Concierge Care, a Trend?
March 16, 2010 | Terry Sharrer
So far, no one has coined the term “concierge health organization” but you can bet it’s coming. In fact, it’s already here. Last year, Procter & Gamble’s “FutureWorks” unit bought MDVIP, a concierge practice headquartered in Boca Raton, FL but with 350 physicians in 28 states. For an annual fee of $1,500, subscribers get 24/7 access to a physician, plus a physical exam and wellness advice. MDVIP still bills for insurance reimbursement. The number of patients a doctor handles is capped at 600, compared to the typical few thousand. P&G sees this as an “incubator for primary care” practice. At present, MDVIP has 115,000 subscribers; so, it’s roughly half way to current capacity. MORE