THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE IS IN CONCIERGE MEDICINE

What is Concierge medicine?

It is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an monthly or annual fees.

Why Concierge medicine?

It is required so that every time you go to the general physician you do not required to pay amount and instead of that you have to pay monthly or annually.

Difference between concierge medicine and direct primary care.

Direct primary care practices remove one of the financial barriers to accessing care whenever it is needed: the DPC annual fee often includes most or all physician services. This model does not rely on insurance co-pays, deductibles, or co-insurance fees where the annual fee is structured to cover a wellness plan so that doctors may charge insurance or Medicare for most other services.

Similarities

Direct Primary Care practices, similar in philosophy to their concierge medicine lineage, bypass insurance and go for a more 'direct' financial relationship with patients and also provide comprehensive care and preventive services.

Future of healthcare?

The number of physicians who plan to transition to concierge practice varies by state. Over 38% of physicians in Wyoming indicated they plan to transition to concierge while only 4.2% of Vermont doctors plan to take another step.
There have been evident changes in the healthcare industry – medical professionals want to dedicate more time to individual patients and provide a higher level of care but are limited. The patient to doctor ratio has gone up and they are required to see many more patients in one working day than they had to in the past.
The concierge medicine model strives to provide benefits, devote more time to patients and looks like the future of healthcare for people.

A few studies have found that patients who sign up for this type of care report more satisfaction and fewer visits to emergency rooms and specialists, but there’s not enough research to prove they receive better care, stay healthier, or recover faster from injury or disease. And the retainers won’t pay for all of the care you need. You’ll have to buy additional insurance because the retainers don’t cover drugs, most treatments, and hospitalization costs. If you're under age 65, that means at least a high-deductible plan purchased either from your employer or through a state or federal marketplace. If you are 65 or older, you should still enroll in Medicare, and consider extra coverage, such as Medigap or Medicare Advantage.

That extra insurance can cost a few hundreds dollars per month.

In addition, concierge medicine raises some thorny ethical issues, according to Consumer Reports'. For example, whether it’s appropriate that a concierge doctor who treats Medicare recipients essentially gets paid twice: the premium he or she collects from the patient, plus payment from Medicare, which is funded by taxpayers. if too many doctors move toward the concierge or direct-primary care doctors, fewer doctors may accept patients with Medicare, Medicaid, or other forms of insurance.

While the Affordable Care Act has increased the number of people with health insurance, "If concierge medicine continues to expand, people who struggled for years without health insurance might find themselves grappling with a whole new problem: adequate insurance, but no one to accept it."

Concierge medicine is a private form of practice where doctors charge patients an out-of-pocket retainer fee for full access to their services.Concierge medicine (also known as retainer medicine) is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer. This may or may not be in addition to other charges. In exchange for the retainer, doctors provide enhanced care, including principally a commitment to limit patient loads to ensure adequate time and availability for each patient.The practice has been referred to as concierge medicine, retainer medicine, membership medicine, cash-only practice, and direct care. While all "concierge" medicine practices share similarities, they vary widely in their structure, payment requirements, and form of operation. In particular, they differ in the level of service provided and the fee charged.The number of physicians who plan to transition to concierge practice varies by state. Over 38% of physicians in Wyoming indicated they plan to transition to concierge while only 4.2% of Vermont doctors plan to take another step.There have been evident changes in the healthcare industry – medical professionals want to dedicate more time to individual patients and provide a higher level of care but are limited. The patient to doctor ratio has gone up and they are required to see many more patients in one working day than they had to in the past. The concierge medicine model strives to provide benefits, devote more time to patients and looks like the future of healthcare for people.

Concierge medicine is a medical management structure that has been in existence since the 1990s. Concierge medicine has become popular among both physicians and patients/consumers who are frustrated by the limitations imposed by managed care organizations. As a solution to this problem, an increasing number of physicians are turning to something known as “concierge medicine,” or “boutique medicine.” Under this system, patients are required to pay a yearly fee to the physician above and beyond the cost of their healthcare, which can range from $1,000 to $20,000. It’s a network where the doctors do everything from teaching healthy eating courses to grocery shopping with patients. Doctors also go on walks with their patients and work with them extensively on things like hypertension and diabetes wellness plans. It is actually the time to ride the new wave of concierge medicine to address all the requirements of today’s women – be it assessment, preventative or aesthetic. In this day and age where time is becoming a rare commodity, the medical concierge system may well encourage today’s women to keep up with their doctors’ visit and get targeted attention and adapted care.

Akansha gupta
p15003

Existing lifestyles, elevating stress levels and environmental depletion are all factors that are contributing to the percentage of health conditions in women to rise. Preventative and elective healthcare leaves a lot to be desired in public healthcare alone, it may be time to adopt concierge medicine to fill this gap. Public health covers the aspect of ‘sick-care’ and of course manages the arbitrary gap that exists within the system. It may actually be time to ride the new wave of concierge medicine to address all the requirements of today’s women – be it assessment, preventative or esthetic. In this day and age where time is becoming a rare commodity, the medical concierge system may well encourage today’s women to keep up with their doctors’ visit and get targeted attention and adapted care.

Long Term Solutions
Statistics in countries adopting medical concierge have clearly shown a reduction in hospital admissions and better management of chronic conditions. Currently there is a decline in the quantity of medical professionals and with this the number of patients in each practice has exploded.  This has caused an increase in patient numbers and is placing a huge demand on already taxed physician services. Patients are restricted to 10- 15 minutes of time at the clinics, whereas if we evaluate the monetary trade off it is literally the cost of a ‘coffee a day’ to get more time at a clinic through investing in a concierge practice for your health management and care.  A women that belongs to a private practice will have time to discuss all her concerns and properly ‘connect’ with her healthcare providers.  It also allows today’s woman the flexibility of tending to esthetic needs, holistic wellness as well as regular physical evaluations.  In terms of the physicians themselves, they feel that their satisfaction comes from being able to allow more time listening to their patients and providing long-term solutions instead of short-term fixes.
There have been evident changes in the healthcare industry – medical professionals want to dedicate more time to individual patients and provide a higher level of care but are limited. The patient to doctor ratio has gone up and they are required to see many more patients in one working day than they had to in the past. Similarily, here in Canada, public healthcare has been the prevalent method of treatment and diagnosis, there has been new statistical evidence that it may be time to introduce the concierge medicine model to the mix.

Higher Level of Care
This innovative practice has been growing ever more popular internationally.  At FEMME Medical Concierge for women, we are focusing on building close relationships with patients, increasing convenience, and providing efficient diagnosis and care. Long term relationships with the patients will keep medical costs down, provide a high level of care and ease the burden of physicians and medical staff. The concierge medicine model strives to provide benefits, devote more time to patients and looks like the future of healthcare for women.
Concierge medicine allows doctors to charge a flat monthly fee for services. It’s an idea that finally might be catching on.

Concierge medicine is a medical management structure that has been in existence since the 1990s.Concierge medicine allows doctors to charge a flat monthly fee for services. It’s an idea that finally might be catching on. With an increasing number of disgruntled patients, physician waiting rooms are becoming proverbial parking lots. This concierge practice allows providers to spend more time with patients and reportedly gives patients greater access to their personal physician.CM opens doors to greater prevention of disease by allowing physicians to focus on complete healthcare and allowing more time for patient interaction. However, the question remains whether this translates into a better overall community of health. A growing number of doctors plan to transition to concierge medicine, a model in which patients pay physicians directly for services and near unlimited access. When asked their position on concierge medicine, over 7% of those surveyed said they now practice some form of concierge/direct pay. An additional 13.2% said they plan to transition to concierge medicine in whole or in part. If even half this number follow through on these plans, the impact on physician access would be dramatic, as concierge physicians typically see far fewer patients than do those in traditional practice.
Meaning of Concierge medicine
It is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician or doctor in which the patient pays an annual fee. In exchange for the retainer, doctors provide enhanced care, including principally a commitment to limit patient loads to ensure adequate time and availability for each patient.

It provides patients with better care, at their convenience, while allowing doctors to spend their time helping patients without having to worry about the quantity of patients they see. This service would be something like the old fashioned family doctor. He knows your history, your chart and may allocate more time to your individual visit. People who can pay more will get better service but not necessarily better healthcare.



Abhishek Tiwari
p15002,section-A

A service blueprint is an operational planning tool that provides guidance on how a service will be provided, specifying the physical evidence, staff actions, and support systems / infrastructure needed to deliver the service across its different channels. For example, to plan how you will loan devices to users, a service blueprint would help determine how this would happen at a service desk, what kinds of maintenance and support activities were needed behind the scenes, how users would learn about what’s available, how it would be checked in and out, and by what means users would be trained on how to use the device.
Service Blueprints may take different forms – some more graphic than others – but should show the different means/channels through with services are delivered and show the physical evidence of the service, front line staff actions, behind the scene staff actions, and support systems. They are completed using an iterative process – taking a first pass that considers findings from personas, journey maps, and location planning and then coming back to the blueprint to refine it over time. Often blueprints raise questions that cannot be readily answered and so need to be prototyped; for instance by acting out an interaction or mocking up a product. Generally, one blueprint should be created for each core service, according to the right level of detail for each.

Concierge medicine is a medical management structure that has been in existence since the 1990s. Essentially, a typical concierge medical practice limits its number of patients and provides highly personalized attention that includes comprehensive annual physicals, same-day appointments, preventive and wellness care, and fast, 24/7 response time. Concierge medicine has become popular among both physicians and patients/consumers who are frustrated by the limitations imposed by managed care organizations. From many physicians’ perspectives, concierge medicine offers greater autonomy, the opportunity to return to a more manageable patient load, and the chance to improve their incomes that have declined because of increasingly lowered reimbursements for their services. From many patients’/consumers’ perspectives, concierge medicine provides more immediate, convenient, and caring access to their primary care physicians and, regardless of their physician’s annual retainer fee, the elimination of third-party insurance coverage costs and hassles. The major criticisms of the concierge medicine model come from some health care policy makers and experts, who believe that concierge medicine is elitist and its widespread implementation will increase the shortage of primary care physicians, which is already projected to become worse because of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, which requires everyone to have health insurance.Utilizing these topics as its framework, this article explains why concierge medicine’s form of medical management is gaining ground, cites its advantages and disadvantages for stakeholders, and examines some of the issues that will affect its growth.

The shortage of physicians caused by the implementation of the Affordable Care Act in the next five years will drive a massive increase in the popularity of Concierge Medicine in the US.

As the typical healthcare organization adapts to the coming tidal wave of newly insured patients it will become very difficult for you to see your doctor when you are ill, impossible to see them for routine care and make the typical experience of getting a checkup feel like being dropped into a “patient mill”.

5 years from now, If you want to have a personal physician see you for all your healthcare needs, you will need to pay for the privilege.

One popular way to do this is “concierge medicine” where you pay a monthly or annual premium directly to your doctor and, in return, they become your own personal physician, taking direct responsibility for your healthcare needs. The good news is that concierge medicine is no longer a privilege of the rich. Premiums are becoming much more affordable – as low as $200/year – and if you enjoy seeing “my doctor” and not being rushed, you will feel the additional money for a concierge medicine doctor is well spent.

Concierge medicine popularity will also be driven by the primary care doctors themselves. Those who want to continue to have a personal relationship with their patients will find it very difficult to be satisfied with the typical high volume practice.
Why Concierge Medicine and why now?

The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that there will be a shortage of 91,500 doctors by 2020 as the Obamacare insurance coverage provisions are implemented and 30 million Americans become eligible for health insurance coverage.

This tidal wave of newly insured patients has to be served somehow and US Medical Schools and Residency Programs cannot supply anywhere near these numbers of new physicians in this short of a time frame. There is no hope whatsoever to cover the shortfall with newly minted US Residency graduates … none.
fork in road 235x300The Fork in the Road

How will healthcare markets respond – especially with regards to primary care? As the shortage of primary care providers worsens it will literally create a fork in the road for patients and doctors, driving the structure of their practices into two completely different tracks.

- Each is a distinct and logical response to the massive patient overload
- The two models produce dramatically different experiences for both the patients and doctors
- And each will expose gaping holes in a physician’s medical education that must be addressed.
Track 1)
Volume Driven: Doctor as apex of a care pyramid

In the more traditional practice structure, the physician will be come the leader of a care team supervising a number of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants who provide the majority of the hands-on care. The skill and experience of the physician will be saved for the more complicated and severe cases seen that day. The majority of the doctor’s activity will be devoted to leading and coordinating the care provided by the pyramid of N.P’s and P.A.’s who are their direct reports.

This model is invisibly driven by a financial reality – the very high overhead of the practice. The only solution for these groups will be to maximize patient volume. All the front line providers will see 20-30 patients a day, most likely with 15 minute time slots for each visit. It will look and feel like a “patient mill” with everyone doing their best to maximize patient satisfaction and outcomes under extreme time pressure.

As a patient in this model you will only see your doctor on rare occasion and only when you are very ill. Your primary relationship with be with a P.A. or N.P. This may come as a bit of a shock if you are used to seeing “my doctor” whenever you are sick or need a routine checkup.

In 5 years we will learn to accept this as the “normal practice of medicine” in America. All corporate forces in healthcare are leading in this direction at the moment and it seems clear that volume driven care will become the new normal for the majority of patients and medical practices.

For the physician, the challenge of this model is the complete absence of functional leadership skills training in most medical school and residency programs. 30-50% of these physician’s time will likely be spend in leadership and management activities for which they are not prepared on graduation. Office team leadership training should be a popular CME topic in the years ahead.

Track 2)
Service Driven: Concierge medicine / direct care model

As the typical patient begins to notice they are only seen by a physician on rare occasion, a certain percentage will become willing to pay for that privilege. I suspect this will quickly grow to a substantial wave of new demand for concierge medicine services especially as premiums continue to fall and more concierge medicine practices are available.

The surplus of patients means a shortage of doctors. As the shortage worsens, a larger and larger segment of our population will become willing to pay to continue to see their doctor as they do today, especially if your alternative is the high volume patient mill practice I described above.

The huge popularity of the concierge medicine model will have another important driving force – the doctors. The office duties of the physician here are exactly the opposite of those in example #1 above. Here the physician is often seeing less than 15 patients a day, providing direct patient care and continuing to have meaningful personal relationships with their patients. And the dramatically lower overhead of the concierge medicine model means they can make the same amount of income as the volume driven doctors without having to see all those patients or supervise a team of mid-level providers.

As a patient, you will continue to see your doctor whenever you are ill or in for routine care. The doctor will most likely be practicing solo in a small office and will have much more time available for your visit.

As a physician, the challenge of this model is the absence of business training – and specifically marketing training – in most medical education programs. The concierge medicine model is inherently entrepreneurial and will always involve a fairly sophisticated marketing program to be successful. For the first time the doctor must enroll their own patients who pay with their own money for this direct relationship. Acquiring these skills is not an insurmountable obstacle and I have yet to meet a newly board certified MD who understands the essentials of marketing.
What’s a patient to do?

If you would like to continue to have direct access to your doctor in the years ahead, I encourage you to investigate concierge medicine services in your area and ask your current doctor if they have considered a concierge medicine practice. If you google “concierge medicine (your city here)”, you will most likely find a practice nearby. They would be happy to meet you and introduce you to the practice at no charge.
What’s a doctor to do?

If you are a primary care physician with 10 or more years of practice ahead of you, I suggest you look at the various concierge medicine business models and get ready to be met by the fork in the road.

Will you choose to lead a team or build your concierge medicine practice? If you are leaning in one direction or the other, I suggest you get started building your missing skill set – be that leadership or marketing. The wave of newly insured patients is coming.
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with your thoughts on the concierge medicine fork in the road and which practice model you prefer.



Tags: dike drummond, concierge medicine, healthcare reform, physician shortage, concierge medicine practice, concierge medicine doctor, concierge medicine physician, obamacare, physician shortages, fork in the road

Concierge medicine (also known as retainer medicine) is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer.
It’s a network where the doctors do everything from teaching healthy eating courses to grocery shopping with patients. Doctors also go on walks with their patients and work with them extensively on things like hypertension and diabetes wellness plans.
The number of physicians who plan to transition to concierge practice varies by state. Over 38% of physicians in Wyoming indicated they plan to transition to concierge while only 4.2% of Vermont doctors plan to take another step.
There have been evident changes in the healthcare industry – medical professionals want to dedicate more time to individual patients and provide a higher level of care but are limited. The patient to doctor ratio has gone up and they are required to see many more patients in one working day than they had to in the past. It is more toward customized and customer oriented as time is going on this pace which is clearly focus on servuction model is implemented to make comparatively egg from others.

Concierge medicine has become popular among both physicians and patients/consumers who are frustrated by the limitations imposed by managed care organizations. From many physicians’ perspectives, concierge medicine offers greater autonomy, the opportunity to return to a more manageable patient load, and the chance to improve their incomes that have declined because of increasingly lowered reimbursements for their services. From many patients’/consumers’ perspectives, concierge medicine provides more immediate, convenient, and caring access to their primary care physicians and, regardless of their physician’s annual retainer fee, the elimination of third-party insurance coverage costs and hassles.
The number of physicians who plan to transition to concierge practice varies by state. Over 38% of physicians in Wyoming indicated they plan to transition to concierge while only 4.2% of Vermont doctors plan to take another step.
There have been evident changes in the healthcare industry – medical professionals want to dedicate more time to individual patients and provide a higher level of care but are limited. The patient to doctor ratio has gone up and they are required to see many more patients in one working day than they had to in the past.

Concierge medicine is a private form of practice where doctors charge patients an out-of-pocket retainer fee for full access to their services.The main attraction is really one of control. A lot of physicians today feel somewhat powerless in their practice. They’ve gone through years of school, they feel like their fees are controlled by third parties.They feel they are being judged on things that are subjective, and may not feel fair.I think that has to do with the openness to change that younger people have. Older doctors might find it too late in the game to change their structure The people that buy into this model are really trying to buy into a personalized engagement model focused on prevention.“The fundamental model is reducing the size of the practice to a smaller patient population.

Usually doctors are preferring concierge medicine as a technique of survival and as a very powerful way to fight back against most of the changes facing by the primary healthcare. Concierge medicine is simply a bonding between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer. Actually it is a medical management structure that has been in existence since the 1990s. This practice limits its number of patients and provides highly personalized attention that includes same-day appointments, preventive and wellness care, and fast, 24/7 response time.It aids in the improvement of access and also avoids far more expensive trips to the emergency department or urgent care centers. There have been evident changes in the healthcare industry – medical professionals want to dedicate more time to individual patients and provide a higher level of care but are limited. It provides a more efficient, convenient and caring access. The patient to doctor ratio has gone up and they are required to see many more patients in one working day than they had to in the past. The shortage of physicians is actually the driving force behind the massive increase in the popularity of Concierge Medicine.

Concierge medicine (also known as retainer medicine) is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer.
A concierge doctor may have 500 patients, while a doctor in a traditional practice may have 2,000. The doctor with the 500 patients is on retainer and has predictable revenue. The physician also spends more time with the patient and gets to know them. The doctor with thousands of patients may be hard-pressed to form that same type of relationship and is paid only when a patient comes in.
Average retainers vary from practice to practice, but at one of the largest concierge networks, membership fees range from about $1,650 to $1,800 a year. Insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) costs an average of $307 a month (or about $3,600 a year) for a 50-year-old nonsmoker, according to data analyzed by Avalere Health
One reason is that healthcare spending increased 3.6 percent to $2.9 trillion, or $9,255 per person, in the United States in 2013. It was the fifth consecutive year that healthcare costs increased between 3.5 and 4.1 percent
In recent years, there has been an uptick in awareness of concierge medicine, especially among doctors.

Concierge medicine is a private form of practice where doctors charge patients an out-of-pocket retainer fee for full access to their services. Patient loads typically decrease when a physician switches from more traditional fee-per-service practice to concierge medicine.The number of physicians who plan to transition to concierge practice varies by state. Over 38% of physicians in Wyoming indicated they plan to transition to concierge while only 4.2% of Vermont doctors plan to take another step.
There have been evident changes in the healthcare industry – medical professionals want to dedicate more time to individual patients and provide a higher level of care but are limited. The patient to doctor ratio has gone up and they are required to see many more patients in one working day than they had to in the past.
The concierge medicine model strives to provide benefits, devote more time to patients and looks like the future of healthcare for people.

As a solution to this problem, an increasing number of physicians are turning to something known as “concierge medicine,” or “boutique medicine.” Under this system, patients are required to pay a yearly fee to the physician above and beyond the cost of their healthcare, which can range from $1,000 to $20,000. In return for this fee, they are granted a much higher level of access to their physician than one would expect. Doctors who participate in concierge medicine spend an hour with their patients on visits. They give out their personal cell phone numbers to be reached at all times. Many make house calls at no additional fee. Physicians guarantee that if you are sick and need to be seen, you can do so within 2 hours. Those long waits in the doctor’s office? Gone. Concierge physicians guarantee no wait in the waiting room. This means it may have a future in coming time.
Concierge medicine has become popular among both physicians and patients/consumers who are frustrated by the limitations imposed by managed care organizations. From many physicians’ perspectives, concierge medicine offers greater autonomy, the opportunity to return to a more manageable patient load, and the chance to improve their incomes that have declined because of increasingly lowered reimbursements for their services One of the main upsides to concierge practice is the decrease in patients, coupled with an increase in pay.

Concierge medicine is a medical management structure that has been in existence since the 1990s.Concierge medicine allows doctors to charge a flat monthly fee for services. It’s an idea that finally might be catching on. With an increasing number of disgruntled patients, physician waiting rooms are becoming proverbial parking lots. This concierge practice allows providers to spend more time with patients and reportedly gives patients greater access to their personal physician.CM opens doors to greater prevention of disease by allowing physicians to focus on complete healthcare and allowing more time for patient interaction. However, the question remains whether this translates into a better overall community of health. A growing number of doctors plan to transition to concierge medicine, a model in which patients pay physicians directly for services and near unlimited access. When asked their position on concierge medicine, over 7% of those surveyed said they now practice some form of concierge/direct pay. An additional 13.2% said they plan to transition to concierge medicine in whole or in part. If even half this number follow through on these plans, the impact on physician access would be dramatic, as concierge physicians typically see far fewer patients than do those in traditional practice.

The number of physicians who plan to transition to concierge practice varies by state. Over 38% of physicians in Wyoming indicated they plan to transition to concierge while only 4.2% of Vermont doctors plan to take another step.
There have been evident changes in the healthcare industry – medical professionals want to dedicate more time to individual patients and provide a higher level of care but are limited. The patient to doctor ratio has gone up and they are required to see many more patients in one working day than they had to in the past.
The concierge medicine model strives to provide benefits, devote more time to patients and looks like the future of healthcare for people.

Preventative and elective healthcare leaves a lot to be desired in public healthcare alone, it may be time to adopt concierge medicine to fill this gap. Public health covers the aspect of ‘sick-care’ and of course manages the arbitrary gap that exists within the system. It may actually be time to ride the new wave of concierge medicine to address all the requirements of today’s women – be it assessment, preventative or esthetic. In this day and age where time is becoming a rare commodity, the medical concierge system may well encourage today’s women to keep up with their doctors’ visit and get targeted attention and adapted care.
The major criticisms of the concierge medicine model come from some health care policy makers and experts, who believe that concierge medicine is elitist and its widespread implementation will increase the shortage of primary care physicians, which is already projected to become worse because of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate, which requires everyone to have health insurance. Utilizing these topics as its framework, this article explains why concierge medicine’s form of medical management is gaining ground, cites its advantages and disadvantages for stakeholders, and examines some of the issues that will affect its growth.
Physicians Transitioning to Concierge
• 1.Wyoming 38.2%
• 2.Nevada 30.5%
• 3.Louisiana 28.8%

• 48.Nebraska 9.4%
• 49.Delaware 9.2%
• 50.Vermont 4.2%
This fast growing type of medical practice has the potential to shift the way people think of their health care and their providers. The concept of a single annual fee that encompasses all aspects of primary care, including any necessary diagnostics tests and other procedures is one of the most appealing things about it. It reminds me a little of the Wheaton Wealth Partners fee-only model. We charge one annual fee for our financial planning services and provide a similar type of personalized services to clients. I think the fee-only model, whether it’s in a medical practice or financial planning firm, builds a strong trust relationship between provider and client. Trust – it’s the foundation to a wonderful future.
Concierge medicine is a medical management structure that has been in existence since the 1990s. Essentially, a typical concierge medical practice limits its number of patients and provides highly personalized attention that includes comprehensive annual physicals, same-day appointments, preventive and wellness care, and fast, 24/7 response time. Concierge medicine has become popular among both physicians and patients/consumers who are frustrated by the limitations imposed by managed care organizations. From many physicians’ perspectives, concierge medicine offers greater autonomy, the opportunity to return to a more manageable patient load, and the chance to improve their incomes that have declined because of increasingly lowered reimbursements for their services. From many patients’/consumers’ perspectives, concierge medicine provides more immediate, convenient, and caring access to their primary care physicians and, regardless of their physician’s annual retainer fee, the elimination of third-party insurance coverage costs and hassles.

Concierge medicine (also known as retainer medicine) is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee. In exchange for the retainer, doctors provide enhanced care, including principally a commitment to limit patient loads to ensure adequate time and availability for each patient.While all "concierge" medicine practices share similarities, they vary widely in their structure, payment requirements, and form of operation. In particular, they differ in the level of service provided and the fee charged.
Concierge physicians care for fewer patients than those in a conventional practice, ranging from 50 patients per doctor to 1,000, compared to 3,000 to 4,000 patients that the average traditional physician now sees every year. They generally claim to be accessible via telephone or email at any time of day or night or offer some other service above and beyond the customary care. Some benefits of concierge healthcare are: in-home visits, worldwide access to doctors and expedited emergency room care.

According to me, the future of healthcare will definitely be in the concierge medicine as:-
1. Today, almost everybody suffers from one disease or the other and demands more care.
2. In concierge medicine practice the patients are fewer, this helps in building up the relationship of patient and the physician.
3. The physician will feel more control in direct or concierge medicine as they feel powerless today and more of controlled by a third party.
4. people want to get away from sick care, the concierge medicine provides doctor to provide more time on preventive care.
5. The market and people have become more and more aware.
So, the future of concierge medicine will be defined by the people wanting to avail the service; once they are aware of the benefits they will receive.