Health Care Querstun

[BarryBobPosthole]

Has anyone had any experience with, or done any research on 'concierge' health care plans? I have a doctor friend I've known for many year that is switching over to one and I am considering moving over to it. It doesn't replace your health care insurance, but for a fee you pay to the plan you get some pretty extensive preventative health care testing on an annual basis, guaranteed 24X7 access to your doctor, a health care 'plan' that your doc puts together for you every year, and a family doctor that has only a few patients to care for so theoretically you get his or her undivided attention. The literature and online stuff I've looked at looks pretty interesting. I think it would cost me about $3200 a year for my wife and I. That seems like a lot, but for what you get it might be a pretty good deal.

Just wondering if anyone has looked at that option. One of my concerns about ACA is the number of new patients that my family doctor might have to take on. That and I hate it that your run of the mill insurance company won't pay for anything preventative.

BKB

[Niner]

Actually........that doesn't sound like a bad deal.
$267/mo for you AND wifey....for THAT kind of service???!!! Where's the drawback? What's the downside?


Just guessing.......but I would not be surprised if that's close to what you're paying in insurance premiums already. OR---- is this on top of your insurance premiums?

[BarryBobPosthole]

This is on top of existing insurance. what it essentially is, is a 'wellness plan' that focuses on prevention as much as it does diagnoses and treatment. There's a whole battery of annual tests and there's also a lot more one on one with your doctor. As we both enter a time period of our lives where there's more to worry about, the 'wellness' part really has an appeal. At least to me. I just don't know if it appeals to me to the tune of what would amount to a truck payment per month.
BKB

[Niner]

I see. Well that's the proverbial differently colored horse.

[BarryBobPosthole]

This is one of those things that, when I first read about it and heard about it, sounded absurd to me. Then I got thinking of the 'value add' from a deal like this and I have to admit I'm getting more and more attracted to it. the thing I don't know is if having a proactive approach to medicine actually makes that big of a difference in outcomes than the standard approach. That's the hump I can't quite get over.

BKB