Health Membership Offered in Chicago

Dedication Health

There are various health membership options and concierge medical plans offered in Chicago. Unlike other methods to manage your healthcare and costs, such as insurance, each health membership plan is determined by the individual provider, so you will see differences from one practice to the next. On this page, we’ll go over the types of packages available, what’s included, and what’s not, empowering you to an informed decision about which type of health membership is right for you.

Concierge Medical Plans are Membership-Based

Concierge medical practices offer more services and additional time with your physician, among other things. They also limit the number of patients they accept, allowing the doctor to focus more attention on each person. In order to do so, you’ll be charged some kind of fee to hold your space. This may be called a retainer fee, health membership fee, or another variant. Pricing for this varies based on the practice and number of family members who will be seen by the doctor and typically range from about $1,500 to more than $5,000 per year.

Expect Some Perks as Part of Your Health Membership

At Dedication Health, we do as much as possible in-house, so that you don’t need to worry about scheduling elsewhere or coordinating your care. This includes specialty care, such as geriatrics, cardiology, diabetes management, travel medicine, and more. Because our practice is holistic in nature, meaning we believe in total wellness as a way of life, you can also receive nutrition and general wellness coaching. Things like lab work, x-rays, and medication management are all taken care of within the practice too. And, of course, you have 24/7 access to your concierge physician.  

Beyond this, we offer things like comfortable patient suites with warm blankets and slippers, valet parking, coordination with specialists and hospitals, and absolute privacy during your appointment; your time slot is yours and yours alone. There won’t be anyone booked during the same appointment slot as you. Again, other concierge medical practices may take a different approach.

Charges for Individual Services May Vary

Because concierge health membership is a form of “boutique medicine,” concierge medical practices vary in how they address the individual visits and how fees are assessed. A few of the most common methodologies are outlined below.

All-In-One

Practices with higher health membership fees are usually all-inclusive providers. That means you don’t pay anything when you see your physician, nor do you pay for diagnostics or basic services. Everything is included in the monthly or yearly fee you pay the practice. Bear in mind, practices place limits on the number of visits you may have with your physician because of this.

Fee-for-Service/ Direct Care

Direct primary care is often mistaken as concierge medicine. This is largely because direct primary care is an alternative form of boutique medicine. In these situations, it’s similar to concierge medicine in that a health membership fee is assessed. However, direct primary care physicians do not work with insurance companies. In many cases, large employers will provide an on-site direct primary care physician, so employees don’t need to take time off work for visits and they can get regular care as needed, which keeps them healthier overall. When it’s an employer-sponsored direct care situation, the employer pays all fees. When it’s a private practice, the patient pays for individual services on the day of the appointment.

Hourly

To get away from the typical challenges associated with medical billing, some physicians don’t consider each individual procedure that’s performed. Take, for example, a patient who comes in after a fall and feels dizzy. That patient may have an exam, x-rays, a CT scan, blood work, and more. Under the hourly model, each item doesn’t cost extra money. Only the time spent with care providers is measured. Practices which bill by the hour also do not bill insurance companies. The patient is expected to pay out-of-pocket at the visit.

Insurance-Friendly

A few concierge medical practices like Dedication Health are considered insurance-friendly. Although insurance will not cover things like health membership fees, the practice will bill the insurance company for individual services, just as any other physician might.

You May Want to Maintain a High-Deductible Plan for Emergencies

One thing missing from virtually all health membership plans is hospital coverage. Because of this, most people prefer to maintain a high-deductible insurance plan for emergencies and hospitalizations—just in case. Furthermore, if you select a practice that does not have in-office specialists or advanced diagnostic care, you will likely want to keep an insurance plan to cover any needs that can’t be seen to by the practice.

Learn More About Concierge Health Membership in Chicago

Dedication Health is located in Winnetka, which is just north of Chicago. As a concierge medical practice, we provide patients with a higher level of care and special perks. We also put our patient-first care in reach of more people by working with insurance companies too. If you’d like to learn more about Dedication Health or a health membership, contact our practice manager Christine by calling 847-986-6770 now. You may also complete our online contact form and she will be in touch with you as soon as possible.

For more information about concierge medicine or health membership, browse any of the links listed below.

Is Concierge Medicine Right For You?

Concierge Medicine Can Save You Money, Here’s The Proof.

Membership Healthcare: Is It Worth It?