A small but growing number of doctors in South Florida and elsewhere have started charging patients annual fees to help make ends meet. These are not “boutique” doctors offering exclusive attention to patients who can afford to pay thousands upfront each year for special access and attention. These are regular family doctors asking for a few hundred dollars per person, saying they are squeezed between rising costs and flat payments from insurers and Medicare.
Make ends meet. Not for nothing but as John Stossel would say “Give Me A Break!”
I continuously write about how the health care encounter is given a value based on the overall experience. I would ask what are you getting in return for the dollars you are putting up front. Consumers need to push back. Start pushing.