Why benefit advisers should consider direct primary care for clients

Direct primary care is an innovative alternative payment model for primary health care being embraced by patients, physicians, employers, payers and policymakers across the United States. DPC doctors typically charge a monthly subscription fee. However, they don’t bill insurance or even accept insurance payments. The patient and doctor both win in DPC because the physician […]

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Do we really have a choice in health care?

As every physician practicing today knows, health care is in a constant state of flux. The latest news from Washington creates even more uncertainty. What we do know is that, for the foreseeable future, there will be an emphasis on team care, coordination, technology and, of course, meeting the requirements of the ever-expanding alphabet soup […]

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Concierge medicine at Duke provides patients with more personal care at affordable cost

Concierge medicine at Duke provides patients with more personal care at affordable cost By Shagun Vashisth | 11/05/2017 For patients looking for a more personal relationship with their doctors or struggling to navigate the complicated Duke health system, Duke Signature Care may be the right health care option—if you are able to pay the annual […]

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Sick as a Doc? Doctors Are Burning Out

Sick as a Doc? Doctors Are Burning Out — and It’s Serious Why we need to say the words “physician, heal thyself” now more than ever. by Nicole Spector / Nov.01.2017 / 10:40 AM ET Doctors may be reluctant to discuss their own suffering for fear of being frowned upon by their colleagues.John Gomez / […]

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Concierge Medicine Continues to Expand Nationwide

PartnerMD, a membership-driven concierge medical company, plans this year to add locations in Chicago and Charlotte, N.C. They’ll open by July, and will be the ninth and 10th outposts for the 10-year-old firm, chief executive Linda Nash said. They follow three new locations the company launched between June and February, including facilities in Seattle, Atlanta […]

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New health care model given legal clearance to be tested in Missoula

A new, monthly fee-based health care model that does away with insurance billing got legal approval from Montana’s top insurance watchdog this week to be rolled out by a Missoula company. CostCare, a Missoula-based medical walk-in clinic, will be changing its Mullan Road location to the new system, called direct primary care, on the first […]

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Let’s change the mediocre status quo of health care

On a daily basis, I am introduced to new people from all walks of life. Some sit on the board of directors, some are CEOs, some are presidents, some are middle managers and other administrators, some are investors, others are entrepreneurs, and some are physicians, nurses, case managers and even patients. I listen to people […]

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Fueled By Health Law, ‘Concierge Medicine’ Reaches New Markets

A growing number of primary care doctors, spurred by the federal health law and frustrations with insurance requirements, are bringing a service that generally has been considered “health care for billionaires” to middle-income, Medicaid and Medicare populations. It’s called direct primary care, modeled after “concierge” practices that have gained prominence in the past two decades. […]

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Readers Ask About Concierge Medicine And Medicare; Insulin Costs And The Doughnut Hole

This week, I answered three questions related to coverage in the Medicare program, the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 or older and some who are disabled. Q: I was recently advised by my primary care physician that he is transitioning to a “membership-based personalized health care program,” also known as concierge […]

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AlternativeMed™ Assumes Concierge Doctor Identity

This is to inform you that our company has recently changed the business name from Concierge Doctor to AlternativeMed™. The change came into effect on [October 30, 2017]. Please note that there has been no change in management and in the range of product/services we offer. Nevertheless, our name change shall not impact our ongoing […]

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Maine doctors ditch insurance, offer monthly subscriptions for primary care

By Jackie Farwell, BDN Staff SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — Roxanne Pettigrow has no health insurance. But the Gorham woman visits her doctor in South Portland every few weeks, paying $50 up front, once per month for regular checkups, office visits and preventive health screenings — care those lacking health coverage often skip. With her $600 annual […]

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In the World of Instant Communication, Some Doctors Add Skype to the Mix

Some boutique medical practices are offering Skype sessions with doctors as an instant communication bonus to their clients, for a price. And modern communication will likely change how all of us eventually communicate with our doctors. But, some medical experts are concerned that it could be destructive to practicing good medicine. One boutique startup in […]

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Prior to Concierge Medicine, My Access to Health Care Was Inferior to that of My Cat

Ari Armstrong. Although I loved my previous doctor, I had a difficult time scheduling a timely appointment with her. When I last called, I was told I’d have to wait three months to schedule a routine physical. Such delays are not unusual; many Americans—including many of my friends—are having trouble getting in to see a […]

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3 trends driving retail health clinic expansion

Retail clinic numbers to hit 3,000 by 2015 Zack Budryk Retail health clinics are a new healthcare delivery trend quickly picking up steam across the country, the Washington Post reports. Walk-in retail clinics only date back about 14 years, according to the article, but after slow growth, management consulting firm Accenture predicts retail clinic numbers […]

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Disrupting the Traditional Primary Care Business Model- Direct Primary Care

Ben Wanamaker It is exciting to see numerous new primary care delivery business models bursting onto the scene, including concierge medicine, retail clinics, mobile health vans, and direct primary care. While each model has its own merits, direct primary care has some really unique disruptive potential that we’d like to highlight. Direct Primary Care Defined […]

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Deceptive communications threaten patient treatment

By MARCY ZWELLING-AAMOT Some California pharmacy benefit managers may be intentionally misleading doctors and making it more difficult for doctors do their jobs. As is often the case when health plans and benefit managers insert themselves into the physician-patient relationship, patients could ultimately pay the price. Pharmacy benefit managers have sent misleading letters to California […]

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Concierge Medicine, Not Surviving, Thriving

The Minnesota Physician-Patient Alliance (MPPA) is, with the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS), co-spnsoring an important conference about the option of Direct Pay medical practice,”Thrive, Not Just Survive.” Any physician considering going to Direct Pay or wants to learn from colleagues who are doing Direct Pay now is encouraged to attend this informative […]

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Debunking Concierge Medicine Myths, Available To Just About Everybody

By Valerie Bauman When Devin Bruckner selected a pediatrician for her 6-year-old son, she wasn’t just thinking about what was best for him – she found an option that would be good for her community too. Bruckner took her son to the recently opened HopeCentral nonprofit health center in Southeast Seattle’s Rainier Valley. The new […]

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Concierge Medicine Hopes to Expand With Google

Las Vegas, NV (PRWEB) April 02, 2014 MedLion Management, Inc., a national leader in the movement to improve Direct Primary Care, announced today that it will be using  Helpouts by Google to offer telelmedicine services to its patients. “MedLion was chosen because of its multi-state presence and its stellar reputation in the rapidly emerging industry […]

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Concierge Medicine, Changing The Course Of Health Care.

By Mitchell Nelson The delivery and payment of health care is changing very quickly. The Affordable Care Act has created new dynamics within the practice of medicine. With many physicians and graduating residence becoming employees of large hospital networks, even less are becoming medical practice owners. However, with the changing health care rules, higher administration […]

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Million Dollar Mistake? Becoming a Doctor?

By Kathy Kristof, for CBS New Money Watch If you are brilliant, ambitious and gifted in science, you may consider becoming a doctor. If so, think twice. According to a new survey by personal finance site NerdWallet, most doctors are dissatisfied with the job, and less than half would choose a career in medicine if […]

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Attack On Out Of Network Doctors

By: G. Keith Smith, M.D. http://SurgeryCenterOK.com A patient who wanted to have a procedure at our facility asked us to file insurance. We discovered that if she had her surgery at our facility rather than at an “in network” hospital, her deductible would have been $3,000 instead of $1,500, her copay would have been 50% […]

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VIDEO: MedPage Today Interview with Leading Concierge Doctor Thomas LaGrelius, MD

  Medpage today interviewed one of the top physicians practicing concierge medicine, Thomas LaGrelius, MD of Skypark Preferred Family Care. Dr. LaGrelius is also the President of the American College of Private Physicians, a professional association for established, successfully functioning direct practices.

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Concierge Medicine and Direct Primary Care Offer A New Way to See Your Doctor

Historically, visiting your medical provider meant a lot of waiting followed by an extremely brief interaction with the doctor before they scurried out the door. And it was often only then that you realized you had one more question! Later you would complain to friends that the customer service at your medical provider was terrible. […]

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Pondering The Worth of Concierge Medicine

By Erin Havel, for The Blog Huffington Post Healthy Living, March 25, 2014 Growing up, my entire family went to one local family physician. That doctor gave my mom medical care when she was pregnant, delivered me when I was born, gave school shots, wrote prescriptions for any virus that came up, and helped my […]

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