September 2024 Newsletter

Dear Patients, Families and Friends,

As summer winds down and the back-to-school season kicks off, I know many of you are feeling the mix of stress and relief that comes with this time of year. The return to structured days, school routines, and extracurricular activities is just around the corner.

I’m excited to share that our clinic has been able to offer full scholarships to student members currently enrolled in school. We’ve reached a record number of 150 students this year, and it’s been inspiring to see the interest in health and wellness among younger families. When I transitioned from a traditional family medicine model to concierge medicine, I anticipated a patient panel full of older individuals focused on anti-aging and longevity. What I didn’t expect was the influx of young, motivated couples with children who are equally committed to better health and wellness. I love caring for these young patients and helping them establish a strong foundation for lifelong health.

However, we are facing a significant challenge. Over the past four years, our clinic’s overhead has increased by over 20%, driven largely by inflation. This rise in costs affects our ability to maintain our high standards of care without adjustment. After consulting with several long-time patients, the consensus was clear: rather than reducing the scope of our services, we should adjust our fees accordingly.

With that in mind, here’s the new fee structure for 2025:

• We will no longer be able to offer discounts for family members. Each adult patient will be charged the full membership fee.
• We are introducing a partial scholarship for children, with their membership now set at $1,000 per child per year.
• Our patient panel is capped to ensure we continue to provide the best possible care. Currently, we have just over 300 adults and 150 children, keeping us busy every day. If we don’t adjust the membership fees, we may be forced to open our panel to more adults, which would decrease the availability of appointments and reduce the quality of care you’ve come to expect. That’s not a direction I want to take, and I know it’s not what you signed up for.

I love my job as your family physician, but running the business side of things is challenging. The healthcare landscape is in flux, with insurance reimbursements failing to keep up with inflation, leading to financial struggles for many clinics and hospitals. For example, Overlake was recently acquired by MultiCare. Looking ahead, I predict that we may need to adjust fees again in the next few years to keep up with rising costs and to ensure our staff is fairly compensated.

Asking for your support in this way isn’t easy, and I understand if these changes are too much for you or your family. If you choose to seek care elsewhere, I completely respect that decision and want to give you ample time to consider your options before the end of the year.

I’ll leave you with a quote that resonates deeply with me: “You cannot have wealth without health.” Investing in your health and your children’s health is crucial, and I firmly believe that prioritizing health will lead to a longer, more fulfilling life.

Thank you for your understanding and continued support.

Cheers to our health,

Dr. Suh