Is it typical for an internist to charge a retention fee?

Is it typical for an internist to charge a retention fee?

• I have been my doctor's patient for 15 years, and recently received word that, to stay in the practice, all patients now owe a $250 annual fee. Is this standard? Is it becoming ...show more

• Answer:

  I recently found a physician for myself who charges a very nominal retainer of $100.00, and then as you need to see him or talk to him, he deducts a bit from that retainer. He will talk to you over the phone to spare you an office visit, or will have you come in if he really needs to see you. He will even make house calls for the elderly or those who are too sick to come in. He also e-mails responses as appropriate. He went to this model in order to be able to eliminate all health insurance companies from telling him how to practice the medicine he went to school to learn to practice. When he is your doc, all you need is catastrophic coverage, to cover hospitalization...I chose him for his service that makes him so much more available to me if I need him, much more convenient to talk to or see, much more affordable, and to lower my insurance needs. I get to spend as much time with him or talking to him as I need....I like that. I think it's incredibly wise not to let insurance company bearocrats dictate how medicine is practiced. Those insurance company beaurocrats rarely if ever have any clue whatsoever what it is they do to people's lives when they mess with the doctor-patient relationship. Even though I don't live in the area where this one internist practices, I specifically went to see him for an initial exam, just to get to be his patient, I believe in this model so much. His fees are so reasonable, and if you ever decide you don;t want to be his patient any more, he gives you the rest of your money back. I'm not really sure if he will appreciate my giving out his practice on-line......so I won't, but I sought him out specifically because he does have that practice model. He's rare--most do not, but it's also nearly impossible to get to spend more than 2 minutes with an internist who still uses the insurance model....