The desire for personalized and on-demand products and services has changed nearly every industry in recent years. It’s no surprise that healthcare has undergone these changes as well. Patients are unsatisfied with traditional medical practices that operate more like an assembly line than a healthcare provider. Primary care doctors generally focus on seeing as many patients in a day as possible. As a result, patients are limited to only a few minutes with their provider. This has led many patients to seek out a better alternative than traditional primary care, namely, membership medicine.
What is Membership Medicine?
Put simply, membership medicine is primary care offered directly to patients and employers, generally without insurance administration. This model of medicine is a counter-response to the soaring costs of health insurance, doctor burnout, as well as plummeting patient and physician satisfaction. Membership medicine is known by many names including concierge medicine, direct primary care, boutique medicine, direct-pay, membership healthcare, cash-only, and retainer medicine. Under this model, a modest monthly, quarterly, or annual fee typically covers unlimited office visits, as well as discounts for both medications and lab tests.
While all practices are different, the membership fee also includes exclusive benefits and enhanced services. Concierge members of Dedication Health receive industry-leading medical care and a suite of best-in-class benefits and services. These benefits include same-day appointments, 24-hour access to your personal doctor, private suites, unrestricted time with your physician, no waiting times, and much more. Concierge medical practices also offer more services than traditional practices. For example, Dedication Health places a high focus of preventive medicine with with screenings that are more comprehensive than what Medicare and insurers cover. Additionally, our practice offers additional concierge medical services including travel medicine, disease prevention and management, medication reconciliation, personalized primary care, and specialist care.
What Can I Expect from Membership Medicine?
For a modest modest fee, members are offered unlimited office visits, as well as discounts for both medications and lab tests. To get a better idea of why this type of healthcare matters to patients these are some of the benefits of joining a concierge medical practice.If you’re wondering what sets this type of practice apart from your regular physician services, there are a few major differences. You can expect to experience the following at a membership medicine practice:
- Longer appointment times where your physician discusses your health and wellness, diseases or conditions, and any test results
- Innovative medical testing with the most up-to-date medical equipment
- Greater physician availability with same day or next day appointments
- 24/7 access to your doctor by phone, text, and email
- A broad range of services focusing on whole-person wellness rather than just disease management and disease prevention
Benefits of Membership Medicine
To get a better idea of why this type of healthcare matters to patients these are some of the benefits of joining a concierge medical practice.
Longer, More Thorough Appointments
If you’re in fairly good health, you may only see your doctor once or twice a year. These appointments are fairly short and you may have concerns that are not addressed. Membership medicine allows you to not only spend more time with your doctor but also see your doctor more frequently. This allows you to build a relationship with your doctor and provides adequate time to truly understand your health and needs. The benefit of this long-term is better health for you. With more focus on each person, you have a better chance of detecting chronic diseases or other conditions at an earlier stage.
More Access to Your Physician
How many times have you had a question for your doctor and not wanted to sit through an appointment? One of the innovative practices that concierge medicine provides is 24/7 availability to your physician. Patients can call, text, or email their private doctor as needed. This means if you have a concern after hours, you can still get in touch with your doctor. This is especially beneficial for members who travel or are often out of town.
Comprehensive Services
As your primary care physician, concierge practices work well to manage all aspects of your healthcare. If you need specialty services, they will coordinate these and track your progress. Then, your doctor will develop a treatment plan based on specialist opinions and recommendations. Many membership medicine practices, including Dedication Health, have on-site specialists as well as a fully-equipped lab. This allows patients to receive the answers they need much easier and much quicker.
Improving Overall Health
Let’s face it, there is no better investment one can make than an investment in their health. After all, there is a direct correlation between the quality of one’s health and the overall quality of their life. With people wanting quality medical care, in many ways, membership medicine is becoming the optimal choice. People who join a concierge medical practice love what it provides and more patients and physicians are making the switch every day.
Membership Medicine in Cook County
Dedication Health’s personalized health concierge and membership medicine program provides patients with numerous health benefits such as a greater emphasis on prevention, wellness, and longevity planning. Our patients also enjoy exclusive perks including same-day appointments, 24/7 access to your concierge doctor, valet parking, and private suites. To learn more about our concierge medicine services or to find a concierge physician in Cook County, contact us for more information! You can call Dedication Health at 847-750-3007 or leave us a message online and we will get back to you ASAP. Dedication Health is conveniently located at 710 Oak St, Winnetka, IL 60093 in Chicago’s North Shore.
You can also learn more about membership medicine from the recommended links below.
Concierge Medicine Can Save You Money – Here’s The Proof
Concierge Family Medicine: 3 Invaluable Benefits of Concierge Medicine
Personal Doctor: Seeing Same Doctor Every Time May Prolong Your Life