Wellness

[Abrowneyegirl]

My husbands 1 GP and our GI doctor have both sent out notices this month that they changing their practices to concierge style practices.

They wish to spend more times with patients and not be dictated by insurance companies.  Both are fabulous doctors, well respected in the community.

My GP started a concierge med practice years ago and it is great, but this is a trend that can be troublesome as not everyone can afford it.

My dear friend told me her endocrinologist is converting her practice this fall.

I am surprised that even specialists are converting to concierge models.  Here in small town USA it was only just GP in this movement, but now that is changing too!

I said to my husband this will effect our retirement planning as in years past you did not have to budget for private pay doctors.

Are you seeing this trend in your area YET?

[IMW]

Absolutely, our internist became part concierge and still kept original and new patients. My endocrinologist went from accepted my insurance to $450 a visit, accepting almost no insurance. He gave me no options,

this after 15 years.

[Bri369]

I'm starting to see more and more of those services offered.

Unfortunately, insurance companies have forced doctors to do it their way and doctors want to take back their practice. 

[NicksmomESQ]

@Abrowneyegirl  JMO but I think that’s terrible.Basically what these concierge doctors are saying is that they’re greedy. They want more money than the insurance companies pay. Therefore, they only want rich patients.Or patients willing to go broke to pay them. They aren’t doctors. They have become businessmen.

[Trinity11]

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@Abrowneyegirl wrote:

My husbands 1 GP and our GI doctor have both sent out notices this month that they changing their practices to concierge style practices.

They wish to spend more times with patients and not be dictated by insurance companies.  Both are fabulous doctors, well respected in the community.

My GP started a concierge med practice years ago and it is great, but this is a trend that can be troublesome as not everyone can afford it.

My dear friend told me her endocrinologist is converting her practice this fall.

I am surprised that even specialists are converting to concierge models.  Here in small town USA it was only just GP in this movement, but now that is changing too!

I said to my husband this will effect our retirement planning as in years past you did not have to budget for private pay doctors.

Are you seeing this trend in your area YET?

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My urologist went to concierge medicine but after 2 years he went back to a regular group practice. This was back in 2006.

[dex]

Doctors have costly educations,insurance and must purchase a practice.They also have staff costs and hospital fees.My friends husband was a GP and she said that the insurance costs were so great that he had to quit delivering babies to save some money.I think the only ones getting rich are the insurance company and maybe the specialists.

[Drythe]

They are Going for the ‘carriage trade’.

The well to do, you know whose - as some one mentioned below.

Yes, it’s here.  $2,000.00 per person to join.

Costly battery of baseline tests.

$500.00 per year to stay in.

$400.00 per visit + Labs x-ray, etc.

Pay in full up front.

Patient responsibility for sending bills for reimbursement if any.

Major, well known major medical center.

Our health care system is broken.

[blueroses47]

I lost a doctor that I liked (liked, not loved) to that kind of thing.   I didn't know the term was called "concierge", so now I know.

He sent a long letter explaining what he was going to do, and moved out of his group into a different floor in the same building.

I have yet to find a doctor I like as well in that practice, so find myself not going for checkups as I should.

It's upsetting to lose a doctor you particulary like and trust.  My friend just called me up a few days ago because her doctor of many years unexpectedly passed away. 

She sounded devastated, actually. 

I sort of felt that way when my trusted dentist retired.  I still go to his replacements, but have little confidence in them.  After years of my old dentist monitoring my gum "pockets" carefully and letting me know the state of my gums, the replacement dentists cheerfully told me I had "no pockets".  Something's not right there.

[Abrowneyegirl]

@Bri369 @IMW  @NicksmomESQ 

Yes, Medicine in a business.  Doctors have HUGE student loans to pay and overhead AND malpractice insurance.......

I do not think it is greed but as said above it is professionals wanting to take back the control of their lives and the care they provide.

We are all getting squeezed.  I saw a specialist recently that was part of a hospital system.  I was charged $75 on TOP of my co-pay because I have private insurance and it "costs the hospital money to employee people to process the paperwork."  Really!!!!

At least with a concierge practice you have 24 hour access to your MD and they even make house calls!  My doctor will call specialists to coordinate care and appts on the spot with me sitting there.  

When a MD simply stops participating in insurance I wonder do you get more time with the MD at appointments or are they still giving pt the bums rush?

[hckynut]

@Abrowneyegirl 

Yes, it is happening all over the US. The more the "you know who's" take control, the harder it will be for every doctor. They have to follow "dictates" and who suffers beside the patient, the doctor.

Having insurance means very little if the quality of care suffers and the length of time to get in to see a doctor increases. I compare this to having new high tech motor vehicles for everyone, but only a few technicians that are able to service them. Same thing is, and will keep happening to physicians. The more they are controlled by time and $$$ the faster the level of care will head downward.

One of my good friends, who is also my Ortho doctor, moved here from Canada, and it wasn't because he didn't  like his primary Country. It was how he had to run his practice that kinda forced his move.

A lot of things theoretically sound great and Just,  but in reality, everyone pays a price. I have lost 3 of my long term doctors by what "is going on" and I  suspect it will get worse, not better.

hckynut