How Do Membership Medical Practices Work? Called concierge medical practices, because they promise a higher level of service, there are more doctors requiring a yearly membership fee in order to "belong" to a practice.
The fees usually are around $1,500 a year, though some are much lower or much higher.
In return, the patients are assured better service.
This may include quicker appointment scheduling, more time with the doctor, and a direct line to a medical service provider phone line.
Even though a minority of doctors belong to a membership practice, the number is growing every year.
The doctors say it is in response to the difficulty of keeping a normal practice afloat because of higher expenses, like medical malpractice insurance, and lower payment schedules from private and public insurance programs.
Indeed, a lot of the growth comes from doctors who see a lot of Medicare patients.
Medicare is the US health insurance plan for seniors and disabled people.
Allowed charges have been getting lower, but the cost of running a medical practice has gone up.
The doctors were having to spend less time with each patient in order to generate more revenue.
Instead, some doctors have switched to a concierge practice.
The Medicare beneficiaries can still get covered services paid by Medicare and their private insurance.
Of course, they will have to pay the membership fee out of their pocket.
Many of these patients feel like the fee is worth it because they get better service, spend less time in the waiting room, and have better access to their doctors.
Note that I used Medicare as an example.
However, there are many different types of medical service providers that have turned to concierge medical plans.
These range from dentists to pediatricians to family practices.
Why Is Concierge Medicine A Problem? You may wonder what the problem is.
Doctors are free to run their businesses in any legal way.
People are free to pay more for extra service if they can.
Most of the practices that charge a fee believe they keep it modest so many middle class people can afford it if they believe the extra service is a high priority.
Here's the big concern.
Many senior citizens, who rely upon Medicare, struggle to get by on low fixed incomes.
Beyond the problem for older people, almost fifty million Americans lack medical insurance.
These people are having a hard time paying for health care, and they will not be likely to have extra money to pay for a membership fee just in case they may need extra service.
So critics of this practice say it is causing a bigger gap between the poor and the better off.
While many practices charge fees that middle class people could afford if better service is a priority, that still leaves out millions of others.
Doctors who do not turn to membership plans and try to operate with lower payments, may have to struggle even more to see more patients so they can generate enough revenue to keep their practices in the black.
Medical Membership Is A Symptom Of The Health Crisis In my opinion, the increase in medical membership practices is a symptom of a bigger US health crisis, and not the source of the problem.
Actual concierge practices are still in a small minority when compared with all practices.
But the number of these practices is growing, and the patients who cannot pay the fee must find other doctors.
This, of course, may put more strain on the medical practices that resist the concierge medical plan business structure.
Some innovative medical practices have increased efficiency in order to combat the economic problems.
They treat routine problems with nurse practitioners and reserve doctors for more complex health problems.
They rely on computer technology to help save time.
Either way, it is clear that we have not solved the problems with health care in the US today.
The fees usually are around $1,500 a year, though some are much lower or much higher.
In return, the patients are assured better service.
This may include quicker appointment scheduling, more time with the doctor, and a direct line to a medical service provider phone line.
Even though a minority of doctors belong to a membership practice, the number is growing every year.
The doctors say it is in response to the difficulty of keeping a normal practice afloat because of higher expenses, like medical malpractice insurance, and lower payment schedules from private and public insurance programs.
Indeed, a lot of the growth comes from doctors who see a lot of Medicare patients.
Medicare is the US health insurance plan for seniors and disabled people.
Allowed charges have been getting lower, but the cost of running a medical practice has gone up.
The doctors were having to spend less time with each patient in order to generate more revenue.
Instead, some doctors have switched to a concierge practice.
The Medicare beneficiaries can still get covered services paid by Medicare and their private insurance.
Of course, they will have to pay the membership fee out of their pocket.
Many of these patients feel like the fee is worth it because they get better service, spend less time in the waiting room, and have better access to their doctors.
Note that I used Medicare as an example.
However, there are many different types of medical service providers that have turned to concierge medical plans.
These range from dentists to pediatricians to family practices.
Why Is Concierge Medicine A Problem? You may wonder what the problem is.
Doctors are free to run their businesses in any legal way.
People are free to pay more for extra service if they can.
Most of the practices that charge a fee believe they keep it modest so many middle class people can afford it if they believe the extra service is a high priority.
Here's the big concern.
Many senior citizens, who rely upon Medicare, struggle to get by on low fixed incomes.
Beyond the problem for older people, almost fifty million Americans lack medical insurance.
These people are having a hard time paying for health care, and they will not be likely to have extra money to pay for a membership fee just in case they may need extra service.
So critics of this practice say it is causing a bigger gap between the poor and the better off.
While many practices charge fees that middle class people could afford if better service is a priority, that still leaves out millions of others.
Doctors who do not turn to membership plans and try to operate with lower payments, may have to struggle even more to see more patients so they can generate enough revenue to keep their practices in the black.
Medical Membership Is A Symptom Of The Health Crisis In my opinion, the increase in medical membership practices is a symptom of a bigger US health crisis, and not the source of the problem.
Actual concierge practices are still in a small minority when compared with all practices.
But the number of these practices is growing, and the patients who cannot pay the fee must find other doctors.
This, of course, may put more strain on the medical practices that resist the concierge medical plan business structure.
Some innovative medical practices have increased efficiency in order to combat the economic problems.
They treat routine problems with nurse practitioners and reserve doctors for more complex health problems.
They rely on computer technology to help save time.
Either way, it is clear that we have not solved the problems with health care in the US today.
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