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MDVIP
Topic Started: Apr 3 2018, 10:16 AM (90 Views)
Copper
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Shortstop
I went for my annual physical today. My doctor told me that he is getting into the MDVIP program.

From wiki
Quote:
 
The national network consists of 850 physicians serving over 280,000 patients in 45 states and the District of Columbia. Each physician cares for up to 600 patients as opposed to the average 2,500-3,500 patients in a traditional primary-care practice.
MDVIP patients receive a comprehensive physical examination and follow-up wellness plan as well as electronic medical records and a personalized patient portal with focus on diet, exercise, doctor communication and more. The company states that additional patient benefits include acute-care visits, same or next-day availability, on-time appointments, 24/7 physician availability, and enhanced coordination of specialty care.[1]


So if I want to continue seeing him I would have to join the program. The annual fee is $1,650.

Among other things "The annual fee for membership pays for the MDVIP Wellness Program, which consists of comprehensive, advanced health screenings and diagnostic tests not typically covered by insurance."

Also he is an MIT graduate who worked as a Trajectory Analyst NASA Mission Control Center in Houston during the Apollo moon landing program. At age 29 he decided to become a doctor.

He has been doing my flight physicals for 10 years so it is easy for me to sit and talk to him for hours. Of course talking for hours is no way to make money in this business. That is one of the reasons he is doing this program, the extra money allows him to spend this time.

Anybody have any experience with MDVIP or similar package? Good idea, bad idea, worth the price?

The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
They call that ‘concierge medicine’ around here. Our old GP in the city went that route. We moved before having to make the call about what to do.

Now the transplant clinic at Duke is basically my GP (and everything else) so it hasn’t come up.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Copper
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Shortstop

Yes, that's the term - Concierge Medicine.

When he first explained it I responded "so I have to pay the fee to get access". He lit up, smiled and said MDVIP doesn't like to say that. They don't just cater to wealthy patients, they actually offer something more. That's good because I'm not a wealthy patient.

I guess the question is do they really provide better outcomes and there is probably no easy way to answer that. If they do provide me some future better outcome then it might be well worth the money.
The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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jon-nyc
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I look at it as follows: in the current model they need to treat their practice as largely transactional. Hence the packed waiting rooms and hurried glimpses of the doctor in your average visit. But the promise of concierge medicine is they can have fewer patients and can focus more on each. Honestly I don’t know the extent to which that works out in practice. It’s probably hard to abruptly change the old habits as they start operating in the new model.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Davis
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Fulla-Carp
jon-nyc
Apr 3 2018, 06:47 PM
I look at it as follows: in the current model they need to treat their practice as largely transactional. Hence the packed waiting rooms and hurried glimpses of the doctor in your average visit. But the promise of concierge medicine is they can have fewer patients and can focus more on each. Honestly I don’t know the extent to which that works out in practice. It’s probably hard to abruptly change the old habits as they start operating in the new model.
Docs get less per transaction and have to work harder to keep same income. This offsets it, but of course you have to live in the right real estate.

It’s just a part of inevitable change. Of course you can find cheaper. Sleep, exercise, diet will save you a bundle in the future.
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