Concierge Medicine
What is concierge medicine?
Concierge medicine is a care delivery model in which individuals pay an extra price to receive direct access to their primary care provider. Yearly concierge medicine costs, which generally fall between $1,500 and $2,400, are in addition to traditional healthcare fees, like premiums. This type of care often doesn’t cover hospitalization or specialist costs.
Why is concierge medicine important to healthcare?
Individuals who can afford this type of care have access to same-day appointments, highly comprehensive and personalized care and constant physician counsel.
Concierge medicine promises more predictable revenue and better doctor-patient relationships for healthcare providers. Physicians in concierge medicine also cite the ability to offer a higher quality of care, less pressure and fewer conflicts as benefits.
Unfortunately, this care type is not accessible to all due to the high price, leaving room for provider bias in “choosing” patients, which can drive providers away from existing patients.