Health Care On Demand

Not only are hospital and clinic amenities changing—the way we access our primary care doctors is being redefined. Both Seattle-based Qliance and Virginia Mason’s Lewis and John Dare Centers offer care where monthly or quarterly fees get you 24/7 access to your doctor and other medical services.

Qliance operates clinics throughout the Puget Sound region, and its fees range from $59 to $129 per month for primary care services, including unlimited doctor visits. Virginia Mason’s Dare Centers, with offices in Seattle, Bellevue and on Bainbridge Island, charge quarterly fees of $750 per person and $1,250 per couple for round-the-clock access to doctors, same-day appointments, escorts to specialist appointments, complimentary parking—even house calls if needed.

Qliance co-founder Dr. Garrison Bliss, a pioneer in changing the way health-care services are provided, says health care is slowly shifting from an insurance-driven system to a consumer-driven model. “Insurance companies have been driving the bus, but now many providers of primary health care are getting off the bus,” says Bliss.

“Physicians are looking for ways to bring back real service and a meaningful relationship with their patients.”