Physician Concierge Services Raising Eyebrows
Slowly but surely, residents in North Carolina and across the country are learning about the recent trend of “medical concierge service” and what it means in the physician practice arena. Imagine being asked to pay an upfront annual fee (in many cases, a fee of $1500) to continue seeing your family physician. In return, the physician promises specialized treatment and agrees to see you within 24 hours if the need arises. If you are one of those who refuse to pay or are unable to afford the fee, you may wait days for an appointment – or be dropped by that particular provider. If concierge services continue to gain popularity with family physicians, this is something that could eventually become an issue for you and your employees.
In concierge medicine, patients pay an annual fee to gain greater access to their physicians. Under concierge plans, doctors typically reduce the size of their practice so they can expand a patient’s visit to spend more time addressing the patient’s condition. A medical concierge service may include the physician’s promise to be more attentive to his patients, round-the-clock cell phone access, same-day appointments and time to accompany their patients to specialists.
However, patient access is not the only motivation for these services. It is also suggested that doctors are going this route to generate more revenue as their insurance reimbursements continue to decrease. In addition to the annual retainer fee, doctors collect the usual fees for services or reimbursements from their patients’ health insurance plans.
With the increasing popularity of these services, insurers are starting to review and question if the annual retainer fee conflicts with their provider contracts. Recently, four Houston-area physicians were dropped from a UnitedHealthcare network for practicing concierge medicine, and other insurers in the area are weighing in as well. According to the Texas Department of Insurance, physicians associated with HMOs and PPOs may discount the fees they bill insurers for specific patient services, but doctors who enter into these discounted-fee contracts can only charge patients related co-payments or co-insurance and not additional fees.
While the trend of concierge medicine has not become widespread, it has certainly become a topic of increasing debate. Proponents claim that such services allow doctors to not only give their patients the time and services they deserve, but also focus more on preventative care. Critics, however, argue that concierge medicine actually limits provider access while creating deeper social and economic barriers in the medical provider world. Regardless, there will always be a demand for such boutique medical services. The question is: how much are you willing to pay?
For more information, please visit the following links:
More Docs Offering Concierge Medical Services
Doctors Offering 'Concierge' Care
Insurers: Switching to Concierge Practice? Check with Third-Party Payers
* * * * *
Don't forget to visit the HCW Wellness Corner at www.hcwbenefits.com!
By visiting the HCW Wellness Corner, employers can order various resources to help them initiate, strengthen and/or enhance their wellness initiatives. Best of all, these resources can be sent directly to the employer completely FREE OF CHARGE!
So visit the HCW Wellness Corner today at www.hcwbenefits.com, and let us help you get your company on the road to wellness!
Please Note: If you no longer wish to receive communications of this nature from Hill, Chesson & Woody, please reply to the sender of the email with the word "unsubscribe" in the header. Thank you.
Important Notice: Hill, Chesson & Woody does not engage in the practice of law, accounting, or medicine. Therefore, the contents of this communication should not be regarded as a substitute for legal, tax, or medical advice.
June 20, 2008
Hill, Chesson & Woody strives to keep our clients' group decision makers abreast of trends influencing the employee benefits market. Look for Eyes on Benefits to bring you news and information affecting you and your employees.
194 Finley Golf Course Road, Suite 200,
Chapel Hill, NC 27517
Phone: 919.403.1986
Fax: 919.913.0237
www.hcwbenefits.com