Concierge or Cash Only Medicine

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Scott 2
Posts: 2825
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Concierge or Cash Only Medicine

Post by Scott 2 »

Apparently the wealthy pay doctors directly for premium care:

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/b ... -care.html

Anyone have any exposure to this, either for premium care, or as a way to see the doctor without the insurance BS?

The angle I could see, is paying for preventive care in cash, or maybe via retainer, then carrying a higher deductible, catastrophe only insurance.

Maybe it's a way to get superior care without spending any more, by minimizing overhead, ie involvement of the insurance and medical billing middle men?

Scott 2
Posts: 2825
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: Concierge or Cash Only Medicine

Post by Scott 2 »

Did your friend keep the service for more than a year?

I might even be willing to pay a premium to avoid the waits. My wife clears her entire afternoon to see the doctor, because she might be waiting an hour after the scheduled appointment time, then another hour if a test is needed. It's irritating, causes lost income, etc.

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jennypenny
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Joined: Sun Jul 03, 2011 2:20 pm

Re: Concierge or Cash Only Medicine

Post by jennypenny »

Concierge can be cheaper (or at least comparable) if you have a medical condition that requires consults and visits at off hours. One of the best perks is having a doctor on call 24 hours to do a house call if necessary, thereby avoiding clinics and emergency rooms. It's also useful if you have that kind of condition and travel a lot.

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Ego
Posts: 6359
Joined: Wed Nov 23, 2011 12:42 am

Re: Concierge or Cash Only Medicine

Post by Ego »

An interesting new model for the uninsured or those with high deductible plans.

https://talktomira.com/

Scott 2
Posts: 2825
Joined: Sun Feb 12, 2012 10:34 pm

Re: Concierge or Cash Only Medicine

Post by Scott 2 »

Very young company, wonder if they'll gain traction.

Press release:

https://mobilemarketingandtechnology.co ... -services/

Angels list job openings:

https://angel.co/company/talktomira/jobs

wheatstate
Posts: 98
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2011 4:51 am

Re: Concierge or Cash Only Medicine

Post by wheatstate »

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is frequently used as a low cost version of concierge treatment.
These are family doctors that don't take insurance to minimize overhead, will help with small issues and help navigate paying cash on the big issues.
Subscription is similar to a gym membership and costs $50-100 / month / individual.
I like this version for having access to a local doctor and nurses. I do my health "insurance" through a healthcare shared ministry and they reimburse $40 of my $55 DPC membership. I am too healthy to get my maximum use out of my DPC. I like knowing that I have the option though I don't use it much.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct_primary_care

Talk to Mira has this company as a competitor for booking individual medical treatments without a subscription
https://sesamecare.com/

It will be interesting to see how these shake out.

khangv
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jun 26, 2019 9:37 pm

Re: Concierge or Cash Only Medicine

Post by khangv »

Hi there. Thanks for the comments! I am the Founder and CEO at TalktoMira. There are certainly many startups in this space. It is a great thing to see small businesses creating solutions to address such a high-profile problem - healthcare cost.

I spent half a decade working for two of the largest health systems from the front line to the corporate level as well as being a strategic advisor for Medicare Advantage and Managed Medicaid health plans. Bringing my industry know-how to help folks who can't afford insurance, TalktoMira is different in three ways:

1. We are first and foremost obsessed and focused on the patient experience. Getting a "discounted 25-minute" visit is not enough, healthcare as a journey goes beyond the medical office. Appropriate care setting, cultural affinity matching, same hour appointment (you heard it right, same hour, not same day), how to get from home to the doctor's office, and a reasonable price - we're not building features, but rather reimaging the holistic patient experience from the ground up, made possible by the scalability of tech.

2. Our model emphasizes the power of the network, not individual medical practices. Because of our holistic view when it comes to healthcare, we know that medical exams don't usually end up with one straight forward solution. Our referral network extends beyond primary care. Most importantly, for uninsured patients, our specialists' pricing can be as low as a primary care visit.

3. One straight-forward price. Instead of itemizing a medical visit into office-visit, test, etc. We ask practices to provide one all-inclusive price that covers the physician's time and minor tests within a typical visit. This makes it extremely simple for individuals who only seek medical attention once or twice a year, for minor needs like flu, allergy, and STD testings.

Lastly, we spent 9 months researching, interviewed 120 people, and over 50 experts in the field. We found that people behave irrationally when it comes to healthcare. People don't "shop" for healthcare as it requires a level of familiarity. Making things simple is not at all simple. But we're here for it.

If you have a question please reach out to me directly khangv@talktomira.com - www.talktomira.com

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