Many of us have experienced the frustration of trying to find a doctor who is accepting new patients, waiting a long time to see a doctor, and making rushed appointments. Enter concierge medicine.
“Concierge medicine is where people pay an annual fee to benefit from a more personalized approach to their health care,” says Bret Jorgensen, CEO of MDVIPthe largest concierge network, with more than 1,100 affiliated primary care physicians.
With the increase in chronic diseases and the rapid growth of the elderly population, the need for health services is increasing. As a result, the global concierge medicine market is booming, with North America leading the way.
Although there is no national registry of physicians using a concierge model, an industry publication It is estimated that in the United States, between 12,000 and 13,000 doctors offer a subscription medical program.
It’s a drop in the ocean compared to more than 500,000 primary care physicians in the United Statesbut the number of concierge doctors is growing at a rate of 3% to 5% per year.
Concierge medicine: A growing option for elderly patients
“Most of our members are aged 50 to 80 and are more focused on their health trajectory,” says Jorgensen. “They want to have a more personalized relationship with their doctor and delay or avoid chronic diseases, or better manage them.”
All of MDVIP’s concierge physicians accept Medicare, and more than half of its 400,000 members have Medicare.
How much does a concierge subscription cost?
THE average cost of an annual concierge subscription ranges from $2,000 to $5,000 per year. This allows concierge doctors to serve a smaller number of patientstypically between 400 and 600, compared to 2,000 to 3,000 in a traditional primary care practice.
What services are included in a concierge subscription?
According to Jorgensen, membership fees generally cover:
- Same day or next day appointment (in person or virtually)
- Same day answers to questions
- Longer visits, sometimes 30 minutes or more
- Annual Personalized Wellness Plans
Some concierge doctors also include these benefits in the contribution:
- Direct access to your concierge doctor, by email and telephone
- Improved blood tests
- The possibility of consulting other concierge doctors in the network while you travel
- Coverage of young adults in the household
What Medicare covers
Like any medical provider, concierge doctors may or may not choose to accept insurance, including Medicare.
“If a concierge physician accepts Medicare, then he or she must accept Medicare-approved charges for all covered services for Medicare patients,” says Diane Omdahl, author of Health insurance for you and co-founder of the Medicare consulting firm 65 Incorporated. Medicare deductibles and co-payments will also apply.
Typical services covered by Medicare include diagnostic blood tests, MRIs and X-rays, and same-day surgeries, Omdahl says.
“Membership fees charged by concierge physicians are not covered by Medicare or Health Insurance Advantage“, says Omdahl.
If doctors have contracts with Medicare Advantage plans, services and payments are based on the plans’ coverage criteria, deductibles and co-payments, Omdahl says.
