Are you considering switching to a concierge doctor but wondering if they take insurance? The answer is no, concierge care is not an insurance alternative. However, you may still be able to save money by switching to a high-deductible health plan. You'll need coverage for hospitalizations and referrals to specialists, but your membership fee will cover routine care. It's important to consider why you're thinking of switching to concierge medicine.
Is it to increase your salary or spend more time with patients and reduce the paperwork of insurance companies? Without having to worry about coding and billing, you can hire fewer staff and eliminate another salary. Plus, you won't have any restrictions when it comes to the services you can provide. You can also tailor your office specifically to the needs of your patients and the community. Medical billing software can help automate manual billing tasks, but a concierge office wouldn't necessarily need the insurance aspects of this type of software.
Concierge medications can be a great option for doctors who are prepared for a change of pace since the patient panel is smaller and less dependent on insurance reimbursements. Switching to concierge medicine eliminates bureaucracy and allows doctors to spend more time on personalized patient care. Although it's difficult to trace, Concierge Medicine Today estimates that there are about 12,000 concierge doctors in the US. When looking for companies that promote concierge services as low-cost health insurance, keep in mind that direct primary care is no substitute for health insurance if you need to see a specialist or have a condition that requires treatment that your primary care doctor cannot provide.
While you may not get rich by switching to a concierge medicine office model, it could be the right option if you care about improving the health of your patient population.
