At 71, I Finally Switched To A Concierge Doctor And Here’s What $2,500 A Year Actually Buys Me
Rido | CanvaFor over a decade, I had an outstanding internist. She was smart, well-informed, thorough, and caring. She had loads of intellectual curiosity and wasn’t afraid to think outside the box.
If I had a medical issue, it mattered to her. She gave it a lot of thought. She suggested different, sometimes unconventional, approaches. She followed up. She always treated me like a person, not as a patient. And then she retired.
Hello, Dr. Useless
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At my first appointment with the doc I replaced her with, I realized just how spoiled I had been. Dr. Useless was everything that Dr. Wonderful hadn’t been.
She rushed through our appointments. She answered my questions quickly by referring me to a specialist instead of thinking through the issue herself.
When I spoke, she didn’t listen. She suggested approaches I’d already tried and that she would have known about if she had listened to me.
There was nothing about her that indicated that she was cognizant of my medical history or cared about me at all. Surely, I could do better than this.
I started to look for a better doctor. I asked my friends, most of whom are women my age, “Is your doctor any good?”
Over and over again, I heard, “I loved my doctor, and then she became a concierge doctor, so I found another one. She’s okay but nothing special.”
I wanted someone special.
That Special Someone
I have a trio of chronic illnesses that I’m managing (osteoporosis, acid reflux, and Meniere’s Disease). But I never know when I’ll need help.
I wanted somebody who’d pay attention, connect the dots, and answer when I texted with a question rather than having a staff member direct me to a portal.
I found her. I now have a great internist who is both super smart and happy to help me with the issues I face. She’s competent, caring, and attentive.
If I have a question or concern, I can text her directly, and she gets back to me immediately. Not only that, but she has the exact same name as my beloved daughter-in-law, which I can’t help but think is a good sign.
So what’s the catch? She’s a concierge doctor. Which means? Being her patient costs $2,500/year.
Here’s how Google describes it: A concierge doctor is a primary care physician who provides highly personalized, accessible medical care in exchange for a membership fee. This lets doctors manage far fewer patients, ensuring same-day appointments, unhurried visits, and 24/7 direct communication by phone or text.
Doesn’t that sound lovely? It is. But it’s not for everyone. I have friends who, on principle, refuse to pay merely to become a patient. I also have friends who would love to, but can’t afford it.
I’m lucky that I can afford a concierge doc. I definitely notice that quarterly hit to my bank account. But it’s within my budget.
The Care I’m Getting With A Concierge Doctor
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So what does that quarterly hit to my bank account buy me? A caring, competent, and concerned doctor — who responds immediately whenever I text her.
Somebody who coordinates my care, looks at the big picture, and actually gives a damn about me.
A doctor who isn’t pressured by a soulless corporate business model to limit visits to a rushed 10 or 20 minutes. A doctor who listens.
She doesn’t have “staff.” I don’t have to navigate a phone-tree labyrinth or several layers of underlings to reach her.
The entire practice is just her, sometimes accompanied by an intern. When I meet with her, text her, or call her, she’s always there.
Abnormal Blood Work
My annual check-up is coming up, so I had blood work done this morning. When I checked the results in the lab’s portal? They were labeled “abnormal.” Yikes.
Not being a medical professional, I had no idea how to interpret them. But I was alarmed. “Abnormal” is never good news.
So I texted my doctor. My test results had been sent to her, so she could review them.
My text to Dr. Amy: Good morning. Some of my blood work results are abnormal. Platelets and MPV. Should I be concerned? She responded five minutes later, with: Nope. It’s fine.
Instant peace of mind. That alone is worth the $2,500/year I’m paying her.
Should you start paying thousands a year for a concierge doctor, too? Not if (1) there are excellent doctors available to you who aren’t concierge doctors, or (2) if you’re the rare senior with no serious medical issues. If not? The old saying, "You get what you pay for," seems to apply.
Roz Warren writes for everyone from The New York Times to The Funny Times and has been featured on both The Today Show and Morning Edition. Roz is also a writing coach who works with writers one-on-one to improve their work.
