An in-depth look at the growth of concierge medicine in the Chicago suburbs in a recent edition of the Daily Herald newspaper featured an interview with Specialdocs’ own Michael Friedlander.
“Retainer fees are common practice when hiring an attorney, but could they soon find their way to your doctor’s office?” The question posed by Daily Herald Staff Writer Eric Peterson was addressed by Friedlander, who predicted expansion of the model, but didn’t foresee a time when it is a patient’s only choice. “I don’t know if it will grow significantly, but it will grow,” he said.
Citing the dual problems of declining reimbursement and increasing overhead, he explained: “It’s forced physicians to see more patients in less time to stay in the same place. The public doesn’t understand what a physician goes through today, they really don’t.”
We’re certain our Specialdocs physicians will agree with Friedlander’s succinct take on the essence of concierge medical practices. The patients who stay with a doctor are those who recognize value in the care they’re receiving, he told the Daily Herald. “It’s not hamster-wheel medicine. It allows you to spend adequate time with your patient.”