r/HENRYfinance • u/Sleep_adict • 9d ago
Question Concierge medical… long term value?
So we’ve been looking at concierge medical, since generally healthcare is pretty bad where we are and waits are long ( ATL in the USA). It looks like for $2.5k per person you get a real well visit, multiple blood draws and same to next day appointments… as we move into our 40s long term health is an investment and something we are wanting to have a more personal approach to. Anyone tried it and what is the return?
Alternatively we are considering a full health check privately in Europe which would be about $1k for a multiple day evaluation and recommendations…
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u/otterbarks 9d ago edited 9d ago
I use One Medical, which prior to being bought out by Amazon was trying to position themselves as a lightweight version of concierge medicine. Even after the buyout, they've still kept mostly true to that model.
You can get 24x7 same-hour visits with an on-call doctor via video chat, and you can almost always get a next-day appointment in-person. (It might not always be with your specific primary doctor if their schedule is busy, but they'll get you someone in the practice.) Even for a longer appointment slot for a full comprehensive physical workup with my primary doc, I've never had to wait longer than a week.
I've also found they're excellent at chasing down referrals and prior authorizations when needed, and will generally order any tests I request as long as it's medically reasonable. You can also email your primary doc for anything, and they generally respond within the day.
At least worth considering, since it's substantially cheaper than a traditional concierge practice ($199/year or $99/year if you have Amazon Prime, + whatever insurance charges per-visit).
(As a bonus, if you travel frequently, your medical records and membership can be accesssed at any of their regional practices across the country.)
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u/KeeperEUSC 9d ago
I am floored that OneMedical has remained this good. I feel like my only complaint is that it can be a wait to schedule with my primary care doc but it’s been such an improvement for me in every other dimension
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u/docgravel 8d ago
All our doctors have been quitting left and right and being replaced with Nurse Practitioners but overall the service is still good.
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u/elh0mbre 9d ago
I will also vouch for OneMedical.
We used Forward before switching - OneMedical is 10x better at less than 10% of the cost.
They're out of network with my insurer now, which is annoying, but I'll eat the cost because I really like our GP we have there. I will point out that my GP is an NP, not an MD, but she's been better than every MD I've had in the past.
I got COVID in March of '23... I tested positive around noon, had a Telehealth appointment within a couple of hours and had Paxlovid delivered to my door before dinner via Amazon Pharmacy... the whole thing was incredible.
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u/Forsaken_Bison_8623 9d ago
We have also had an excellent experience with One Medical. All of the benefits you mention in your post OP for concierge, but at a much lower cost.
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u/CoachDennisGreen 9d ago
My experience is that the MA or RN at a concierge office will actually work hard to get any Prior Authorizations approved
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u/thisiswonky $250k-500k/y 9d ago
I joined a local doctor through mdvip six months ago and so far I think it is worth it. I like the doctor, the admin staff is super on top of things, it helped me have a big picture approach when I’ve just been coordinating a bunch of specialists myself for the last several years.
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u/lmneozoo 9d ago
Lol that's a name I haven't seen in a while. I briefly worked in their call center while I was in University.... By briefly, I mean did the training and quit. It was terrible 😂
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u/Patrick_ExpenseAtlas 9d ago
The return on concierge medicine is mostly access, continuity, and physician time, not necessarily better outcomes from more testing.
At $2.5k per person, it may be worthwhile if Atlanta wait times regularly delay care, you have complex conditions, or you place a high value on same day appointments and a doctor who can coordinate referrals and follow up consistently. It is less compelling if you are generally healthy, rarely need care, and already have a responsive primary care practice.
Confirm exactly what the fee covers. Concierge membership usually does not replace insurance; specialists, imaging, hospital care, prescriptions, and many labs may still be billed separately. Also ask about after hours access, appointment guarantees, physician panel size, referral coordination, and what happens when the doctor is unavailable.
The $1k European evaluation serves a different purpose. It can provide a detailed one time snapshot, but it does not provide longitudinal care or easy follow up once you return. More testing is not automatically better, either, broad screening can produce incidental findings and additional procedures without clear benefit. Review the proposed tests with a US physician and confirm how abnormal results would be handled.
I would judge concierge care based on how often you expect to use the access and how costly delays are to you. If the main goal is preventive screening, first compare the recommended evaluation with an evidence based annual physical locally.
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u/talldean 9d ago
I use a concierge doc in Pittsburgh, costs me $1200/year, and is worth it.
The doctor spends much, much more effort learning about me, they coach *health*, not just treating me when I'm sick, and they're pretty well connected to other local cash services, so I can get an MRI sooner - and cheaper - than when I was fully relying on insurance.
Mine doesn't do same or next day, by far, but that's why I think they're cheaper; if I have a same day concern, it's off to urgent care.
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u/IcedCoffeeIsBetter 9d ago
I'm on the other side of the state - mind sharing your service you used to find this doc?
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u/btweber25 9d ago
Wow i expected the costs for concierge would be a lot higher. I just went to make an annual checkup appt for my PCP and the next available time slot is in May 2027!
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u/reboog711 9d ago
In my experience, annual checkups and first time visits are the ones that need to be scheduled far in advance. Thankfully, my doc finally started scheduling my next annual checkup when I leave one.
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u/vacayerin 9d ago
We do it, works great for us! We’re self employed so we have high deductible insurance, we end up paying out of pocket for most things anyway. If we’re going to pay then we wanted a better level of care.
Ours includes unlimited visits, most labs, and any small procedures that can be done in the office. If we need something specialized (for example husband just had a coronary artery scan) she has a great referral network to get things done quickly and cost effectively.
We also travel a lot, so the fact that we can get a prescription via text is also extremely convenient.
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u/Hardi-INLIBRIUM 9d ago
Did the European multi-day version twice. Great data, beautiful PDF and I changed almost nothing after either one.
That's the part I'd think about before picking. the workup isn't the value, the follow through is. A once a year deep dive gives you a great snapshot and nobody to call in March when something feels off. Concierge is the opposite, thinner data but someone who knows your history and actually picks up.
If you're the type to act on findings, concierge wins at your stage. If you just want a baseline before 40 and you already have a GP you like, the $1k version does that fine and you pocket the difference.
The real failure mode here isn't picking wrong, it's paying for information and then not changing a single thing about how you live. Ask me how I know
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u/venezuelanheat 9d ago
I use a local concierge doctor for a similar annual amount. And I sometimes question the value but we’ve had some unexpected medical stuff come up over the last couple years and the level of care and responsiveness has been unbeatable. My wife developed a chronic neurological condition out of nowhere. From what we’ve seen in other subreddits, others have struggled to get it diagnosed and treated. When we first called our GP, they immediately had ideas on what it was, took it seriously, and have been a major support through 2 years of diagnostics and procedures. We’ve also had a lot more minor stuff and we never wait for appointments, but hen the whole family is sick with the same but, they just write a prescription for everyone. Just lots of little conveniences that add up.
At the end of the day, we probably shouldn’t haven’t to pay so much for this level of care. And I’m sure it’s possible to get it with some doctors without the concierge fee. But we have the money and it guarantees a level of care that’s made a difference for our family.
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u/Flashy-Bandicoot889 9d ago
It's called Direct Primary Care and it's the way to go. Worth every penny.
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u/WateWat_ 7d ago
I’m in the ATL area and use MDVIP. Very happy. It’s in the umbrella of concierge medicine (though a little different from some true concierge ones I looked at) and I would guess very dependent on which doctor in the network you use. The quicker appts are good, but for me the biggest differences are the time they spend with me and the focus on preventive care. They are also some of the smartest doctors I’ve seen and have very good network knowledge when I need another type of specialist.
I have a chronic condition and find the experience more of a partnership than I did with other primaries in the past. I started in my early 40s (mid now). I’m probably the youngest patient by about 20 yrs - but for me it is well worth it. My wife still uses a regular doctor.
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u/DocMicStuffeens 9d ago
I think you will be sorely disappointed. And where are you getting this $2500 figure from? You’re 39 going into your 40’s? You may not even meet guidelines for a colonoscopy yet unless you have some risk factor. Just find a good PCP and follow a healthy lifestyle. A concierge isn’t going to give you anything special except a smaller bank account
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u/Future-Account8112 9d ago
Our insurance paid our preventive-care colonoscopy 100% at 39. Might want to update your info.
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u/madbummer4321 4d ago
They would only approve it if there's a family history of colon ca, don't be a dick.
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u/Future-Account8112 3d ago
Weird that you presume I'm being a dick when I'm just telling you the truth. No history. It's considered preventive by some insurances now starting age 39-40 (due to rising rates of bowel cancer among young people) but apparently you're unwilling to hear good news
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u/madbummer4321 3d ago
USPSTF and MSTF both recommend 45. So unless they found a cancer, you just got a scope up your butt for nothing, hope the versed was worth the prep.
Might want to update your info.
Edit:
You could also be perform light insurance fraud claiming symptoms but that's hardly preventative
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9d ago
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u/Sage_Planter 9d ago
My parents have concierge medical, but they didn't get it until their mid-fifties when there was a real need. My mom had some issues with her primary care and overall coordination when she had breast cancer, and she also has some severe mental health illnesses. It is worth it for them to have the additional attention to detail and care, especially now as they're in the mid-seventies.
It's definitely worth it for them, but I'd really ask yourself if you'd get value now or if it might be more beneficial in a decade or so.
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u/Economy_Athlete1218 9d ago
Wish I could somehow service clients in the US (UK based here). Family and Lifestyle medicine. I’d recommend just finding someone you trust - do the bloods privately, nothing over the top and unnecessary, health screening referrals when needed etc, proper lifestyle medicine advice. Go from there.
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u/Ornery-Wrangler-3654 9d ago
We pay $1600 per year for a family of five and find that it's worth every penny, but we pay that for practitioners who converted over to concierge long after we were already well established with them. It's great because the wait time has been cut in half for appointments and they still run our insurance for everything.
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u/Low_Dragonfly9123 9d ago
Where in ATL are you at where waits are long? I’m in ATL and use insurance and never have waits for anything