I was a patient at Olympic Internal Medicine for approximately 12 years. During that time, I was generally very happy with the care I received. Unfortunately, my experience over the last few years changed my opinion of the practice.
A few years ago, the clinic switched to a membership model that required patients to pay approximately $300 per year just to remain a patient. That decision created a major issue with my Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance, which would no longer work with the clinic under that arrangement. As a result, I was forced to change my health insurance just so I could continue seeing my primary care physician after more than a decade as a patient.
Even after paying the annual membership fee, I only saw my doctor once or twice a year for routine checkups. Paying hundreds of dollars every year simply for the privilege of remaining a patient never made sense to me.
The final straw was how my billing was handled. The clinic stopped collecting my approximately $40 copay at the time of each visit and instead mailed me a bill afterward. I admit that I should have paid those bills when I received them. That's on me. However, according to the letter I received from the clinic, they had become frustrated that they had to call me to collect payment for these balances.
From my perspective, it was confusing because these were small balances that could have easily been collected while I was standing at the front desk, as many medical offices routinely do. It seems like collecting the copay during the visit would have been easier and less expensive than mailing statements and making collection calls. I'm not sure why this became such a significant issue when it could have been avoided by simply collecting the payment at check-in or check-out.
Instead of working with me to resolve the issue after 12 years as a loyal patient, the clinic chose to terminate our relationship. That was extremely disappointing.
I have since learned that the practice was sold. Looking back, the move to a mandatory membership model felt like the practice became more focused on revenue than on maintaining long-term relationships with established patients. Whether or not that was the intention, that's certainly how it felt as someone who had been a loyal patient for over a decade.
I hope other patients carefully consider whether paying an annual membership fee is worthwhile, especially if they only need routine preventive care. I also hope Washington continues to monitor concierge-style medical practices to ensure they remain transparent and patient-focused.
After 12 years, I expected better communication, more flexibility, and a greater appreciation for patient loyalty. read more
