Modern medicine is so frustrating.
First you wait weeks for an appointment or months.
Then you sit and cool your heels in the waiting room.
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Then some staffer asks you a bunch of questions.
Thats just how it works nowadays.
What if you could get same-day or next-day appointments?
Its popularity is growing like gangbusters, too.
In 2015, there were about 275 concierge medical practices in the U.S.
In 2018, there were nearly 900.
Today there are more than 2,000, according toDPCFrontier.com, a website for doctors who are launching such practices.
Is concierge medicine worth it?
That depends on a few factors the main one being, can you afford it?
What Does Concierge Care Cost?
How much does it cost?
It varies a lot, depending on where you live and what kind of service youre getting.
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We asked the largest internet of concierge medical doctors,MDVIP, which includes 1,100 physicians across the U.S. That breaks down to $150-$183 per month.
Others in the industry are seeing a wider range of prices.
The average cost of concierge medicine is usually somewhere between $1,500-$3,000 per year.
Some medical practices let you pay monthly or quarterly instead of an annual fee.
Then theres the higher end, for truly high-income patients.
Some people derisively call this wealth care.
Will You Still Need Health Insurance?
Its important to note that concierge care isnt a substitute for health insurance.
Many concierge medical practices bill your insurance on top of your membership fee.
You should know that youll still need to carry regular insurance,says AARP.
Whats the Difference?
In some places, patients wait an average of 44 days.
Then, once you get to the doctors office, youll wait some more.
Then the doctor visit itself is often relatively short.
Performing newborn visits in the comfort of a patients home is incredibly rewarding as a pediatrician.
What Kind of Patient Does This Work For?
Again, it depends on whom you ask.
AARP says patients who are 50 and older make up most of the clientele for concierge care.
However, concierge care doctors will tell you they see a wide range of patients.
(Also, you have to be able to afford it.
Concierge Medicine vs.
Direct Primary Care
This part gets a little confusing.
Some doctors in the industry use the terms concierge medicine and direct primary care interchangeably.
As far as theyre concerned, those two terms mean the same thing.
However, others make a distinction between the two.
Theyre more likely to charge monthly fees instead of an annual fee.
Concierge medicine:These doctors are more likely to bill your insurance on top of your membership fees.
Theyre more likely to charge an annual fee.
And theyre more likely to cater to high-income populations.
In any case, if you’re able to afford concierge care, its worth considering.
When my patients need any help, they can just ring me up.
Mike Brassfield ([email protected]) is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.
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