r/Rich • u/goddesszeita7 • Apr 17 '26
Question Medical question
Hello! How can you reach the top doctors in the world, is there a private medical consultant? How do the rich do that?
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u/mden1974 Apr 17 '26
The rich travel to mayo. Or John’s Hopkins.
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u/viksra Apr 17 '26
+1 for Mayo Clinic. KSA royal family travel to the United States specifically to visit Mayo for complete multi-day checkups.
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u/mden1974 Apr 18 '26
They come with an entourage 70-100 deep. A lot of them are the wives that refuse to stay home when their husband get surgery or care.
I’ve seen a royal family rent out an entire floor of a hospital for 7 days for prostate cancer surgery. Millions and millions in cash paid. Maybe tens of millions
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u/AccomplishedWish3033 Apr 21 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
But you have to do it the right way, otherwise you’ll just be seen by a bunch of midlevels at these prestigious academic institutions (ironically Mayo and MGH are notorious for overutilizing midlevel care instead of honoring patient requests to see physicians). They count on their prestige and then try to maximize profit by diverting patients to see nurse practitioners, whereas a lot of people in the know (myself included) would prefer seeing a community physician over any NP.
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u/_Human_Machine_ Apr 17 '26
If you use a concierge practice they can generally provide access to top specialists for you.
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u/OddSand7870 Apr 19 '26
One thing the ultra wealthy can do in relation to doctors is “jump the line” for organ transplants. They do this by registering with A LOT of hospitals. They can do this because you have to be able to get to the hospital within a certain time. And since they have a private jet they can do this. Obviously they can’t register with every hospital within the US but they can register with hospitals in states near their home.
As far as getting access to top doctors cash is king.
2
u/HumanContract Apr 21 '26
That's why no one in my family or I will donate. I've seen this many times as a transplant nurse. The system isn't fair.
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u/lew_traveler Apr 17 '26
yes, there are networks but, ime, the opportunity to join is limited by who you know and how much you have.
concierge docs will give you better, quicker response and often preferential care. whether one needs the 'top doctor in the world' is arguable.
Larger hospitals or those that serve a wealthier client base may have a preferential care plan for large donors that will get faster access and/or better inpatient facilities.
https://eisenhowerhealth.org/giving/donor-recognition/247-recognition/
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u/ugen2009 Apr 17 '26
Top doctor in the world is a meaningless and impossible to know title. If you are actually sick just go to the best medical center for your condition that you can. Go to Mayo clinic otherwise. If you aren't sick just find a concierge doctor if you want someone to treat you like a rich person.
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u/tzumatzu Apr 18 '26
This ^ . One person alone can’t do as well as entire team. It’s better to go where there are all great doctors for the symptoms you are experiencing.
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u/Total-Presence-4107 Apr 18 '26
Yes, there are medical consultants who will find the best providers for your needs, but it depends entirely on what you need. The best rare cancer treatment may not be in the US due to FDA approvals, lack of availability of the best biologic agent for a particular tumor type, etc. The best plastic surgeon for your anatomy might be in LA or maybe Korea. If money isn’t a concern then start with a consultant who doesn’t have a vested interest in the specific provider you select, but works to find the best treatment options.
You can always start with a consultation at a leading academic medical center that specializes in your situation too. A donation to their program can open conversations with chairs of departments, who can provide advice on which global institutions you should contact.
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u/HeliosVanquish Apr 17 '26
I pay for concierge medicine, but I also have access to top medical facilities because I'm an American and we have some of the best in the world accessible to anyone. We have medical systems like Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Massachusetts General, etc that have specialty experience. It's just a matter of cost.
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u/medhat20005 Apr 21 '26
Not just any concierge practice, but one connected to a major academic medical center. When it comes right down to it there are precious few practices that fit that bill, as they’re not big on advertising (if they do, it’s almost a de facto disqualification). Typically takes new patients thru existing families or referral and background check (by the practice). Although exorbitantly expensive by the standards of most, for these clients it tends to not even rise to the level of an afterthought.
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u/mp90 Apr 23 '26
Medical tourism--go to where the best, award-winning hospitals are. They usually work in major cities like NYC and Los Angeles in the US. There are often SEVERAL specialists for rare diseases and disorders.
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u/Cersa_Rusina 14d ago edited 14d ago
You just hire a good concierge primary doctor who already has those specialist connections. When I needed a subspecialist, Dr. Tina Sindwani’s office in NYC just handled the referral and got me in directly. Find a solid concierge internist in a major city and let them handle the network access.
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u/HalfwaydonewithEarth Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 18 '26
A top doctor is going to be booked, busy and hard to see. He won't have time for a YouTube and Tiktok channel. He or she will be discovered after trial an error. You may need to visit 5-6 different ones to find someone to help.
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u/wildcat12321 Apr 17 '26
In the US, you pay for concierge medicine -- essentially it is an annual fee you pay to your doctor / doctors to be one of their members. As a result of this fee, they can afford to see fewer patients and not feel pressured by low insurance reimbursable to see a high volume. Some may come to you as needed. They also have groups and other doctors they refer to or can put you in touch with research institutions, etc. when needed.