Frequently Asked Questions
Below are a selection of Frequently Asked Questions that might help enlighten you in your journey to learn about concierge medicine and our practice.
Question: What is concierge medicine?
Answer: Concierge medicine takes many forms depending on the practice. In general, it is a service where patients pay a membership fee which covers the majority of their doctor visit needs. This allows the concierge practice to keep a much smaller patient panel than traditional practices, allowing patients easier and quicker access to their doctors. Concierge practices, like ours, tend to focus on personalized care and are better prepared to address issues unique to each patient.
Question: What are the main points of what concierge medicine offers?
Answer: Here are some of the main points that concierge medicine can offer.
- Better doctor-patient relationships through increased quality time with your doctor.
- Expeditious access to care, no waiting weeks or months for an appointment.
- Highly personalized care for each patient, bringing peace of mind and convenience.
- Avoid unneeded trips to the office with virtual correspondence and on-site visits.
- Increased coordination when specialist care is needed
Question: Do I really have access to my doctor 24/7?
Answer: You have 24/7 access to the entire healthcare team. Your doctor is likely to provide 24/7 access most days of the month as well. However, you will likely become acquainted with all of our support staff and partner physicians as well for when your doctor needs coverage.
Question: Why do I need insurance if I have 24/7 access?
Answer: While we cover our patients 24/7, insurance is highly recommended due to other costs that are out of our control. For example, hospital expenses and lab fees are not under our control and are billed by separate entities who likely do not utilize a cash model like we do. We recommend having an insurance policy to cover for these situations.
Question: Do your concierge rates change?
Answer: Since inception, our concierge rates have increased to stay competitive with the surrounding market. There is a large concierge presence in Newport Beach and also a growing presence nationwide. As we are a full service practice, we are very unique from other concierge practices. We do lock our price for the entire calendar year and try to not change it year to year.
Question: Why is there an application and an intake process?
Answer: We believe that the physician-patient relationship should be a well-fitted one. You should have confidence in your physician and a good working relationship in order to meet your needs adequately. During the intake process, we identify any issues which our practice may not be able to address. If this is the case, we may refer you to a different concierge or traditional practice better equipped to meet your needs. The application and intake process is completely free and any referral we make is at no charge.
Question: Do you have specialists ready to see me if I need to see one?
Answer: We have specialist partners on contract with our practice. They are prepared to do at least the same day phone consultation if not see you same day. This ensures that your issue does not go unaddressed until an appointment with a specialist.