COVID-19 spurs luxury medical concierge services across the country
Patients are jumping at the chance for new ease for their medical needs
In the age of COVID-19, house calls from private medical concierge services are catching on nationwide, but extra tender loving care from an around-the-clock doctor ‒ such as virtual doctor visits with same-day availability ‒ is the new very expensive luxury.
Dr. Abe Malkin of Concierge MD LA is one of many doctors providing in-home urgent care and preventative health needs throughout the country — in his case, Los Angeles.
Similarly, New York City-based Leaa has a VIP testing package going for $1,200; StreamMD in San Francisco sends out doctors to screen, test and treat patients with home-collection kits; and Forward which has a 24/7 app for patients nationwide.
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Malkin told FOX Business: “Hospitals are at capacity. They are understaffed and overwhelmed. It is also becoming riskier to go into a facility for treatment because you are susceptible to exposure once you step through those doors, despite best efforts. Many individuals are reverting back to the early days of medicine where it was common for doctors to visit your home to reduce risk. It's convenient and safe.”
Dr. Abe Malkin said his patients are invested in optimal health and wellness; he provides care “in the comfort of your home, hotel, or office.” (Courtesy Concierge MD LA)
Across the U.S., “hospital at home” programs ‒ more reasonably priced than private medical concierge services ‒ are taking off amid the pandemic, thanks to communications technology, portable medical equipment and teams of doctors, nurses, X-ray techs and paramedics.
Patients are linked to 24/7 command centers via video and monitoring devices that send their vital signs. They get several daily home visits from a dedicated medical team. Just like in a hospital, they can press an emergency button any time for instant help.
Research on such programs around the world over the past 25 years shows patients recover faster, have fewer complications and are more satisfied, while costs can be a third lower.
Doctors, hospital officials and patients tout other advantages: People get more rest sleeping in their own bed. They can eat what they want, start moving around quicker and go outside for fresh air. They’re less likely to fall in their familiar surroundings, where they have support from family and even pets.
While interest in the programs has skyrocketed, whether in-home hospital care blossoms after the pandemic largely depends on whether government and private insurers continue to cover it at profitable prices.
Private medical concierge services tend to come at patients’ expense.
Malkin said his patients are invested in optimal health and wellness and he said he provides care “in the comfort of your home, hotel, or office.”
Concierge MD LA provides COVID-19 testing, IV, Peptide, Testosterone, and NAD+ Therapy, vaccines, flu shots, lab tests, cosmetic treatments, In-Home Detox, and Stem Cells & Exosomes IV therapy.
This type of specialized care is not cheap.
Malkin said: “Our company offers membership plans that range from $250-$750 annually. Treatment options vary depending on what a person would like.”
Because of demand and a market taking off in the COVID-19 era, these services which started in coastal big cities are spreading throughout America.
Malkin said: “We provide services through Northern and Southern California, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington State, and Washington, D.C. North Carolina and Virginia are coming soon.”
The hard numbers show patients are jumping at the chance for new ease for their medical needs.
Malkin said: “In California we’re performing close to 100 in-home services per day ‒ between IVs, COVID tests, medical house calls ‒ this is about a five-time multiple from pre-COVID. We’re also doing approximately 2,000-plus corporate tests weekly, which obviously wasn’t a category before. In addition to the growth in à la carte services, concierge membership signups have also doubled since COVID began.”
Concierge MD LA provides in-home urgent care and preventative health needs throughout Los Angeles. (Courtesy Concierge MD LA)
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These private medical providers are aiming to be the wave of the future thanks to state-of-the-art medical techniques and ultramodern technology.
“There is no specific genre that fits into the category of being the best person you can be, inside and out,” Malkin said.