Concierge Medical Care- why this is the move!

Inflation is hurting in every possible arena; food, housing, transportation and healthcare is no different. Premiums and deductibles are rising, and coverage is decreasing. It is increasingly frustrating to pay hundreds of dollars a month for insurance, to only shell out hundreds of dollars at each medical appointment. It leaves you wondering, what does my insurance even cover?

Low deductible plans sound great, reaching your out of pocket easily and having low costs for healthcare the whole year long is fantastic. However, this often times comes at a costly premium. High deductible plans are more affordable month to month, but often times come with deductibles that are thousands of dollars.

Additionally, finding in-network providers is not always feasible. Maybe you couldn't afford the premium for certain insurance providers, and are left trying to find medical services within your current plan. Not every provider accepts every insurance. Maybe you had a provider you loved, and their in network status has changed. Changing providers is the last thing anyone wants to do!

Maybe you need particular services, but your insurance plan does not cover the services needed. Or, services are only covered after meeting a list of criteria. You are left with having multiple hurdles to jump through in order to get a particular test or service you need; this can take weeks to months.

More and more providers are moving towards concierge care. Concierge care, most simply put, is cash based care. This means avoiding the middle man, and paying directly for the services you need. While this can sound scary, it often times provides faster, quality care, and often times for about the same price.

There are many benefits to concierge care. First and foremost, is straight forward billing and pricing. No one enjoys getting a bill for thousands of dollars months after a doctor's visit because insurance refused payment. Even if your insurance refused payment- you still owe the doctor's office that money! Concierge care offers straight forward pricing without surprise bills.

Concierge care often times is actually less money than the pricing billed to insurance. This sounds ridiculous, but it's true! When you pay the cash rate for a service, it is the straight forward rate, not the inflated rate providers send to insurance companies. For example, there is a physician locally who charges $75 for an office visit, concierge. Most insurance companies have co-pay's that range from $30-$50 for a doctor's visit. If you haven't done your research, you might get hit with additional bills following the office visit. You end up saving money by just paying the concierge rate!

Concierge services guarantees more time with your provider (make sure you read the fine print, though!). Providers are moving to concierge services for the enjoyment of one on one time with their clients. When your provider is scheduled one on one, you get their full attention, and the time you need to discuss why you need medical care. When you have quality, one on one time with your provider, they can focus on your individual needs and prescribe the individualized care necessary to help you!

Finally, concierge services are medical bills that can be included in your tax deductions at the end of the year. You also can send your invoices to your insurance company to see if your insurance company offers any reimbursement. This varies from plan to plan, so you need to check! Sometimes concierge services can apply towards your deductible for the year, which can also be helpful!

As the cost of medical services continue to rise, and reimbursement from insurance decreases, the burden to provide quality care falls. Concierge services is increasing in popularity as clients search for quality medical care from practitioners who aim to provide skilled, one on one care.