Concierge practices?

[explanade]

Looking to choose my PCP.

One guy seems to get good ratings but is dinged on Yelp for opening a concierge practice.

He specialized in cardiology but decided to open a concierge internal medicine practice.

Anyone pay for such care?

Sounds like he's taking a lot of patients and then offering more responsive care for those willing to pay.

[Jackanory]

My PCP has added some entrepreneurial businesses on the side over the years, including Concierge services, Botox, and a Sleep disorders clinic. Hasn't impacted his 'doctoring' AFAICS.

[Ally]

My PCP of 16 years opened a concierge practice in Seotember, going from 1500 patients to 350. I paid 2000 for a year and all is free, but outside tests she orders goes on my insurance who still accepts her as a PCP. My husband chose not to go with her and had a hard time finding a dr he likes. He may go back to her in 2015.

I have several things that need monitoring and she is very good about communicating with specialists and interpreting for me. I consider her to be a friend and doctor. Since she started her concierge practice, I see her for more like 30-45 minutes each visit rather than 10 mins. We have each others' cell phone numbers and she encourages me to call anytime, though I haven't needed to.

My son in law is a PCP in another town and I know there are so many pressures on doctors these days. If you truly care about offering quality medical care it's hard on 5-10 minutes a visit.

In the case of my doctor, I feel like we are partners in my care now and I like that we have the time to do this.


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[explanade]

So she stopped seeing patients who do not pay for concierge services?

And for $2000 she doesn't charge you for doctor's visits or some tests but then for other tests she charges and it goes against your deductible?

I guess concierge wouldn't be good for me because I anticipate that I'd only see the doctor a few times a year, including once for physicals.

But if the doctor prioritizes his concierge patients over non-concierge patients or doesn't even see the latter, then I'll have to look for one who hasn't gone to concierge practice.

[REWahoo]

DW's doc announced last year she was going concierge but backed out after too few of her patients signed up. She sent an announcement that it would be business as usual but it was too late. She lost lots of business since DW and many others had already found another Doc and didn't go back.

[marko]

My Dr of 10 years goes concierge in two days. His rate is based upon your age ($1500 per year for me) and he will not take insurance.

This gets you almost unlimited access, lab test and minor procedures.

He's gone from 6 people who were there to just track insurance claims to a secretary and a med assistant. He claims he's way ahead financially.

[braumeister]

My doc went to a sort of concierge paradigm about six years ago (I've been seeing him for over 20 years).

He charges a fixed amount (started at $350 and has risen to $475 now) at the start of the year. For that payment, you get same day appointments whenever you need one, any paperwork for any purpose, and email/phone access to him. We also get appointments that last as long as needed -- no rushing through anything.

All normal charges are made to your insurance; this program is just for the premium access.

We like it very much. He is an excellent diagnostician and we have a superb relationship.

The doc also likes it, since with many fewer patients than he previously had, he no longer has so much stress. He commented to me a couple of years ago that in this new system, nearly every one of his patients is someone he genuinely enjoys seeing. That makes it a win-win all around.

[Ally]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade So she stopped seeing patients who do not pay for concierge services? And for $2000 she doesn't charge you for doctor's visits or some tests but then for other tests she charges and it goes against your deductible? I guess concierge wouldn't be good for me because I anticipate that I'd only see the doctor a few times a year, including once for physicals. But if the doctor prioritizes his concierge patients over non-concierge patients or doesn't even see the latter, then I'll have to look for one who hasn't gone to concierge practice.

No charges for visits and tests done in her office lab. If I'm ever sent for an X-ray or something she can't do, like a mammogram, it would be filed on my insurance. She doesn't see anyone else outside of the concierge patients. My reason for staying is that I have some things, like kidney disease, that need regular monitoring and frequent visits. If that weren't the case, I probably wouldn't have done it. For my insurance, she is still a PCP, so what she orders still is often free or low cost, even if done elsewhere.


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[explanade]

Do you still have high deductible plans but still pay for concierge access?

[growing_older]

I am considering leaving my doctor for a concierge practice. My ever more confusing and stingy insurance is always a hassle and the doctors office is always overbooked with patients. When I have a sick kid, I'd happily pay a premium to see someone RIGHT NOW, instead of trying to deal with nurse triage on the phone then get an appointment for late in the day with another doctor in the practice I do not know and will never see again. Always assuming they don't start running late, so I get to spend another hour or two waiting past the appointment time until the doctor is actually free.

[explanade]

When I google the doctors who come up in the doctor search from my carrier's site, most of them have a few reviews on sites like healthgrades.com or vitals.com. A few have Yelp reviews as well.

This one guy I was considering for Concierge had 24 reviews, so I guess he's always taking patients and maybe he has a two tier setup, Concierge and the rest who have to wait.

[WhoDaresWins]

A concierge practice would have very little value to me. I see my PCP at most once a year. I did visit the office in October for a flu shot but the nurse gave me that. I seem to acquired a coterie of specialists that I see once a year for various ails (real or imagined). Pittsburgh is a great area for medical care as we apparently have no shortage of doctors and where I live there are urgent care walk-in offices all over the place (there are 3 in a 5 mile radius of my home). These places are open 7 days a week/12 hours a day.

[Bestwifeever]

My docs are all in a large hospital group and I don't think concierge is an option for them. Love my "regular" doc but I rarely see her more than once a year, if that, so concierge service would be not very advantageous for me. I see a couple of specialists once or twice a year--has this fad innovation extended to that level?

[Sarah in SC]

My doc moved to concierge medicine a couple of years ago and I changed docs. Not worth it for me.
My mom goes to a concierge med practice, but it is a good deal for her; since she has lots of complicated medical conditions and needs a "quarterback" to keep track of everything.


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[M Paquette]

Lessee... Pay a big chunk of change every year; Maybe get some visits and labs cheap or free; E-mail and phone access; Pretty easy to set up an appointment with the doc or a partner on short notice...

I guess I've got a concierge doctor. Kaiser Permanente...

[Ally]

Quote:

Originally Posted by explanade Do you still have high deductible plans but still pay for concierge access?

I have my health insurance through work right now. When I retire, I will go on my husband's state retirement health plan, which she is also listed as a PCP on. It's not a particularly high deductible plan ($2500), when I see how high some are.


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