Direct Care medicine is a medical practice designed to allow patients one on one care with an internist for an annual fee. This innovative concept was launched by Seattle physician Howard Maron in 1966 to provide ‘highly attentive medicine’. Costs may include additional charges for special services. This concept of the concierge doctor is predominately available in the east and west portions of the U. S. And is known also as direct care and membership medicine.
Currenting, there are more than 5,000 direct care internists practicing in the U. S. Nationwide. The American Academy of Private Physicians (AAPP) has jurisdiction over those participating in membership medicine today.
The relationship between patient and a direct care physician is far more exclusive than in standard medical systems. Membership physicians see 100 to 1,000 patients annually as opposed to traditional offices serving 3,000 to 4,000 patients a year. A concierge doctor is available by phone or email 24/7. The retainer fee can range from $600 to $5,000 per year per patient. The $600 fee will require additional costs yearly for services while $5,000 will be all inclusive for most services.
The intent of Direct Care is to provide cost-effective medical services through cutting out insurance costs attenuated by overhead. Some membership practices do not accept insurance, although some will accept Medicare and other insurance carriers. The purpose of the annual fee is to cover those services excluded by insurance companies. However, the retainer does not cover the costs of laboratories, hospitals or emergency rooms.
During the economic downturn an online poll was performed to investigate the financial viability of the concierge doctor. 60% contributed that they were financially ‘better’ in comparison to the prior year ‘Worse’ financial status was reported by only 12% of participants. Of special interest is the increasing amount concierge dentists and pediatricians now available.
Meeting the needs of patients, putting medical care in the hands of the experts, is allowing direct care to focus on quality care and preventive medicine. This concept puts patients first and obliterates the general consumer consensus related to healthcare that ‘too much emphasis being placed on cost control and too little emphasis on the patient’.
Some physicians are experimenting with direct care via monthly practice memberships that make primary care affordable and billing more convenient for the uninsured. This practice generally charges a monthly amount and a discounted per visit fee. These models are called discounted fee for service primary care, which includes any in-office medical service. When outside services are necessary, patients are directed to resources like Medicare.
Membership medical practices can benefit both physicians and the patients. Standard medicine has left some physicians as disillusioned as their patients. Recent years have seen some M. D.’s leaving medicine altogether due to interference from insurance companies regarding medical decisions and the exorbitant cost of adequate care for their patients.
concierge doctor
Looking to find the most comprehensive information on concierge doctor?