Concierge care is a type of medical service that requires a membership fee before a doctor or group of doctors will accept you into their office. This fee covers some services and amenities that Medicare does not cover. It is important to note that concierge care is not an insurance alternative, and you will still need coverage for hospitalizations and referrals to specialists. To save money, you may want to switch to a high-deductible health plan.
You should contact your benefits representative or health insurance company to see what you can pay with your health savings account (HSA) or flexible spending account (FSA). Most concierge offices accept insurance from many companies, but not for membership fees. Instead, they accept it for treatment. Some offices accept fewer companies than traditional offices, and many do not work with Medicare or Tricare.
It is important to consider why you are thinking of switching to concierge medicine. Is it for a salary increase or to spend more time with patients and reduce the overhead and paperwork of insurance companies? Without having to worry about coding and billing, you can hire fewer staff, which will increase your profits. You also do not have to worry about dealing with insurance companies, which could eliminate another salary you have to pay. In general, concierge medicine involves less paperwork and you do not need to spend as much time updating your EHR.
You have more reliable income because you receive consistent payments through membership fees. You can also focus on medicine instead of paperwork, which means that you can practice medicine independently according to your own personal vision. To determine the best price for your concierge office, you should do a financial and operational analysis as well as an evaluation of the market. See what other concierge offices charge each month and compare the size of your patient panel and the demographics of the community.
You may want to hire an outside consultant or agency to help with these analyses. Medical billing software can automate manual billing tasks such as checking patients' insurance, processing and filing claims, processing payments, and following up on denied claims. This software helps suppliers increase their collections by avoiding repetitive and cumbersome administrative tasks. A concierge office would not necessarily need the insurance aspects of this type of software, so it is worth considering when looking for software.
Patient portal software is a versatile solution that provides users with secure access to medical records and services. It can also increase patient engagement by facilitating tasks such as scheduling appointments, requesting prescription refills, and paying bills online. Concierge medications can be a great option for doctors who are prepared for a change of pace because the patient panel is smaller and less dependent on insurance reimbursements. It is unlikely that you will get rich by switching to a concierge medicine office model, but if you care about improving the health of your patient population, it might be right for you.
Switching to concierge medicine will inevitably result in losing some patients who do not want to separate themselves from traditional healthcare.If you are thinking of adding a concierge doctor to your team of healthcare providers, look for companies that promote the concierge service as low-cost health insurance. Many offices are attracted to concierge services because they believe that the healthcare industry has become too bureaucratic.However, while concierge doctors offer primary care services that are useful, direct primary care is no substitute for health insurance, especially if you need treatment that your primary care doctor cannot provide you with. The switch to concierge medicine is one way to overcome some of that bureaucracy, allowing concierge doctors to spend more time on personalized patient care and less time worrying about when or how they will be paid for their efforts.We believe that you can have a better healthcare experience if you choose concierge care, but it is important to understand the fees and limitations of the system.
