MAY 30, 2013 - With healthcare institutions throughout the world increasingly stressed, the wealthy are regularly not inclined to rely on these public systems – at least not in the ways the masses rely on them. Instead, the wealthy are more and more able and likely to pay for a higher if not always exceptional standard of care. The term for this is concierge healthcare.
There are four basis models of concierge healthcare. The most basic version is “travel medical assistance.” An example of this is the number you call on the back of your American Express Black card connecting you to an operator to help with aeromedical evacuations and access to a database of foreign physicians and hospitals. “Private health advisories” – another version – adds on services such as comprehensive individualized physical exams, electronic medical records, access to second opinions and helps with complex disease management. A third variation is the “private physician practice.” This is essentially a doctor on an annual retainer to provide rapid call backs and a higher level of personal interaction.
