The NY Times gives an update on how concierge medicine is going
“Even patients who decide on a concierge practice may find themselves back in managed care, as those of Dr. Enrico J. Versace, in West Yarmouth, Mass., discovered recently. Dr. Versace said he spent $100,000 on consultant fees and marketing to establish a practice charging $3,000 a patient two years ago. There were complications from the beginning. Although he wanted 40- to 60-year-olds, he said almost half his patients were over 75. Many demanded house calls, often leaving his office unused. Although he told his patients that he was available at all hours, he said he felt that some patients abused the system. “They’d call on weekends, telling me they were feeling better,” he said. He sent out a reminder notice that after-hours contacts were only for emergency care.
After two years, as their contracts ran out, he referred patients to other doctors. He closed his practice in March and is now on the staff of Cape Cod Hospital, in Hyannis.”
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Earlier this year our family physician “retired” his regular practice in favor of this boutique-type operation. At $2k per person and most of his services not eligible for reimbursement under our health plan, we opted to make a change in our PCP.
It remains to be seen if he will stay with this kind of practice. I think he made a mistake.
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