The Difference Between Concierge Medicine & Concierge Surgery
What is Concierge Medicine?
Concierge medicine has become increasingly popular among patients and physicians within the United States and around the world. Typically, concierge medicine is a fee-based service that allows primary care physicians to offer their patients a higher level of personalized attention and priority appointments.
As demand for healthcare services increase, medical professionals are finding that their overall time with individual patients is becoming squeezed to a bare-minimum in order to accommodate to an increased volume of patients. However, primary care physicians utilizing concierge medicine can afford to see fewer patients. This allows patients to spend more time with their physician instead of normally being rushed through a 5-minute check-up and consultation. It also allows the physician to develop personal relationships with their patients and enable them to be more aware of their individual needs.
Primary care physicians who select to adopt this method of practice charge a monthly or annual fee to patients looking to receive a unique level of personalized care and attention. Within concierge medicine, physician practices will often still collect and bill insurance for patient visits, allowing for two streams of revenue. Not only do physicians benefit by adding a source of revenue and the ability to provide deeper levels of personalized care, but patients benefit by having nearly unlimited access to their doctor with very little notice of an appointment. In most cases patients can visit their concierge medicine physician as frequently as they would like. They are often guaranteed appointment times if scheduled in as little as 1-2 days in advance. This is a far-fetched dream to those who wait weeks or even months to visit their primary care physician.
Although concierge medicine has many benefits, there is one significant limitation to be aware of. Primary care physicians are not equipped to handle significant injuries and illnesses that may require advanced care, such as surgery. What happens when patients wish to continue receiving personalized care for an injury or illness that extends beyond their primary care physicians level of expertise? Typically, the patient must seek care from a non-concierge surgeon. This means limited access, rushed service and long wait times. The immediate access and personalized care that a concierge medicine practice provides, is typically not available if more advanced care is needed from a surgeon.
This problem with concierge medicine is one that Kinese has embarked to provide an answer to. We are extending the concierge medical experience into surgery.
What is Concierge Surgery?
The concept of concierge surgery is not a heavily developed term within the healthcare market today. However, it follows many of the same principles of concierge medicine; providing an immediate and personalized standard of care tailored to each patient’s individual needs.
There is really only one significant difference between concierge medicine and concierge surgery and that is the annual or monthly fee. Concierge surgery typically does not require this fee due to the fact that surgery is not a regularly utilized service. Concierge surgery is a one time fee. (Be weary of surgical concierge’s that require a monthly or annual fee for their services!)
At Kinese, we strive to take our pricing standards a step further than a typical surgery concierge. We offer all of our surgery prices up front and ensure that our patients know the total price of their surgery, including all involved fees and implant costs, prior to their scheduled surgery date. This ensures that patients are well equipped to make an informed decision regarding their surgical needs. This option is not found in the regular healthcare system (and from other surgical concierges). Many patients dread the thought of having surgery while not knowing what their financial responsible will be post operation. With a surgical concierge like Kinese, ambiguous pricing is completely avoided.
At Kinese, we have set out to create a model of business that is a natural extension of a concierge medicine practice. We exist to create a surgical experience that is convenient, simplified and specifically tailored to our patient’s individual needs. We believe you deserve the best when it comes to your health care. Don’t you?