Many of us have experienced the frustration of finding a doctor who accepts new patients, waiting long times to see a doctor, and rushing to get an appointment. Enter Concierge Medical.
“Concierge care is when people pay an annual membership fee to get a more personalized approach to health care,” said Bret Jorgensen, CEO of MDVIP, the largest concierge provider network with more than 1,100 affiliated primary care physicians.
Given the rise in chronic diseases and the rapid growth of the elderly population, the demand for healthcare services is increasing. As a result, the global concierge medical market is booming, with North America leading the way.
While there is no national registry of physicians using the concierge model, one industry publication estimates that there are 12,000 to 13,000 physicians in the United States offering subscription-based health plans.
That’s a drop in the bucket compared to the more than 500,000 primary care physicians in the United States, but the number of concierge physicians is growing at a rate of 3 to 5 percent a year.
Concierge Medical: Elderly patients have more and more options
“The majority of our members are between the ages of 50 and 80, and they are more concerned about their health trajectory,” Jorgensen said. “They want to have a more personalized relationship with their doctor, delay or avoid chronic diseases, or better manage them.”
All of MDVIP’s staff physicians accept Medicare, and more than half of its 400,000 members are covered by Medicare.
How much does a concierge membership cost?
The average cost of an annual concierge membership is $2,000 to $5,000 per year. This allows concierge physicians to serve smaller numbers of patients, typically 400 to 600 patients, compared to the 2,000 to 3,000 patients in traditional primary care clinics.
What Includes services Concierge membership?
According to Jorgensen, membership fees typically include:
- Same day or next day appointment (in person or virtual)
- Answer questions on the day
- Visits take longer, sometimes 30 minutes or more
- Annual Personalized Wellness Plan
Some concierge doctors also include these benefits as part of their membership fees:
- Contact your concierge doctor directly via email and phone
- Enhance blood work
- The ability to visit other concierge physicians in the network while traveling
- Coverage of young people in households
What does medical insurance cover?
Like any medical provider, concierge physicians may or may not choose to accept insurance, including Medicare.
“If a concierge physician accepts Medicare, the physician must accept Medicare-approved charges for all covered services provided to Medicare patients,” says Diane Omdahl, author of “Medicare.” Medical insurance for you He is also the co-founder of 65 Incorporated, a health insurance consulting company. Health insurance deductibles and out-of-pocket costs also apply.
Typical services covered by Medicare include diagnostic-related blood tests, MRIs and X-rays, and same-day surgeries, Omdahl said.
“Membership fees charged by concierge physicians are not covered by Medicare or Medicare Advantage,” Omdahl said.
If a doctor contracts with a Medicare Advantage plan, Omdahl said, services and payments are determined based on the plan’s coverage standards, deductibles and copays.
