I got two interesting responses to my entry concerning my parents’ doctor and his new $1,500 per person yearly fee. One was from doctor/friend Steve… and I’m waiting his OK before I put it here.
Here’s another from a friend in South Florida (who does not have a shift key on her keyboard).
sucks, of course. but it’s not aimed at your parents.. it’s aimed at wealthy people who don’t want to deal with a dr’s office with delays and hassles. by slimming down his patient base he gets (so the logic goes for the doctor) more quality time to spend with patients.
it’s the difference between buying a lexis and a yugo…. better waiting rooms, loaner cars, more customer service. you pay for what you get.
She’s perfectly correct, but, to me there is a moral contract that’s entered into when you become my physician. My parents aren’t just changing doctors, they are being extorted in order to maintain a relationship with the only professional totally familiar with their medical history.
If he had done this when he opened his practice, or if this only applied to new patients, that would be OK. But, he is changing the rules of the game while the game is on and I think that stinks.