There are lots of myths that surround concierge medicine membership. One of them is that it appears to be financially impractical for patients. The reality is the opposite – and the truth may surprise patients like you.
Membership-based models such as Concierge Medicine have much value to offer, and more and more patients continue to discover that the benefits are not purely medical or health-related. There are also financial benefits of subscribing to a concierge medicine membership.
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Although your Concierge Medicine membership does not replace your insurance plan, allowing the former to take over primary care has created a more pleasant health care experience for patients.
In most cases, patients' medical cost savings from a Concierge Medicine membership pay for their monthly membership fees already.
If you are interested in making the switch to this new and improved, more patient-focused health care model, here are three important ways your Concierge Medicine membership saves you money in the long run.
Because your Concierge Medicine membership fees covers everything about primary care, patients now have the freedom to reduce their insurance plans to a basic, more affordable version.
Patients who have a Concierge Medicine membership will only need an insurance plan covering hospitalization and other catastrophic expenses. This is considered a major win for patients, given that stressful interactions between patients and insurance companies are significantly reduced.
Copay fees, insurance premiums, and everything else in between – these are matters patients who have Concierge Medicine memberships no longer have to stress about.
In a Concierge Medicine membership, patients gain access to flexible payment terms, unlimited clinic visits, routine primary care services, virtual care options, as well as heavily discounted out-patient services and medication at wholesale cost.
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Unlike the traditional, fee-for-service health care model (notorious for either overcharging patients or taking them by surprise with hidden charges), your Concierge Medicine membership offers upfront, transparent pricing at your utmost convenience.
Patients only settle a monthly subscription fee, and you get a set of unlimited primary care services with no additional charges. Think your Netflix or Spotify subscription – your Concierge Medicine membership operates similarly.
More importantly, a Concierge Medicine membership offers patients something the traditional, insurance-based model has had little to no success with: enough time with your doctor to forge a genuine relationship that could last generations.
From house calls to 24/7 access via their line, your Concierge doctor is devoted to keeping any debilitating illnesses at bay and ensuring they are at your disposal for any medical advice you may need.
Should there be any further treatment needed outside of your Concierge Medicine membership, your Concierge doctor is sure to run it by you first.
How do patients view health care in America?. How has a Concierge doctor's extended care has positively affected? Thanks to Concierge Medicine memberships, more and more patients have greater access to quality primary care – one that has their best interests at heart and does not leave them financially paralyzed.
Concierge Medicine memberships have helped curb health care horror stories from happening in the U.S. A New York Times piece by Elisabeth Rosenthal brings troubling healthcare experiences such as Peter Driers.
"After a recent herniated-disk surgery, Peter was ready for the $56,000 hospital charge, the $4,300 anesthesiologist bill, and the $133,000 fee for [his] orthopedist. All were either in-network under his insurance or had been previously negotiated. But he shockingly wasn't quite prepared for the $117,000 bill from an "assistant surgeon"— an out-of-network doctor that the hospital tacked on at the last minute."
One of the main goals of having a Concierge Medicine membership is for patients not to have to go through experiences like this, to begin with.
Significant studies reveal that patients who have consistent access to primary care are less likely to get hospitalized or end up in the ER. Given that these dire medical situations cost thrice as much as routine care, this is precisely where constant communication between doctors and their patients makes all the difference.
When doctors and their patients are given enough time to hash out everything about the patient's health and get to know each other on a more personal level, this opens a safeguard against the illness that is entirely foreign to the traditional, insurance-based health care model.
More than anything, a Concierge Medicine membership saves patients from rushed, robotic appointments; outrageous health care costs; and corporate entities that do not necessarily have your best interests at heart.
Cost savings are the tip of the iceberg – a Concierge Medicine membership is a worthwhile investment towards improved quality of life and better health outcomes.
Here’s to hoping you find the perfect concierge practice for your needs! Enjoy the best that healthcare has to offer, and find a concierge doctor in your area.
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