Due in part to a major medical issue from 15+ years ago, I occasionally go to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota for diagnostic testing and check-ups. It started out as a kind of second opinion on treatment I'd already received, to help determine if there was a different / better course going forward. I got comfortable with doctor(s) I saw there, and it morphed into semi-annual, then annual, and now once every 3-5 years deal at my discretion.
I made my latest Mayo visit this week. It's about a 3 hour, one-way trip, and although I've done the entire visit in a day, I usually add a one-night hotel stay. When I go now, I'm contemplative about the prior visits, and why I still go there.
The bottom line is, Mayo is different than other health care providers. In dozens of testing appointments over the years, I've rarely had to wait. The staff has always been 'Minnesota Nice' in those times. Perhaps best of all, the diagnostic testing reports are done immediately, so I can visit the doctor, often in the same building, within a couple of hours to hear the outcome.
Factor in that the Mayo Clinic doctors are salaried staff. They don't get paid more for seeing more patients, or for ordering more tests. It's a very patient-friendly model, and from that perspective, it's almost infuriating that health care organizations aren't all mandated to operate in that same way.
However, it isn't the most financially-friendly model. It's definitely more expensive, for both the testing and the doctor visits. So, if you don't have insurance coverage, there may be a question of value, something that can't be overlooked.
Fortunately, I have insurance. I also have a desire to go to a place where I'll know about any medical breakthroughs related to my condition / treatment, if and when that happens. I still feel the trip to the Mayo Clinic is worth the extra time and cost.
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