Should Doctors Adopt The Concierge Model?

Physicians are constantly coming up with new ways to tackle the question of reimbursement.

One physician in Kansas has adopted what is known as the “concierge model”—charging patients a flat yearly fee for a certain number or, in some cases, unlimited visits. While the concept is nothing new, according to an article by the Kansas Health Institute, “it used to be mostly for wealthy people.”

The physician, Josh Umbehr, hopes to bring this model to a wider audience. He “and others in the small but growing monthly-fee model prefer to call it "direct primary care" because they say they're offering it at prices now accessible to the masses.” In Umbehr’s system, “he charges a monthly membership fee of $10 for kids and $50 for adults for unlimited visits, texts, phone calls, discounted prescription medications and a slew of in-office services like stitching wounds and removing lesions.”

While greatly simplifying the reimbursement policy, this system would not eliminate the need for insurance. Patients would still require insurance to cover “catastrophic care” services (things like major surgery or long-term cancer treatment).

The current insurance model in the United States can often be convoluted and difficult to understand. Physicians like Umbehr demonstrate it is possible for medical providers to bypass this confusing system and focus on providing care to the patient.

To Read More From The Kansas Health Institute Click Here