Concierge Medicine: A Case Study

"In the past two decades or so, health care has been commercialized as never before, and professionalism in medicine seems to be giving way to entrepreneurialism," commented Arnold S. Relman, professor of medicine and social medicine at Harvard Medical School (Wekesser 66). This statement may have a great deal of bearing on reality. The tangled knot of insurers, physicians, drug companies, and hospitals that we call our health system are not as unselfish and focused on the patients' needs as people would like to think. Pharmaceutical companies are particularly ruthless, many of them spending millions of dollars per year to convince doctors to prescribe their drugs and to convince consumers that their specific brand of drug is needed in

The health facility in this case study experienced several problems and issues beyond possible solution efforts by the time. One of the main problems is based on the perfect way of handling the various challenges attributed to a shift from the hospital’s fee-for-service in the case of managing care environment. Besides, some local physicians were loyal to Dr. William and had the necessary flexibility and availability to assist the doctor in various ways, but today they are no longer available to assist the doctor towards the achievement of his medical and societal mission. The physicians were always available and loyal to the doctor and they could volunteer their efforts especially in cases of physician shortages in the health center. The physicians cannot afford the time they once used for volunteering activities in the health facility to assist Dr. Williams (Swayne, 2008). The reason behind this problem is that the physicians have now been employed by various managed health care organizations. Others have been involved in various contractual agreements such that the partners prohibit them from working with the health care facility. Although the health care facility has a few small groups or individuals offering primary care, these individuals and small groups are still struggling to survive in the industry. As such, the majority of them cannot

Critics believe that the present functioning of managed-care is degenerative to health care. Managed-care firms control costs by requiring patients to use a “network” of approved doctors and hospitals, and by reviewing the actions of doctors. Patients have to pay more to visit a doctor who does not participate in the “network.” Managed-care firms second-guess doctors, considering only the costs. Patients are often prevented from visiting specialists to reduce costs. A managed-care company might insist that its doctors prescribe inexpensive generic drugs instead of commercial products. Many patients must, also, receive the insurer’s approval before undergoing treatments or operations. HMOs have been criticized for refusing to pay when a patient goes

A pivotal aspect of receiving quality medical care is being able to communicate your health concerns and have confidence and trust in your doctor, which is essentially the doctor patient relationship. Yet, this

Care providers strive to provide care that is patient focused that maintains confidentiality and respect. This paper is about the maintenance of patient confidentiality and the trusting relationships that must be maintained between the patient and the healthcare providers.

The Washington Post reported on June 16, “Once again, the United States has most the expensive, least effective health care system in survey.” It’s apparent that the United States healthcare system is in an economic crisis. Furthermore, the United States healthcare system is not only in economic turmoil, but the social systems currently in place offer little to no future economic resolve for the predicament we are currently situated in. The paradox that seems to have fallen upon American healthcare is that, “The system doesn’t want you to die, but at the same time doesn’t want you to get well.” Heineman (2012) It is bad business. In other words, medicine is a business and I have witnessed this approach towards business in medicine first hand in my over five years of clinical and business experience in the medical field.

The restrictions on health care services and reimbursements that are intended to reduce health care cost by discouraging individuals from using care inappropriately. The discouragements of inappropriate care have done nothing else but affect the quality of care that patients receive and their health. It is amazing when people’s freedom of choices in the physician and health plans they want becomes limited to them it can ultimately reduce their health. (JAMA.2001; pg. 285:2622-2628)

On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation creating the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The passage of Medicare and Medicaid had a storied history before it crushed the walls that had separated the federal government and the U.S. healthcare system. Historically, the prevailing thought of many Americans up until the 1920’s and 1930’s was that medical care was largely a private transaction between a medical practitioner and a patient. This doctor-patient relationship was sacred and there was no need for the federal government to intervene in this relationship (Berkowitz, E., 2005).

From recent studies suggests that Medicare provides health insurance to 48 million Americans. Medicare also plays a significant role in determining the price for most medical treatments and services provided in the U.S. They set what is considered a “fair price” for services renders from routine check-ups to heart transplants. If the calculations were correct, some doctors spend more than 24 hours on average performing medical procedures. With is over-calculation the U.S. healthcare costs are sky rocketing. Medicare updates

Patients seek medical attention for preventative measures, as well as, diagnostic measures. Patients must have a trusting rapport with their collaborative medical team, as the nurses and the doctors are the people who they trust their lives with. Patients do not always present to hospitals, urgent cares, walk-in clinics, or even doctor’s offices only when they are sick; patients visit to ensure their good health will continue, treatment regimens are of benefit, changes that may be needed in regimen. When someone thinks of a patient they may think of some of these characteristics: illness, disease, hospital, medications, health, and prevention.

A patient must have confidence in the competence of their physician and must feel that they can confide in him or her. This is always good, when you feel comfortable in talking to your physician things are so much better and it makes you feel secure. As, with my doctor I have been with her since I was sixteen years of age and we have a magnificent physician-patient relationship.At appointments we talk about

For example, the benefits are made up of taxes taken from the working class people and distributed by a circular calculations based upon the cost of living. In Joseph and Dorothy Matthews book Social Security, Medicare & Government Pensions they point out the different obstacles funding these programs will face:

Concierge medicine may also be known as Retainer medicine. It is a service that a physician would provide private direct primary care for an out-of-pocket monthly service fee. This private and direct form of health care would allow the patient direct and unlimited access to their doctor at the snap of their fingers. The services that would be provided would be regular primary care visits potentially at home, EKGs, biopsies, etc. However, the main perks of having a concierge doctor would be the personal benefits that one would experience. Some of these benefits would include having the doctor’s personal cell phone number or email with

Although less is administered on how the burden varies with doctors contracting practices, the focus of the paper is to examine and focus on the extent at which physicians’ practices have improved the health care quality offered to the society. Secondary data analyzes conducted give a positive result where it indicates that adequate time is offered to patients, something that results to improved services those patients gets. Through managed care, contracting opportunities offers significant benefits on doctors, although it adds on the costs used to facilitate the managed care services.

Even if patients cannot understand and make true choices, they have relatives such as family or spouse; hence, doctors can tell the truth to their relatives. Therefore, since doctors can simplify their explanations and patients’ family can make choices for them, doctors should always tell the truth.