Demand for Personal, Cash-Only Physicians Holds Up

Posted by John LaPlante in Care Without Insurance on May 22nd, 2009 | no responses

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Elitist or common sense? The New York Times reports on doctors who charge an annual retainer. In other words, patients pay with cash, not insurance.

The hook for the story is the idea that in a recession, demand for such an "elitist" service falls. But the reporter finds little evidence of that. Perhaps it's not so elitist after all; the $1,500 to $2,000 that people pay compares favorably with insurance premiums that are five or six times that amount.

Granted, you'll still need catastrophic insurance for hospital stays, but at that point, we're getting closer to insurance as insurance and not prepaid care–meaning, it should be cheaper (if your state laws allow you to get a decent price, that is.)

I'm amused at the fact that some people are worried about the rise of this kind of medical practice. After all, as a nation we are supposedly underserved by primary care physicians. What better way to have a doctor in your corner than to have him as your client rather than the captive of an insurance company, or worse yet, government employee?

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