New concept: Hotel 'medical-concierge' program

The Philadelphia Inquirer: "The Ritz-Carlton's medical-concierge program, now expanded after a trial run to include hospitals and medical facilities throughout the Philadelphia area, aims to provide a pampering bridge between the hospital room and the patient's home. The concierge does not perform medical procedures or administer drugs. Rather, say hotel and patient-referral officials at local hospitals, the program offers such services as wake-up calls for medical appointments, transportation to and from doctors' offices, special sleep arrangements, custom dietary options, prescription pickups, even babysitting services for pets or children. ... Whether specific services are covered by health insurance is up to the guest's provider" (Parmley, 6/1).

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This article was reprinted from khn.org with permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Kaiser Health News, an editorially independent news service, is a program of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonpartisan health care policy research organization unaffiliated with Kaiser Permanente.