Concierge practice first came on the scene about 1996 and has continued to grow.
Here is a quick history (there's more on the site
http://conciergemedicinetoday.org/2013/10/04/2453/)
The History of Concierge Medicine
By cmtdpcjournal on October 4, 2013 • ( 0 )
Last Updated: Sunday, October 29, 2014
By Michael Tetreault, Editor-In-Chief, Concierge Medicine Today
Brief And Abridged History Of Concierge Medicine And The DPC Healthcare Marketplace.
•1996: •Dr. Howard Maron and Scott Hall, FACP established MD2 (pronounced MD squared) located in Seattle, Bellevue, WA and Oregon. They charged an annual retainer fee of $13,200 and $20,000 per family.
•1999: •Medical Professionalism Project-consisting of members of the internal medicine community, including representatives of ACP and the American Board of Internal Medicine, set out to draft a charter that could serve as a framework for understanding professionalism.
•Institute of Medicine releases the now famous report of medical errors, Patient safety, and professional integrity that caused further probing in physician exam rooms.
•2000: •Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle, WA began operating concierge medical services within its facilities and used some of the profits from the 5 physician practice to subsidize other programs and indigent care services.
•MDVIP, founded by Dr. Robert Colton and Bernard Kaminetsky, in Boca Raton, FL. A brand of Concierge Medicine practice and management firm which has set-up more than 700 concierge medical practices with offices in almost every State across the U.S. Update: In April 2014, Procter & Gamble announced the sale of MDVIP to a private equity firm, Summit Partners.
•“We recognized back in 2000 that health care was moving from personal to a more institutionalized form, and it was not what we wanted to do. We felt we needed to have time with our Patients, to have the excellence to have the time with Patients. Health care has been cutting reimbursement to doctors, which has forced doctors to see more Patients, so the time doctors have with their Patients has declined. The average time today with Patients for most doctors is only 10 minutes.” ~Dr. John Blanchard of Premier Private Physicians, Troy and Clarkston, Michigan.
•2001: •American Medical Association writes concierge physician guidelines: PRINCIPLES OF MEDICAL ETHICS.
•2002: •ACB Foundation , ABIM Foundation and the European Federation of Internal Medicine defines ethical principles and responsibilities contracts between Patient and physician, which is in a language that suggests both parties have equality, mutual interest and autonomy.
•Medicare addresses Concierge Medicine and retainer fees.
•Centers for Medicare and Medicaid, CMS, outlined its position on concierge care in a March 2002 memorandum. The memorandum states that physicians may enter into retainer agreements with their Patients as long as these agreements do not violate any Medicare requirements.
•Pinnacle Care establishes Patient care with a one-time membership fee for access to VIP service.
•The AMA counsel on medical services issued a report in June 2002 on Special Physician-Patient contracts. It concluded that retainer medicine was a very small phenomenon.
•2003: •American Society of Concierge Physicians was founded by Dr. John Blanchard. The association later changed its name to SIMPD, Society for Innovative Practice Design.
•AMA issued guidelines for boutique practices in June 2003.
•Department of Health and Human Services rules the concierge medical practices are not illegal and the federal government the OIG, Office of the Inspector General, takes a decidedly hands off approach.
•American College of Physicians writes doctors struggle to balance professionalism with the pressures of everyday practice.
•June 2003 the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs outlines guidelines for “contracted medical services”. The AMA House of Delegates approves these guidelines.
• 2004: •GAO, General Accountability Office writes 146 concierge physicians in the U.S.
•Harvard University study finds that 55% of the respondents are dissatisfied with their health care, and 40% of that 55% agreed that the quality of care had worsened in the previous five years.
•2005: •The AOA, American Osteopathic Association adopts not to recommend and an official policy on concierge care.
• 2006: •MDVIP, a concierge physician practice management firm, reports that 130 physicians within their network treat up to 40,000 Patients worldwide.
•2007: •Concierge Medicine Today, a concierge medical news agency opens its doors to be an advocate for news pertaining to the Concierge Medicine, retainer-based, boutique, private medicine and direct care industry.
•Concierge Medicine Today, announces the formation of The Concierge Medicine Research Collective.
•The term “direct practice” was first used in legislation in Washington in 2007 that clarified these practices were not insurance companies under state law-but they do provide basic, preventive medical care.
•2008: •Boasting an estimated 35 concierge physician practices, Orange County, CA appeared to be a leading hub of Concierge Medicine.
•Concierge Physician of Orange County (CPOC)– a non-profit group of existing concierge physicians was founded.
•2009: •Concierge Medicine Today, reveals that concierge medical practices across the U.S. are thriving in a recession.
•Procter & Gamble Acquired MDVIP in 2009 – No less a respected corporation than Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) has staked out a major presence in Concierge Medicine. In 2007, P&G acquired a 48% stake in MDVIP, a Concierge Medicine company that was formed in 2000. Then, in December 2009, Procter & Gamble acquired 100% ownership in MDVIP for an undisclosed sum. This acquisition was reported by Dark Daily. (See “Boutique Medicine Venture Generates Marketing Intelligence for Procter & Gamble,” April 5, 2010.)
• 2010: •SIMPD reorganizes, expands its vision, and rebrands itself the American Academy of Private Physicians (AAPP).
•Concierge Medicine Today, reveals the affordability of concierge medical and private medicine practices across the U.S. stating that over 62% of the programs offered to Patients cost less than $135/mo.
•American Academy of Private Physicians (AAPP) forms first local chapter in Orange County, California called AAPP,OC (formerly CPOC)
•According to a 2010 American Academy of Family Physicians survey, three percent of respondents practice in a cash-only, direct care, concierge, boutique, or retainer medical practice.
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