Ask the Pediatrician: November/December 2020

ask the ped
Paying Cash for Your Doctor Can Save
Time, Money, Sanity, and Your Health!

More and more physicians are opting out of insurance-based models to be able to provide better and more personalized care. Whether cash-pay, direct primary care, or concierge, they all have common goals, including convenient, on-time, longer, and more-comprehensive office visits. These physicians focus on the importance of preventing illness and disease and living a healthier life. Patients can often access their own doctor 24/7 by email, text, or Facetime when needed. Some concierge doctors, like us, also do home visits, coordinate care, and have constant communication with top specialists for their patients.

Concierge medicine has become especially popular during the pandemic because of all that it offers—the ability to have one family in the office at a time, a focus on mental health and virtual school success, the chance to discuss how and when to safely return to activities, access to COVID testing, advice on visiting relatives, contact tracing, and much more.

This concept may seem radical, but this is how physicians, like my grandfather, practiced years ago. In addition, many labs, hospitals, and imaging centers are getting onboard—offering reasonable upfront cash-pay prices.

You not only save money on healthcare, but you also save time and exposure by not waiting in a busy doctor’s office. Your kids won’t miss school, and you won’t miss work for appointments. You save sanity being able to reach your doctor and get advice and appointments when needed. Your physician can actually take better care of your family by having time to focus on personalized, preventive healthcare, including nutrition, sleep, healthy lifestyle, COVID prevention, and school success.

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