“You can’t find a provider that doesn’t want more patients paying in cash,” says the president of a new Web site that aims not only to link cash-paying patients to providers, but also to offer patients greater transparency for making a decision about where to seek medical care.
PriceDoc provides comparative pricing information for various medical, dental, vision, chiropractic, cosmetic, medispa and allied health and elective procedures. Procedures, which are mainly “low risk and non diagnostic,” says the company’s president, Pat Bradley.
The site also gives patients information about providers’ education, training, credentials, services and amenities, as well as photos and videos of procedures, he said.
Bradley says the site is not unlike dating sites or other Web sites where consumers pay a monthly fee to have their profile displayed. He says in some cases providers post their procedure prices, but then allow patients to make an offer.
“Through PriceDoc, we offer a discount of 20 to 30 percent off our usual fees,” says Robert M. Stark, MD, medical director of Cardiovascular Prevention Program at Greenwich Hospital/Yale-New Haven Health, who signed up to use the service seven months ago.
“Pricing transparency is most important for patients who are self-pay or who want to have some control over their healthcare expenditure,” said Stark.
As for future developments for the site, Bradley says, “We are leaning towards a full loop, where you could book your appointments though our site.”
They are also thinking of offering providers a pay-per-lead model where they would only be required to make a payment if a patient was delivered through their service. “The main benefit for providers is increased exposure and the opportunity to attract new cash-paying patients,” says Bradley.
Attracting cash-paying patients is something that concierge practices know a little about. Although they may differ by name (often referred to as direct healthcare or retainer-based medicine among others) or by pricing structure, the aim is the same –providing higher quality care.
PriceDoc.com provides listings for six concierge practices: Care Practice, San Francisco; Essential Medical Care in College Park, Ga., Anchor Medical Clinic in Mukilteo, Wash; Qliance - Primary Care Specialists in Seattle; Dr. Mac in San Antonio; and Guardian Family Care in Mill Creek, Wash.
"Operating a direct healthcare practice allows my office to offer primary care at an affordable price," says Heidi S. Rendall, MD, of Anchor Medical Clinic, who signed up to be listed on PriceDoc last year. "But it also gives me and my staff the time and flexibility to provide the patient-focused healthcare that today's healthcare delivery system has derailed," she said.
“I can absolutely say this is a better model of medicine,” says Ami Laws, MD, a Palo Alto primary care physician who has approximately 200 patients. She says her patients receive a better level of care and comfort than they would receive at a regular practice.
On a typical day Laws sees between three and six patients in her office or in some cases though home visits, but can interact with 10 to 20 though secure e-mail and phone.
Although Laws says her fee-for-service is higher than that of a typical clinic she says, “My patients almost never have to go into an emergency room,” which she says saves on overall healthcare dollars.
