contributor
Posts: 11,921
Registered: ‎03-19-2010

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!


@GenXmuse wrote:

I wouldn't mind paying a fee but I don't want to battle with the claims. 


@GenXmuse I have an MDVIP doctor and he files insurance claims.  I can't speak for all MDVIP doctors but mine does.  However, even with ACA insurance, if you disagree with how the claim was handled it's up to you to challenge it with the insurance company and they don't make it easy.   

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,168
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!

I had to take my daughter to her ob/gyN last year when her car wouldn’t start...I went in the waiting room to wait since it was too hot to wait in the car, her dr shared the office with a concierge practice. The concierge side of the waiting room had Perrier, appetizer plates, and a large charcuterie board on a nice table. Even current magazines. I sat on the other side with old magazines and a big water dispenser with paper cups. The haves and have-nots!
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,889
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!


@Tinkrbl44 wrote:

@Sunshine Kate wrote:

I've never heard of that -- ridiculous.  

 

I would be afraid to visit a doc like that.  


 

@Sunshine Kate   @ECBG 

 

Concierge medical practices have been around for several years now.  I have a friend who has a concierge doctor, and she likes the convenience very much.

 

It's sort of like paying an attorney an annual fee to keep them "on retainer", and they take care of all your legal needs.  .    


 

I was just about to post the same.  They've been around for awhile now, not really new (although maybe new in some areas).  I know people who have concierge doctors, and feel it's very worthwhile.  Not for everyone obviously, but there are definitely advantages and many people obviously find it appealing and useful.

 

So I wouldn't call this physician's office "very strange" at all.  But I do think the friend should have said something about it.

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,889
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!

[ Edited ]

@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

I never heard of this and I think it's terrible!  We pay a lot for medical care in my opinion as it is.  These doctors are getting very greedy.  Yes, we need them, but they signed up to do what they do and they get paid pretty well.  I think this should be against the law to do this.  


 

No, it shouldn't be against the law.  Some doctors' practices offer this, and it's up to you if you want to see that doctor or not.  If you don't like what they offer, you're free to see another doctor.  It shouldn't be against the law just because you don't like it.

 

 

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,889
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!


@I am still oxox wrote:

It is pretty common in the NYC area, think of the TV show Royal Pains and my doctor did not meet my in the ER either, it is not done any longer


 

My doctor has met me in the ER, and he's not a concierge doctor.  

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,889
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!


@pitdakota wrote:

@AngelPuppy1 wrote:

I never heard of this and I think it's terrible!  We pay a lot for medical care in my opinion as it is.  These doctors are getting very greedy.  Yes, we need them, but they signed up to do what they do and they get paid pretty well.  I think this should be against the law to do this.  


___________________________________________________________  

@AngelPuppy1, concierge medicine is not about doctors being greedy.    Concierge medicine got its start decades ago because doctors wanted to try to maintain more of a physician's practice they valued with their patients rather than subscribe to what health insurance plans "allowed" them to do.  Today it has become more popular for doctors as many practices have moved under a managing group association. 

 

Many people don't realize that a  majority of doctors' offices out there are now managed by physician group practices or they belong to a group under the category of employed physician group practices. The only difference between the two is that in the first an outside company manages the practice and in the later, a hospital network manages the practice.  The managing group assumes administrative, financial, & legal responsibilities for the doctors' practice, keeps up with state rules, all regulations for insurance requirements, and so forth.

 

These managing groups also set the rules for how many patients are to be seen per hour, how coding is to be filed for certain types of office visits; set rules that patients will be charged for no call, no show appointments; mandate that a fee be submitting for returning a patient phone call, etc.   It depends on the area and the particular managing group, but they, not the doctors in the practice, set those rules.

 

Today, around 2/3 of all doctors' offices come under the umbrella of a managing group.

 

Moving to a type of concierge practice  eliminates the burden of trying to keep up with the ever changing health insurance requirements, etc.  It allows them to have a practice in where they can see their patients and manage the patient the way they as a doctor determined & therefore  more apt to feel they are delivering the best care to their patients.  

 

With concierge medicine they can see a patient for whatever reason, schedule their patients according to their own timeframe , determine how many office visits they feel is necessary for your individual case, regardless of whether insurance covers the office visit. They do not have to follow rules such as scheduling patients 15 minutes apart, charging for telephone consultation, etc.   They are free to spend whatever time they feel is necessary with their patient and so forth.  

 

Most concierge physicians do not have near the annual income that their counterparts out in other practices do.  Simply because they don't have the volume of patients and are responsible for maintaining all overhead for the practice as well as manage all administrative issues in the office.

 

I worked with several doctors that 20 years ago moved to a concierge practice that are now retired, but left a concierge practice with several doctors carrying on that practice.  The reason they made the move was to be able to practice medicine the way they determined was best for the patient, not what was best for the insurance company.  Today many are making the move because of insurance but to also get out from under requirements of a managing group.

 

I don't have a concierge physician but I know several people that do and they love that type of practice.  Of course, the downside is people have to be able to pay the fee that covers the year of care from that doctor, be willing to submit insurance claims on their own, etc. 

 

But concierge physicians are not greedy just because they moved to concierge practice .  They have to assume all overhead costs for their practice, don't see as many patients a day, and of course it isn't financially feasible for many out there to sign up with a doctor in a concierge practice.  There is also quite a bit of pressure to manage their practice economically because their only income is from the annual fees charged for each enrollee because they are not receiving anything from health insurance plans.

 

 

 

 

 


@pitdakota , excellent post!  I started to attempt to make the same points, but gave up.  You said it all - and very eloquently!

Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,889
Registered: ‎03-13-2010

Re: Very Strange Physician's Office!


@GenXmuse wrote:

I wouldn't mind paying a fee but I don't want to battle with the claims. 


 

The ones that I know of do file claims.  And some are more available than others, offer  different perks, etc.  They're not all the same.