77 votes
grapefruit / 4187 posts
It depends. I keep getting solicitations from "one medical" a chain of healthcare groups that claim to do same day appointments and always be available for an annual fee. But my current doctors already do that.. So I wouldn't switch to pay more and get the same thing.
pomegranate / 3716 posts
$50 - 75 per year for those services?? Heck yea!!
Our PCP, who we really liked, stopped taking insurance entirely and switched to a "membership" plan... $3,000 per person per year. (I think there was a slight discount for a couple, maybe $4K or $5K) Ouch. Switched to a different doctor!
pomelo / 5789 posts
My doctor charges a $200 annual fee per family member. I consider it will worth it for the long visits I get.
pomegranate / 3375 posts
@wheres_c: That's a great point!!! Well visits with our doctor are an hour long. It's great.
GOLD / wonderful apricot / 22276 posts
I'm in love with my doctor, so if he had those services then probably.
pomegranate / 3863 posts
My parents pay $2000 for each of them for a concierge style practice. I'd say $50 is a bargain! Especially for those early newborn days.
blogger / pomegranate / 3044 posts
I'd pay double this to D's specialty GI docs if it meant they'd be responsive via email!
nectarine / 2085 posts
For $50, yes, because I spent quite a lot of time finding a doctor and staff who I trust and who take hygiene sufficiently seriously. But no matter how much I like them, I would not want hour-long well visits! That's sort of my idea of hell...
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
In your situation, I would for sure!!
I'd have to weigh my options for my doctor. I ADORE my doctor (family practice as well, so both J and I see her), but she only works 3x week, and often takes 1 week to respond to emails. I never get same-day sick visits with her, but I typically can with one of her colleagues. For $50-$75/year, that's not terrible. But my doctor is already out of network, so I already pay quite a bit just to see her.
cherry / 133 posts
Whoa. I would never visit a doctor that had an energy healer or acupuncturist in their clinic, even if they were free. Huge red flag for me. It would be like NASA hiring a team of astrologers to advise them on the best times to send up space missions. One is a hard science, one is not.
A membership fee implies that you are paying up front for services rendered. When you join a gym, you pay a membership fee so that you have access to their services--which are mostly free, with the exception of specialty services (yoga class, personal trainer, etc.). What exactly are you getting with a doctor membership? As far as I know, nothing. Just the privilege of being able to pay for each and every service down the road. There's no service included. So I think calling it a membership is a misnomer. I also worry that the price might keep hiking up.
Also, there's a concern that doctors are overpaid as it is: http://www.slate.com/articles/business/moneybox/2013/02/american_doctors_are_overpaid_medicare_is_cheaper_than_private_insurance.html
About 22% of doctors are in the 1% of most wealthy people in the country, and the other 78% aren't too far behind. There are a lot of things wrong with our healthcare system, but doctors are not so bad off that they need to bill patients an extra $75 just to have the privilege of seeing them.
cantaloupe / 6923 posts
Yes! I love our ped. And there's not a whole lot of doctors that are willing to deal with alternative vaccination schedules so I'd pay her for that alone. Plus all that other stuff you mentioned. 2 months of home visits???
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