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MDVIP is a network of physicians founded in Boca Raton, Florida in 2000. It is a division of Procter & Gamble, which first purchased 48% of the company in January 2007 and completed their acquisition in December 2009.[1] The company's physicians practice proactive, preventive, and personalized primary care medicine; not merely the detection and treatment of disease.
The national network consists of 480 physicians serving over 180,000 patients in 34 States and the District of Columbia. Each physician cares for up to 600 patients as opposed to the average 2,500 patients in a traditional primary care practice. MDVIP patients receive a comprehensive physical examination and follow-up wellness plan as well as medical records in CD-ROM format and personalized web sites. Additional patient benefits include acute care visits, same or next day availability, on-time unhurried appointments, 24/7 physician availability, and enhanced coordination of specialty care.[2]
To supplement insurance reimbursements, MDVIP physicians charge patients an annual fee between $1500 and $1800 per year.[3] In addition to this annual fee, patients are responsible for applicable co-pays and co-insurance, and maintain primary care insurance coverage including Medicare.[4][5] In contrast to the direct care model, this revenue format runs the risk of audit or penalty as Medicare and other private insurance carriers cover a comprehensive wellness exam currently listed as part of the MDVIP package.[6]
MDVIP physicians are not directly employed by the company, instead they pay a royalty or franchise fee of $500[7] per patient per year for services such as patient conversion, marketing, branding, and other support.[8]