Choosing a Concierge Doctor
Key Questions To Ask
- What is the target number of patients the practice sets?
- What are the charges for patient/couple/family?
- Does the doctor use hospitalists or does he/she admit their own patients?
- Has the doctor ever been reported to the National Practitioner Data Bank or been sued for malpractice?
- Does the doctor make home visits?
- Is the doctor an M.D. & board-certified in internal medicine?
- How does the practice bill for services other than the retainer fee?
- Will the doctor see you the same day you call or the very next day for non-emergencies?
- What other services are included for the retainer fee? (i.e. exercise or nutritional counseling, care coordination, finding doctors out of state, seeing family members from out of state on a courtesy basis, etc.)
- Who covers when the doctor is unavailable? Is this doctor also a retainer/VIP doctor?
- Does the doctor give you his/her cell phone?