MDVIP?

by David Safier

My doctor, who will remain nameless, is hooking up with a national company, MDVIP. If I want to keep my doctor, I have to pay $1500 a year extra for the privilege, above and beyond my current medical insurance cost, copays, etc. The doctor promises to have fewer patients, which means easier access (I won't have to schedule an appointment a month in advance, for instance) and "executive-style physical and personalized wellness plan."

Remember, I still need my regular insurance. The $1500 a year is on top of that.

I'm planning to go shopping for another doctor.

Is anyone else out there in this situation? Does anyone know more about this concierge style medical care than I do? Does someone want to talk me down and tell me why it's a good idea and I should stay with my current doctor?

I understand the incentive for GPs. They make considerably less than specialists, and this would be a way to level the playing field.

But let's do the math. My doctor plans, I believe, to cut down to a 600 patient practice (That may sound like a lot of patients, but I did the math, figuring in infrequent patients like me as well as more needy patients, and I think that number gives a doctor plenty of time to give good service).

Multiply 600 patients by $1500 per year, and you get $900,000. Some of that cash will flow to MDVIP, which makes all this possible for the doctors. Some will cover the lowered number of patients, which probably means less revenue.

But still . . . $900,000?

I'll tell you, I was ready to take a walk as soon as I learned I was going to get "executive-style" service. Executive-style? If that's the selling point, count me out.