Direct pay and concierge models wit up front pricing have been around for quite a few years now, but I’m pretty certain there’s not a single primary hospital using that model.
I have several friends in the helicopter EMS business. You think hospitals are systemically broken when it comes to charges, the HEMS segment specifically and the entire aeromedical Evac industry in general is even worse. You don’t even get to choose whether or not that’s how you’re going to be transported and the billing isn’t generally covered under any health insurance unlike ground EMS trips.
Yep. Outlying small town ERs use helicopters for really stupid stuff. The outlying docs order the helicopter due to liabilty fear.
Concierge & direct pay are two different business models. Concierge is for wealthy folks and for people who like the image it conveys or feeling it gives them. Direct pay is not about image so much as a simple way of doing business. I am not aware of a difference in service other than maybe housecalls with Concierge. Some DPC do housecalls too.