Concierge medicine bad for many patients
Whoever thought the day would come when you would have to pay $1,750 a year just for the privilege of seeing your doctor? Sounds ridiculous? It isn’t. That day has come, and it’s called “concierge medicine.”
I learned about this firsthand recently when my physician of many years explained that in the future he would only be seeing 500 people who signed up for his concierge program at am annual cost to the patient of $1,750. Those who could not afford to enroll were out of luck. They would have to find other doctors.
Clearly, concierge medicine is a win-win for the doctor ... a guaranteed income of $875,000 for the doctor with presumably fewer patients, fewer insurance hassles, and probably less staffing needs. Certainly a win-win for the doctor. Certainly a lose-lose for many patients.
Tom Spann
Hilton Head Island
This story was originally published May 19, 2017 at 4:23 PM with the headline "Concierge medicine bad for many patients."