Concierge Medicine Could Reduce Senior Health Inequities in Illinois

As the baby boomer population begins entering retirement, the number of seniors living in older households is expected to skyrocket to 10.1 million by 2038¹. However, many seniors struggle receiving appropriate care in an ageist health care system. Ageism is a neglected social determinant of health that is associated with negative medical outcomes in seniors including shortening their lifespan, worsening their physical and mental health, and accelerating cognitive decline².

In the state of Illinois, there are various financial, social, and physical barriers that make it harder for seniors to receive proper care. In 2021, more than 50% of seniors report having a disability that could prevent them from reaching medical services³. Older people may also rely on low-paying jobs, which make care less affordable. In Chicago, 16% of older adults live below the Federal Poverty Line and 25% live in areas of high economic hardship⁴. There are also language barriers to consider, as almost one quarter of older adults in Chicago speak English less than “very well,” limiting their ability to advocate for themselves and make medical decisions. These inequities are evident in the fact that Illinois has the worst county-wide life expectancy gap. From 2010-2015, the life expectancy in Champaign County is 88.3 years old while in Cook County it is 64.7 years old: a 24 year difference⁵.

Imagine if seniors could receive 24/7 guaranteed access to medical care, thorough preventative screening, and holistic support all in one place? Concierge medicine, which strives to achieve all of these goals, may be the way to address disparities.

Concierge medicine is membership-based healthcare that pairs exclusive, personalized care with accessibility and convenience⁹. For a yearly membership retainer fee, patients have access to unlimited office and telehealth visits, their primary care doctor’s phone line, and warm, welcoming care.

There are a number of examples of successful concierge medicine services. One such service is the JenCare Senior Medical Center, which supports the underserved senior population in the South side of Chicago and ensures they receive deserved care. The center was founded by Dr. James Chen after he was diagnosed with cancer in 2003. He experienced much frustration navigating the healthcare system⁶.

When he recovered, he sought to make the healthcare system more accessible, creating ChenMed for compassionate family-oriented primary care. The JenCare Senior Medical Centers focus on centralized and convenient care with a pharmacy and x-ray machine at all their locations. The centers offer Medicare eligible seniors transportation to their services, more interpersonal relations with physicians, telemedicine appointments, and even social events for seniors such as bingo sessions.

ChenMed’s healthcare system has shown promise as 90 percent of their diabetic patients reported they had an improved understanding of their medications and 80 percent reported improved communication with their physicians⁷. ChenMed’s yearly Power of Purpose Report reported that 93.3% of their patients feel genuinely cared for and their outreach expanded to 26 new centers in 20 new cities⁸.

While these numbers show great promise, there are various drawbacks to concierge medicine. Concierge medicine is often not fully covered by insurance and its estimated cost for patients is between $1,200 and $10,000 a year⁹. As mentioned earlier, many seniors do not have the funds to be able to afford this service and its insurance costs. Furthermore, concierge medicine contributes to the shortage of medical physicians in the workforce. With more physicians opting to work at concierge centers, there will be a larger workload on physicians in mainstream care, leading to a lower quality of care¹⁰.

Despite the downsides, the market for concierge medicine keeps expanding. In 2022, the concierge medicine market was valued at 6.1 billion dollars and is expected to grow 10.32% from 2023 to 2030¹¹. Concierge Medicine has the power to revolutionize healthcare and close the gap of senior disparities – however, there are risks that ought to be considered as concierge services continue to grow.