What You Need To Know About Concierge Medicine While each concierge doctor may be different there are common characteristics among most concierge doctors. Usually, the concierge doctor will see you at your appointment time. Outside of an extraordinary emergency with a prior patient you will be seen ASAP. One of the best perks is access to your doctor 24/7 – even when away traveling. The ability to contact your doctor at any time or schedule same day appointments is a convenience busy professional need. Say the kid is sick – do you really have time to sit for two hours at the doctor’s office. . In return for this availability and certain non insurance covered services, patients pay an annual or monthly fee, which may run about $1,800 to $2,800 per year. Doctors charging the highest fee further limit the size of their practice to offer even greater availability. Modern medicine at its best is a blend of science and relationships. The relationship side of medicine might also be called the art of medicine. Perhaps in another hundred years medicine can be reduced to science. For now, an experienced doctor’s instincts are invaluable. By spending more time a doctor can establish a baseline understating that provides insight when changes are notices on subsequent exams. It’s from these longer more thoughtful exams that your concierge doctor has time for a thorough physical examination and the preventative measures not be covered by insurance. Additional preventative measure may include an expanded blood panel, screening for mental issues, etc. In situations where cancer may be suspected, the doctor can more quickly arrange for a biopsy and appropriate specialist. Coordinating with specialist can get involved – especially if services outside your area are needed. At times the best cure will require dealing with medical centers like the Mayo Clinic or MD Anderson Cancer Center. For the patient, it’s about getting face time to understand what’s going, getting needed advice and then having an advocate to push for the best treatment. Because most concierge doctors serve a small geographical area, they typically see patients as needed in the office, the hospital, nursing homes, and even at home when unable to come to the doctor’s office. For a busy professional exasperated with long waits, the concierge approach makes sense. It also makes sense if you have are frustrated with doctors that seem busy writing notes rather than listening during your ever so short 5-7 minute appointment. For other, having a trusted mentor that understands and points the way is invaluable in maintaining a long healthy life. Odd as it may seem, in a traditional fee for service arrangement doctors primarily get paid to treat sickness. In a concierge practice your doctor gets paid to help you maintain the best quality of life for as many years as possible. Granted, doctors do what they can in the time they have available. In a concierge practice it’s comforting to know the financial incentive is clearly biased in the patients favor. Tell Me More about Concierge Physicians in Huntsville, Alabama. Exit |