In a study done in 2019, the United States sits on top of the list of countries that spent the most on health care. An average American expects to pay $8, 000 yearly. With billions of money being poured into this industry, what's perplexing is that for every 1,000 people, there are only 2.6 specialists available.
This is the country's current state and according to experts, it will only get more expensive in the coming years.
Given the amount of money that a patient shells out for health care, people started questioning if they are getting their money's worth on traditional health care. This also started the pique of interest in concierge medicine.
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According to Redefining Aging, Transforming Medicine, Reimaging life, ;Right now, a healthy 30-year-old with no health problems other than seasonal allergies gets the same amount of time as an 87-year-old with 12 medical issues who's on 18 different medications - Louis Aronson, author of Elderhood
According to the Concierge Choice Physicians, the cost of concierge medicine includes paying an annual fee that can range anywhere from $1, 500 to $2, 400($125 to $200 a month).
That being said, there are hyper exclusive concierge practices that charge patients $25, 000 per year. Concierge costs are a broad spectrum– pricing depends on exclusivity, location, and services provided.
The annual fee already covers comprehensive health assessment programs. This includes advanced medical exams and health screening which are not typically covered by commercial insurance.
Based on the assessment, your doctor can create a customized - program that aims to help you achieve your health goals and pre-empts major diseases.
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These comprehensive medical assessments aim to keep patients healthy– i.e., preventative medicine, thereby reducing the need for costly health care spending on hospitalizations and emergency room visit bills. Those who regularly meet with their physicians are statistically hospitalized less.
Concierge Medical practices usually charge a membership fee that can be paid monthly, quarterly, or yearly. This can also be considered as a retainer fee. It can vary depending on the practice and its location. Around 35 % of practices can charge $300 per month, while some can only cost $225 per month.
Aside from the concierge membership fee, patients were expected to carry their regular health care insurance. The concierge medicine fee does not pay for hospitalizations, surgeries, and subspeciality visits. This is where health insurance can help cover the rest of the expenses.
As part of the concierge medicine perks, the patient's consultation with different specialists shall also be handled personally by their primary doctor. This limits the chances of re-doing a lab test in cases wherein a second opinion is needed for diagnosis.
You will only be referred to specialist consultations when essential but not because your primary care doctor is too busy to spend time with you and wants to ship you off to a consultant). Your concierge doctor will personally oversee your consultant's care plan and will be an advocate for your health.
The perks of the membership can also affect the fee. Some of the services included in concierge medicine are:
The doctor's responsibility to his/her patient does not end even after working hours. This also avoids the hassle of getting transferred from one receptionist to another.·
This exam is not usually discussed with patients unless they have a long history with their physicians. Since Concierge Medicine patients regularly see the same doctor, this step can be part of their long - time plan. Prevention is better than cure.
Concierge doctors can be available for home visits / sick visits. There is a lot of demand for this particular service, which requires the concierge doctors or their mid-levels to visit the patient's home with all the necessary medical equipment. This service usually comes at a premium price. ·
Coaching sessions are also available depending on the specialization of the concierge doctor near you.
Concierge Medicine membership fee covers your exclusive & privileged primary care doctor's expenses. However, patients should still carry their insurance to pay for any hospital visits, surgeries, sub-specialty visits etc.
Contrary to popular belief, Medicare isn't only used by older people. Individuals under the age of 65 can also qualify if they have medical conditions, like renal failure. The patient still has to pay the membership fee, but the insurance can cover other expenses.
This can include prescription medications, imaging, laboratory work, and emergency department visits. This also guarantees that the membership fee could no longer include services usually covered by the insurance.
If the patient is already paying for the Concierge Medicine fee, HMO or PPO plans can cover fees for seeing specialists. The Concierge doctor can already handle the referrals to other specialists if needed.
If you already have existing insurance, it is only practical to review services not covered by the practice, such as vaccinations and blood work.
Patients are now demanding the highest quality of care. They are now demanding shorter waiting times, 24 / 7 access to their doctors and committed monitoring of current health issues. This is exactly what Concierge Medicine started offering to its patients.
A Concierge Medicine doctor only handles around 30 - 80 patients. Each patient can contact their doctor at any time and by any means. In exceptional cases, the doctor can even conduct home visits to check on your symptoms.
Given the limited number of patients seen by a concierge doctor, the doctor spends around 30 - 45 minutes per consultation than the less than 15 minutes session you can expect from a doctor practising traditional health care.
One of the services included in Concierge Medicine is that referral from one specialist to another should no longer stress you out as much as it did before. Instead of going from one receptionist to another, your Concierge doctor will still care for your primary health and handle all the essential referrals.
My doctor is a primary care quarterback who is quick to say, 'That's not my area of expertise,' but gives me a vetted referral. It's easy, efficient and I like the notion of one gatekeeper, especially if you have multiple medical issues.--Chicago attorney Mike Philippi
It does not end there as your Concierge Medicine perks can also include the following:
Services that focus on your health maintenance are not usually part of normal insurance.
We cannot gauge what cost you will consider as expensive or affordable. What we can tell you is that any investment in yourself will not go to waste. When it comes to self-care, we should not easily dismiss things we first consider expensive when it benefits us in the long run.
When you are considering the worth of your concierge medicine cost, it is ideal to remember that health care is something we need to invest in to be around when it is time to reap the fruits of our labours.
While you will pay a membership fee for concierge services, in addition to your regular insurance plan, there are many ways in which concierge services can make up for the costs. Cost savings from the concierge plan come from–
Join the movement for improved patient-centred care and see a concierge doctor in your area today. Find your nearest concierge doctor at – findmydirectdoctor.com
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