One glance at the fan base of any music and arts festival makes clear today’s festivals aren’t just for young turks. While they may not be Mick, Keef and the boys (as seen above, courtesy Getty Images), Baby Boomer roadtrippers and other middle-aged – ahem, Golden – travelers are hitting the highway and festival scene in record numbers. One thing they realize that younger fans often deny: They aren’t invincible. So staying healthy on the road or at a music festival is important.
Before hitting the road on your next roadtrip or music festival jaunt, you’ll likely check your papers. You make sure your RV or tow vehicle insurance are up to date, your comp and collision are in order, roadside assistance is ready for any road hazard, and your vehicle itself is topped off and tuned up. What about your health?
Many won’t leave home without health insurance that’s paid for and up to date. But what about ensuring you get the care you expect when away from home?
For many, the answer is a medical plan similar to concierge medicine. While the average music festival goer might see concierge medicine as a costly luxury, Baby Boomers (whose born from 1946 to around 1964) and Generation Xers (those born 1965 to 1976) might see a plan like MDVIP as a worthy expense.
Anyone of modest means can afford concierge coverage. Patients pay about $1,650 a year to join the programs, atop their standard health insurance. Remember: concierge medical plans are not insurance. Members still pay typical insurance premiums, office co-payments, and individual deductibles.
Concierge practices limit their roster to about 600 patients, as compared to a typical roster averaging 2,500 patients or more at traditional primary care physician practices.
When at home with their primary care physician, members enjoy little to no waiting room times; longer, more personalized and thorough exam room visits with the physician; even the physician’s personal cell phone number.
One the road, though, is where concierge medicine shines for members. MDVIP members who have health-related issues away from home, for example, can contact any MDVIP-affiliated practice anywhere. Fewer patients means doctors may be available for same-day appointments or to answer questions by phone or text – helping treat simple or complex medical issues and hopefully keep the roadtrip on schedule.
For more complex cases, physicians have access to electronic medical records to help them coordinate care with the primary physician as they diagnose the patient’s case or avoid potential conflicts in medications or treatments.
What’s more, at a time when general practitioners are foregoing their hospital privileges and letting “hospitalists” on site see and treat patients, most concierge physicians make hospital rounds. To that end, assuming the patient’s health insurance provides for out-of-network coverage, care may be found at hospitals and medical centers nationwide.
Having a qualified, concierge-affiliated physician can provide tremendous peace of mind – no matter where the open road takes you.