US Medicare and Concierge Medical Practices

Have you noticed that your doctors seems to be in a big rush? Many Americans seeking medical care notice that their plan doctors seem to race in and out of appointments, and they leave a lot of the appointment to their nurses and other office staff.

Some wonder if doctors really do need to hurry to fit in enough patients so they can keep their practice in the black. People of all ages may notice this trend, but it seems particularly true for older people on some Medicare health plans.

In response to higher costs and lower Medicare payments, some doctors take part in something called a concierge practice. This type of Medicare doctor membership plan means that the practice charges patients a yearly fee, usually around $1,500 - eighteen hundred dollars, in order to join. In exchange for this yearly membership payment, the members are assured of getting more personal attention from the doctors.

Medicare beneficiaries can still use their Medicare health plan benefits to pay for covered medical services. No Medicare health plan will pay for this extra concierge service fee. The people who can pay an extra fee can get better service. Many people are concerned about how this new type of practice will change the future of US health services. They wonder if the system will become less and less equal just when attempts are being made to reform it so it is more fair to everybody.

Doctors say they get forced into this arrangement.They want to spend time with patients. The extra fee allows them to see fewer patients. That way they can deliver better care to the ones they do see. The fee is substantial, but it is not so high that many middle class people would be excluded if they see membership as a priority. The practices say they are not trying to exclude people, but just take better care of the patients they do have.

However, this fee can reward the doctors quite a bit. A practice with a thousand patients, charging fifteen hundred each, could make an extra 1.5 million in revenue each year. In return, the patients may have better access when they want to call the doctor, more time with the doctor when the come for an appointment and shorter waiting times before they are called. In addition, the doctors will not have to see as many patients every day in order to earn a profit.

Medicare seniors who can't pay for an extra fee will have to seek other doctors. The practices of Medicare doctors who resist this system may get even more crowded and stressed. What we worry about is that this new type of membership practice will really widen the gap between the quality of services between the richer and the poorer.


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Stop by to compare Medicare health plans so you can make the best use of the benefits you worked so hard to earn. We would also like to invite you to learn more about Medicare doctor concierge practices. You are free to learn more and leave your comments.