Dear Editor:
Thank you for “Concierge Medicine” (July 2005, page 68), a
timely article written by Suzanne McGee. Some may argue that the highly
attentive medical care provided by concierge physicians can be obtained by
wealthy or influential patients without extra cost; this may be true, but this
type of care occurs only if you are lucky enough to have an extraordinary
relationship with your doctor and that doctor doesn’t get burned out or retire.
 In a concierge practice, everyone enjoys that special status and it is not
dependent upon the benevolence of the physician in the moment. Concierge medical
practice appeals to those of us who truly like working with our patients, seeing
them through their health ups and downs at whatever time of day or night they
occur, while having the time and the energy to stay really current. This is why
I went to medical school.
Grace Laurencin, M.D.
Laurencin Personal
Physicians, Santa Cruz, Calif.
Dear Editor:
In regard to “Concierge Medicine,” we continue to hear the
same tiresome arguments from opponents of new and innovative alternatives to the
existing largely inefficient—and too often dangerous—health care delivery
system.
The one-size-fits-all approach supported by Paul Ginsburg,
Representative Ben Cardin, Senator Ben Nelson and their ilk has had the ironic,
and surely unwanted, consequence of spurring such alternatives as concierge
medicine and consumer-driven health plans, which in turn is driving the
physician shortage Ginsburg frets about.
Those who are able to afford and are
willing to pay for higher-quality health care services should not be deprived
simply because others cannot afford it. If Ginsburg et al think so, would they
extend that restriction elsewhere: homes, cars, travel and so on? Sadly, I
believe so, and that trend should be resisted.
The truth is that they would
rather force everyone to get the same mediocre health care services just to
prevent some from choosing better services for themselves and their families.
Very disturbing, indeed.
Barbara Hoffman
New York Worth welcomes your comments, critiques and suggestions. Please direct
your letters to letters@worthcom
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