@Tinkrbl44 wrote:
@Starpolisher wrote:
@CalminHeart 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.
I agree, this is not ok with me either. Luckily, I go to a practice that will provide the same care without an annual fee.
@CalminHeart
I also agree! A good and caring doctor should be doing this anyway! Obviously, depending on the ailment, everyone doesn't require the same amount of time. You should always feel comfortable and confident with all your doctors. If not, find another one. Theses concierge doctors are guaranteeing their already lucrative salaries. Some take insurance and get paid from the insurance companies in addition to your joining fee.
It's not for me. I need to feel that my doctor cares about me as a person...not just a fee!
@Starpolisher @CalminHeart @AngelPuppy1
Clearly you are not up to speed on the changes medical practices have had to deal with. What, exactly, should a doctor do when insurance companies don't "allow" what they believe is best for the patient? Think about that for a moment.
Insurance filings and paperwork has increased substantially and more people have to be hired just for paperwork. Insurance companies don't pay immediately and will haggle with doctors and practices. If they are to survive, medical practices MUST be run like for-profit businesses, unless health care changes in this country.
Why do you think so many doctors now do Botox injections? It's a cash business and no insurance company pays for it (for cosmetic applications) and the lack of hassles with insurance companies is a big plus for medical practices.
Many doctors don't have "lucrative" salaries or practices. It's not about greed. It's about sustaining a medical group that is VERY expensive to operate. When you consider all the equipment, skilled personnel, etc required to do so, it makes a lot of sense.
Yes, I know some people think doctors should work for free and their health insurance should also be free, but health care is expensive. That's the reality. No one is forcing you to go to use the concierge option. There are still plenty of free clinics around, if you want to go that route.
Medical school attendance has dropped. We are losing doctors because of all the hassles just to make a decent (not exorbitant) living. Well, at least we still have options.
@Tinkrbl44
First of all, most people can’t afford to pay retainer fees on top of taxes and health insurance premiums, especially those on fixed incomes! Secondly, Concierge medicine is not a substitute for health Insurance. The retainer, no matter how steep, does not cover out-of-office visits to specialists, emergency room care, hospitalization, major surgery or high-tech diagnostic tests, such as CT scans and MRIs. The fee is not reimbursed by either private health insurance or Medicare, although patients' health savings accounts may cover some of the cost. So on top of the fee patients still need to pay for health insurace. I don't know for sure but I thought concierge physcians were for primary care so I don't know just how much equipment, skilled personnel, etc. is necessary to run a practice.
If many doctors choose this type of medical practice,(especially with the anticipated shortage of new doctors) the result will be fewer doctors to go around, leaving it increasingly difficult for patients, especially lower-income ones, to find a doctor.
Getting more care doesn't actually mean getting better care. It's possible that concierge care could lead to overtreatment and overtesting, neither of which benefits the patient. Having a doctor at your beck and call is actually kind of silly, even wasteful. When someone joins a concierge practice, he or she generally expects to interact exclusively with an M.D. But, as you pointed out, we don’t have a deep enough pool of M.D.s to have them giving flu shots and advising patients about how to responsibly take antibiotics. Concierge medicine has scarce, highly trained doctors doing the work that nurses, nurse practitioners, or physician’s assistants could do. I don't know enough about the paperwork, Botox or exactly what insurance companies allow doctors to do so I can not address those comments.
Of course, as you say, no one is forcing you to use the concierge option, matter of fact , you can't use it unless you can afford it. I would venture to say that those who use the free clinic do so because they have no other choice. I believe you are charged on a sliding scale at clinics. So if you are at a certain income, you may end up paying just as much, if not more depending on your income. So I don't see the option there. Of course, other than the wealthy, I think everyone agrees something needs to be done about the health care in this country. I believe it should be available, yes, Free to everyone. And no, I don't know the answer. I don't think anyone thinks a doctor nor anyone else should work for free however, I do think that any patient should be able to be seen and that “do no harm” means being available to more than just the elite.
Just a side note, so you don't think it's just sour grapes on my part. I have excellent insurance and it's totally free including Medicare for myself and dh. I'm a retired NJ teacher. (I was a nurse for 23 years before becoming a teacher). Also, finacially I could certainly afford a Concierge doctor if I wanted one but I still don't agree with this practice. I see it as another way to divide the haves from the have-nots!
"Kindness is like snow ~It beautifies everything it covers"
-Kahlil Gibran
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