Millennial Money: What’s concierge medicine? Is it worth it?
Concierge medicine, a business model in which patients pay a membership fee to have a direct relationship with a doctor — used to feel like something just for the well-to-do
My primary care doctor recently left her practice and invited me to join her at her new gig — a concierge medicine group. There, for a membership fee, I’d have better and more personal access to her services: same-day appointments and long conversations!
Concierge medicine — a model in which patients pay a membership fee for a more direct relationship with a primary care doctor — used to feel like a perk for the superwealthy. But as fees have come down and people have gotten more frustrated with the state of traditional primary care, concierge services may not seem like such a pie-in-the-sky option. There’s less waiting, more access, longer visits and greater coordination of care. However, the fees can be high, and if you don’t have complex medical needs, it may not feel worth the expense.
WHAT IS CONCIERGE MEDICINE?
Concierge medicine is an arrangement in which a patient pays a membership fee to gain access to a doctor’s practice. Your fee may cover a wide range of services, with insurance covering any needs you have outside the practice, or your fee may cover basic preventive care and the practice might accept insurance for the rest.
