How would you like to have your doctor available to you
whenever you have a problem? How would you feel if all
you had to do was pick up the phone to be able to see
your doctor in a matter of hours? What would you pay to
have that comfort?
There's a growing trend lately to provide such a
doctor. These physicians are called
"concierge" or "boutique" doctors.
Physicians who are fed up with crowded waiting rooms,
long hours and huge case loads are looking for a better
way to treat the sick without massive overload. For a
yearly fee, a physician with such a practice will be at
your beck and call.
Physicians are creating group practices that charge a
yearly fee and place limits on the number of patients
each doctor accepts. Fees can range from around $1,500
to $10,000 a year, depending on what services are
included.
Some cry out that this new type of practice is
creating a larger schism between the rich and the poor.
With the growing shortage of high-quality physicians and
nurses, this type of practice violates an unwritten
moral code that all doctors should share the burden of
indigent and low-reimbursement patients.
Physicians who are part of a boutique practice
counter that they are able to give high-quality patient
care, fewer hospitalizations and lower office-overhead
payouts. Some practices only accept cash and report an
increase in productivity. They also say they've reduced
operating costs as much as 60 percent.
The insurance companies and the Government
Accountability Office of U.S. Health and Human Services
aren't thrilled. A federal investigation showed while
this kind of medical practice is troubling, concierge
physicians accepting insurance payments are using the
yearly fees for services not covered by health plans.
I find it funny that these groups are considered
immoral. What's wrong with a person earning about
$30,000 a year having an on-call personal physician? For
around $2,000 a year, which is cheaper than the average
deductible and co-pay for a visit to the emergency room,
patients of these groups report fewer serious health
issues thanks to early detection and same-day
appointments that remove the fear of an emergency room
visit.
I have a hard time criticizing this style of medical
care. With all the cuts to Medicare and Medicaid and the
high deductibles and co-pays most people endure, the
choice of going outside the norm to receive high-quality
medical care becomes a top priority.
The tragedy is the people who will suffer from the
bureaucracy that drives this shift in medical care. If
this country wants high-quality medical care for
everyone, then let's make it happen. The entire House
and one-third of the Senate are up for re-election in
November. Now is the time to vote for those who will
make the needs of the people a top priority.
McKee, a wheelchair user, is a freelance writer
and producer. You can e-mail her at chairgrrl@chairgrrl.com.
