WHAT IS THE VALUE OF A MEMBERSHIP PRACTICE FOR CONCIERGE MEDICINE?

Concierge medicine is an alternative approach to the typical patient-doctor relationship. With traditional primary care medicine, patients often must seek out doctors based on their insurance plans. You find one that's covered by insurance, then approach them when you have a problem. The entire system is flawed, with long waiting times, non-doctor providers, high volume, often insensitive care, rushed appointments and long delays. With Insight Life Care Concierge Medicine, patients pay a monthly fee to have access to the same doctor whenever they need a visit, and in advance of illness as well. Numerous other names such as “retainer medicine” or “direct patient care” also have been used to describe this model. The idea of a membership service for healthcare has grown in popularity over the years. When compared to the traditional primary care approach, some significant benefits can be found. 

The CDC estimates that around 20-40% of premature deaths in the US are preventable. Many of them stem from common health conditions - like heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes - which can easily be prevented or treated with appropriate and timely medical care. A membership with Insight’s concierge medicine system gives patients direct access to immediate, attentive, preventative healthcare. Patients receive 24/7 access to our doctor, and experience unrushed appointments without long delays and stress.

This is highly significant in the grand scheme of things. Depending on where you live, it can take up to 32 days for a new patient to see their doctor for a non-emergency issue.  Because many people are aware of the long waiting times, they avoid seeing a doctor altogether. It's often seen as too much hassle to try and book an appointment, just to get a physical health checkup. As a result, many problems go unnoticed when they're in the preventable stage. For instance, heart disease can be prevented by visiting a primary care physician and identifying some telltale warning signs.

Insight concierge medicine directly addresses this issue. Physicians do not see thousands of patients, going through multiple appointments a day. This cancels out long waiting times, allowing patients to book an appointment as and when they need one. Timeliness and respect for your schedule encourages our members to book appointments and receive preventative healthcare services. 

One of the barriers that stop people from considering concierge medicine is the monthly fee. It's mistakenly seen as a more expensive way of dealing with healthcare. On the contrary, this type of service can actually save patients a lot of money over time. Costs for our physician services are fixed and transparent.

It relates back to the idea of having immediate access to preventative medicine. You can get your problems reviewed before they become hard to manage. With Insight Life Care, there's less chance of you ending up in the ER for expensive medical support. Most health problems can be solved without the need for surgery or complicated emergency care. Having direct access to a primary care physician who is an Internist and Hospitalist - along with annual physical checkups - means issues can be spotted as early as possible. Instead of potentially paying for expensive and episodic care, we often save money and suffering by spotting the symptoms and signs that can cause a significant health problem, reducing illness, inconvenience, and the resulting cost of treatment.

Over time, you will have less need to visit the ER and spend thousands of dollars on costly surgeries or treatments. In addition to our many value added services, such as coordinating appointments with testing centers, speedily obtaining consultations when needed, and caring and compassionate service, our low monthly fees end up being a wise investment where the benefits far outweigh the costs.  For most, our annual fees are substantially less than their insurance deductibles as well. 

Membership services for Insight concierge medicine can become a substantial benefit for businesses, too. While patients can directly pay for this membership, businesses can arrange a plan to cover their employees.  This makes it an excellent, more affordable alternative to health insurance as a perk for employees, an advantage for businesses interested in employee retention and reduced absenteeism.  Worker’s compensation claims are reduced.

Benefits also include immediate access to physicians, little to no waiting times, and at-work visits if required. Companies can now offer an excellent health benefits package with fixed costs that are easy to manage.

If you're interested in learning more about our concierge medicine membership programs, feel free to view our membership page. With Insight Life Care, we offer a range of services designed to help you receive the best medical attention possible. Dr. Nussbaum is a Fellow of Hospital Medicine, meaning he will actually follow you in the hospital if you ever have an issue that requires more extensive treatment. This is rare for primary physicians, ensuring that you remain with a doctor you know and trust. Contact us today to learn more.