Private doctors and clinics

What has your experience been like when choosing private doctors over standard government-funded healthcare?

Which route ends up being more worthwhile—in terms of time and money? Which one actually gets better results?

How much of a risk is there regarding unprofessional practices when dealing with private providers?

Is it even possible for private practitioners to cover all medical specialties?

I handle my dental work privately (honestly, I’m terrified of dentists, but at least with this one, I know I'll get the local anesthetic 😳 😁 ) and see a gynecologist on the side.

I thought about using a community health center for dentistry, but after a few unpleasant encounters there, I decided against it.

A gynecologist is different. It's once a year, and I don't mind paying $167 or whatever the fee is. Besides, I don't feel like I'm at a livestock auction—which is exactly how I felt a few times over at Petrov.

Then again, I've had bad experiences with both professions. About ten years ago, when I finally saw my current gynecologist—after being shuffled through various hospitals by a parade of specialists who kept ordering the same seventeen tests over and over 🙄—he was the first doctor to actually give me more than ten minutes of his time.
He explained every detail of my results, including what might develop or improve down the road. I trust him completely. Isn't that what matters most?

A private general practitioner?

And how does that actually work if things get serious?

It all depends on the situation... but honestly, the healthcare system in general is struggling because they're always strapped for cash. You can find some really solid private GPs out there who actually provide better care than the public clinics, mostly because they’re actually motivated to keep their patient numbers up.

The private doctors tend to be way more communicative, whereas most of the ones in the public sector just seem perpetually annoyed with you. There are exceptions to that rule, of course (though even those folks usually jump ship to private practice pretty quickly 😁).

Look, you get good doctors and bad doctors in both the private sector and the public system, just like everything else in life.
It all comes down to one thing for me: finding the specific specialist I actually trust.
I made the switch to private care fourteen years ago after a breast screening ordeal. It was simple: if I wanted to see a particular doctor at the Mayo Clinic, I’d have to sit there for hours with no guarantee he’d even see me, even though he used to swing by a private clinic when he could. Once he stopped doing those visits, I stuck with the private route for the sheer convenience. It’s not just that; having access to a mammogram in the same building is a lifesaver, because if the machine at the Mayo Clinic is down, you're looking at wasting three whole days just trying to get seen.
After waiting three hours for a great gynecologist, only to have to wait another hour the next day at a different CDC location, and then being told I had to trek over to the Mayo Clinic for a color Doppler ultrasound, I finally hit my breaking point. I decided to go private where I can get everything done in one single shot.
On the other hand, I went back to the public system for my dentist, mostly because they aren't really "public" anymore—they have everything the high-end private clinics have now—and honestly, I’m happy with the work.
When I recently came down with pneumonia, if I had tried to use the public system, it would have been a nightmare: see a GP, get a referral for Labcorp and an X-ray, wait two days for the lab results, and then travel to a completely different location for the X-ray. But since I went to my private clinic, I had a diagnosis within an hour.
So, I basically broke my own rule about using private care for annual checkups. I save the private side for anything complicated. Here in San Francisco, if you want to book a specialist at the Mayo Clinic, you practically have to spend the entire morning glued to your phone on either the last or first day of the month just to get a slot, because those are the only days they take appointments. It’s gotten so ridiculous that I haven't even been able to get my husband in to see his urologist for two months now. He insists on going to the Mayo Clinic because he trusts the guy, but of course, we have to make sure he gets his blood markers checked privately beforehand, because the Mayo Clinic is constantly running low on reagents!

So, everyone seems to be mixing and matching their care.

Does anyone here stick exclusively to private providers?

My usual routine is to head to my primary care physician whenever something feels off, and once they give me a recommendation, I’ll seek out a specialist through a private practice (excluding dentists, of course). Since I'm still quite young, I don't run into these issues all that often, but honestly, I don't mind setting aside some extra money to ensure someone actually takes the time to look into my concerns properly... I have no interest in paying for rushed, half-hearted appointments, nor do I want to find myself stuck on a waiting list for months just hoping to be seen...

Most people who can swing it will do just about anything to dodge those endless waiting lists, so they head straight to a private specialist or a high-end clinic for diagnostics.
But what’s actually happening behind those closed doors? If you walk in complaining about neck pain, a private provider might run an ultrasound on your carotid arteries, sure, but then they'll tack on a mountain of totally unnecessary tests: thyroid scans, heart ultrasounds, or checking your abdomen and kidneys.
Patients don't realize this is happening; they genuinely think these extra tests are mandatory. Private practices take full advantage of that confusion to pad their pockets. You're looking at bills anywhere from $1,000 to $667.
Does it make patients any smarter? Not really. Meanwhile, private providers are just rubbing their hands together because they found someone they can fleece. In the end, the patient usually winds up back at a hospital specialist anyway. I've even seen cases where a standard Voltaren injection was billed at $167 under the guise of being some "specialized" medication. Seriously, how long is this going to go on???
There's more. I once had a patient complaining about lower back pain—specifically in the kidney area. She went to a private nephrologist who, instead of just doing a kidney ultrasound, insisted on a full-body scan. He told her everything looked fine. Since she was still in pain, I sent her to a specialist at the Mayo Clinic for a second opinion. They found a massive kidney tumor. She had to have surgery, and while she lost a kidney, she's alive today.
How much longer are we going to tolerate this unchecked behavior from private clinics that exist solely to gouge patients with astronomical fees? Their only real bottom line is profit, and honestly, the quality of care is often questionable at best.
If I ever have to choose between a hospital radiologist and a private practitioner, I’m picking the hospital specialist every single time. Why? Because a hospital specialist might perform 20 to 50 ultrasounds a day. That kind of experience is unmatched. A private doctor might only do ten a month. I think the math speaks for itself.
What have you guys experienced?

Regarding that patient whose private doctor missed a kidney tumor—she should have sued him. Honestly, if I were in her shoes, I’d file a lawsuit without a second thought. It doesn't matter to me whether the doctor works at a private practice or a public hospital. In fact, the fact that it was a private doctor makes it even worse. They’re supposed to have more time to actually study the case and run thorough checks; they aren't stuck staring down fifty patients waiting in a lobby. They likely have access to better, more modern equipment too.

If we’re talking about actual skill and expertise, you’ll find brilliant, kind, highly skilled professionals in both sectors who truly love what they do. But you'll also find people who couldn't recognize basic medical facts if they were drawn on a napkin. To me, the only real difference between private and public care is the sheer volume of people in the public hospitals. There aren't enough doctors for the number of patients, so they can't give anyone the attention they deserve—not if they want to. Plus, they’re often working under impossible conditions, from outdated machinery to everything else.

So far, I've only used private care for my gynecologist, and she is absolutely fantastic. Highly skilled, incredibly kind, and I haven't heard a single bad thing about her. If I had the money, I'd go to her every time. I really hate how the socialized side of things tries to nickel-and-dimed us on referrals. I hate having to lie just to get a referral for a simple swab or something similar.

For everything else, I've stuck with our public specialists and I'm happy with them. My only gripe is that they process patients like they're on a conveyor belt. Sometimes the rush is so intense you don't even get a chance to ask questions or get an explanation. But look, I get it. There are just too many of us. If they spent 20 minutes chatting with everyone, they wouldn't even get through a third of the people sitting in the waiting room by the end of the day.

I hit up those types of clinics all the time, but honestly, I’ve never had a bad experience. Look, if I booked an ultrasound for my thyroid, that’s what I’m there for—not some random abdominal scan.🤷 I wouldn't just sit there and let that happen, and besides, nobody’s even tried anything like that with me.

As for whether they're actually "experts" or whatever—I don't think there's much difference. I go to them because it's just easier, everything's more straightforward, and I feel way more comfortable there.

Edward Murphy4 said:I hit up those types of clinics all the time, but honestly, I’ve never had a bad experience. Look, if I booked an ultrasound for my thyroid, that’s what I’m there for—not some random abdominal scan.🤷 I wouldn't just sit there and let that happen, and besides, nobody’s even tried anything like that with me.

As for whether they're actually "experts" or whatever—I don't think there's much difference. I go to them because it's just easier, everything's more straightforward, and I feel way more comfortable there.

You know exactly what you're looking for. Unfortunately, most people don't. They walk into an internist's office with a few symptoms, and then that doctor orders a mountain of unnecessary tests just to pad the bill. I'm not generalizing, but about 90% of my patients end up going through that exact cycle with private specialists. One more thing: sure, public specialists might be overworked, but there's a massive difference between running 50 abdominal and kidney ultrasounds a day versus doing maybe 5 to 10 a month. That's the real kicker. A specialist performing 50 scans a day is going to be way more experienced than someone only seeing a handful a month.
Now they've started letting general practitioners perform ultrasounds too, which is honestly a joke. They take a quick course, buy an ultrasound machine, and suddenly think they're experts. Their reports are basically just saying "everything looks normal size" without spotting any actual pathology, and then they suggest seeing a specialist. Of course, they charge the patient extra for that, too.😠

You’re overgeneralizing there. Private practitioners didn't just graduate yesterday only to have their dads buy them a clinic. Most people running private practices have spent 20 or more years working in a major hospital system, or they still pull shifts there once or twice a week. My private gynecologist still works at the hospital one day a week, and she has over 25 years of experience under her belt. My neurologist, who also runs a private practice, actually retired from the hospital setting. Both are top-tier specialists, and honestly, with my work schedule, I don't have the energy or the luxury to wait months for an appointment, only to sit in a waiting room for hours—even when I'm scheduled for 9:00 AM and don't get called back until 2:00 PM.
For some strange reason, our nurses find it absolutely impossible to schedule patients every 15 minutes; instead, they just take 30 people and tell everyone to show up at 9:00 AM! It’s like they were only taught one number in nursing school: 9. So, I show up at 9:00, only to see 30 other people who were smart enough to arrive at 6:00 AM and have been sitting there for three hours just waiting for their 9:00 slot. It is such a blatant lack of respect for the patient—someone who is sick and would much rather be resting at home than shivering in a waiting room for five hours, all because a nurse found it too difficult to manage a proper schedule, or perhaps because they're busy and would rather not lose a whole workday for a 15-minute checkup.

When it comes to public healthcare providers who are solid, I stick with them. But if I find someone who is better in a private setting, I go private. I'll happily pay a few hundred dollars for a neurology consultation to spend an hour in the office where they can do a full exam, we can discuss everything on my mind, and clear up any doubts. They actually know who I am; it's not like they have to relearn my history every single visit. It means I get consistent, continuous care.
As for other things where I happened to encounter excellent doctors through the public system, I've been just as satisfied.
And yes, unfortunately, I've been seeing various doctors for different chronic conditions since I was a little girl, and I haven't yet had the misfortune of dealing with someone trying to run a thousand unnecessary tests on me.

Kyle Lee7 said:You’re overgeneralizing there. Private practitioners didn't just graduate yesterday only to have their dads buy them a clinic. Most people running private practices have spent 20 or more years working in a major hospital system, or they still pull shifts there once or twice a week. My private gynecologist still works at the hospital one day a week, and she has over 25 years of experience under her belt. My neurologist, who also runs a private practice, actually retired from the hospital setting. Both are top-tier specialists, and honestly, with my work schedule, I don't have the energy or the luxury to wait months for an appointment, only to sit in a waiting room for hours—even when I'm scheduled for 9:00 AM and don't get called back until 2:00 PM.
For some strange reason, our nurses find it absolutely impossible to schedule patients every 15 minutes; instead, they just take 30 people and tell everyone to show up at 9:00 AM! It’s like they were only taught one number in nursing school: 9. So, I show up at 9:00, only to see 30 other people who were smart enough to arrive at 6:00 AM and have been sitting there for three hours just waiting for their 9:00 slot. It is such a blatant lack of respect for the patient—someone who is sick and would much rather be resting at home than shivering in a waiting room for five hours, all because a nurse found it too difficult to manage a proper schedule, or perhaps because they're busy and would rather not lose a whole workday for a 15-minute checkup.

When it comes to public healthcare providers who are solid, I stick with them. But if I find someone who is better in a private setting, I go private. I'll happily pay a few hundred dollars for a neurology consultation to spend an hour in the office where they can do a full exam, we can discuss everything on my mind, and clear up any doubts. They actually know who I am; it's not like they have to relearn my history every single visit. It means I get consistent, continuous care.
As for other things where I happened to encounter excellent doctors through the public system, I've been just as satisfied.
And yes, unfortunately, I've been seeing various doctors for different chronic conditions since I was a little girl, and I haven't yet had the misfortune of dealing with someone trying to run a thousand unnecessary tests on me.

I’m talking about those patients who aren't chronic cases—the ones just dropping in for the first time at private clinics. They actually make up about 90% of my caseload. Look, I don't have anything against them personally, but it feels totally excessive when someone comes in complaining about neck pain and ends up getting an ultrasound for their thyroid and abdomen. Not to mention charging them for a Voltaren injection they probably don't even need. It just feels like overkill. $167.🙄

You’re throwing numbers around like you work for the Census Bureau or some big data firm. 😉
What do you mean, 90%? Honestly, people aren't that gullible; they don't show up for kidney issues only to walk out with tests for their spine, thyroid, and a proctoscopy. They aren't walking into a doctor's office with a bag of cash ready to spend, nor is this usually their first visit for the exact same problem. For example, I once went to a private urologist specifically for bladder issues, and can you believe it? They actually performed a bladder ultrasound! It was ridiculous. ☕And they didn't try to upsell me on heart and lung exams, or even a stomach check. In fact, they didn't even bother offering a kidney or urethra screening, which would have been perfectly legitimate to suggest.

Sure, there are definitely doctors out there who might order one or two extra tests, but claiming that applies to almost all private practitioners and 90% of their patients is just plain wrong. You can't base an entire argument on a generalization fueled by a few personal anecdotes.

Kyle Lee7 said:You’re throwing numbers around like you work for the Census Bureau or some big data firm. 😉
What do you mean, 90%? Honestly, people aren't that gullible; they don't show up for kidney issues only to walk out with tests for their spine, thyroid, and a proctoscopy. They aren't walking into a doctor's office with a bag of cash ready to spend, nor is this usually their first visit for the exact same problem. For example, I once went to a private urologist specifically for bladder issues, and can you believe it? They actually performed a bladder ultrasound! It was ridiculous. ☕And they didn't try to upsell me on heart and lung exams, or even a stomach check. In fact, they didn't even bother offering a kidney or urethra screening, which would have been perfectly legitimate to suggest.

Sure, there are definitely doctors out there who might order one or two extra tests, but claiming that applies to almost all private practitioners and 90% of their patients is just plain wrong. You can't base an entire argument on a generalization fueled by a few personal anecdotes.

You’re speaking from your own experience, but I’m speaking from what I see while working with my patients. Most private clinics are driven strictly by profit. When a new patient walks through the door, the main goal is to squeeze every cent out of them. ☕

Resurrecting this dead thread. 🙂

Does anyone know a decent private GP out there?
Specifically looking for someone for a friend who just moved to the States and hasn't sorted out their family doctor/healthcare situation yet. Also, they really need a doctor who speaks fluent English.

I guess it all really comes down to the individual doctor. Some are incredibly kind and genuinely want to help, and honestly, it’s not even that expensive. I haven't personally experienced anyone ordering unnecessary tests. But then, some just aren't polite at all—they don't seem interested in helping, and I'm particularly sensitive to inappropriate comments. If that happens, you just switch private practices and find someone else. In my opinion, the best private clinic is General Electric; they are so friendly and welcoming, and the same goes for CityMD. I’d definitely go back there. Cleveland Clinic is also quite good, and they actually accept insurance referrals for some of the more expensive screenings. I wouldn't go back to Saint Catherine, though, even if a young cardiologist there was trying his best to help and referred me for everything I needed. Their prices are a bit higher, and the equipment is all brand new. But I would never see a neurologist there again because the comments were just improper and humiliating. I also noticed another lady had complaints too, though I'm not sure exactly what happened—something about an exam. They tend to gossip and talk about patients. This was all based on my experiences leading up to March of this year. After that, I stopped going to private clinics altogether. As for blood work, I've always been happy with Quest Diagnostics in Oakland. They were the only ones willing to come out the very same day for a patient who couldn't move, and they email the results immediately. They take the blood right away and process it instantly. The results come back so fast. Breyer is also a good lab, just not for home visits.