Concierge care may account for more than 10% of primary care physicians

US concierge and direct primary care practices surged 83.1% between 2018 and 2023

Research published in December 2025 in the journal Health Affairs indicates that these retainer-fee care models are expanding across the country. Concierge medicine charges monthly or annual fees, as does direct primary care (which doesn't take insurance).

Primary care doctors are converting into membership-based concierge practices

Subscription-based practices sometimes don't accept insurance and they also require annual membership fees which can add up to thousands of dollars per year. In return, patients are promised more personalized care and round-the-clock access to medical providers. As doctors transition to concierge care, this retainer-based medicine model is forcing people to choose between searching for new primary care providers or paying hefty fees.

Concierge medicine practices typically have hundreds of patients, instead of thousands

A clinician describes how he's "one call away" from his patients in the concierge medicine system. His patients pay about $150 per month to be members in his practice on top of normal care visit costs. Doctors like him may only have hundreds of patients in their practice—instead of thousands.

By 2036, the US may face tens of thousands of primary care physician shortages

That's the estimate of the Association of American Medical Colleges, which contends that whenever physicians switch to concierge medical practices it exacerbates this projected shortage since each of those clinicians will see fewer patients and those patients must be able to afford that pricey care.

Roughly 45% of clinicians in 2023 reported at least one symptom of burnout

With that kind of statistic as a backdrop, proponents of concierge medicine practices argue that concierge services could help keep doctors in medicine and thus help to address physician shortages.

Doctors report wanting more time to plan, provide care for patients

Many physicians experience aspects of burnout, and concierge medicine provides a slower, more relational approach to medicine, including consistent follow-up care for a smaller pool of patients. A concierge medicine clinician may talk with each patient frequently, perhaps every few weeks, instead of just once a year.

Critics of concierge medicine argue it's worsening physician shortages and expanding inequity

Some research suggests that the average wait time for a primary care visit in major US cities can be 21 days. Subscription-based medical practices offer faster in-person and virtual appointment options, but the price barrier to this type of service may worsen inequity in healthcare access. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Concierge services are one of the top medical costs retirees fail to factor into their planning

One of the unexpected medical costs retirees are facing is thousands of dollars a year for concierge care membership fees. A typical annual fee can average $3,500. Concierge care is an option that's particularly popular among older adults with more complex health needs and in some areas of the country doctors are increasingly turning away Medicare patients and only accepting new patients willing to pay annual fees for concierge medicine. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Older, medically complex patients are a high proportion of concierge practices, a membership-based model which is sometimes referred to as retainer medicine or VIP medicine.

Annual memberships for concierge medicine can be $1,000 or as much as $50,000

Concierge medicine practices offer more opportunities for same-day visits and longer meeting times with doctors in exchange for annual membership fees on top of typical insurance payments, copays, and deductibles.

Concierge medicine offerings are growing on college campuses, catering to students

Parents are interested in concierge and direct primary care services for their kids, including offerings with dorm visits, guaranteed same-day appointments, and medication access, so new practices have sprung up catering to college settings. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

One estimate values concierge services at $38.9B by 2032

Data Horizons Research put the value of this global market at $18.9B in 2021, but anticipates massive growth by 2032, with North America comprising the majority of the market. Chronic health conditions, their analysis suggests, will be a contributing factor to this growth as medically complex individuals seek more personalized care.

Concierge medicine officially began in 1996, with the first concierge practice

MD2 International, a concierge medical office that opened in Seattle, Washington, was founded based on the idea of unrushed, no-wait-time visits and personalized care offerings with strong relationships between patients and their providers.

Amazon's One Medical, MDVIP, and SignatureMD are examples of concierge practices

Annual fees for concierge practices can range widely. At the lower end, Amazon's One Medical costs $199 (which can drop to $99 if you're a Prime member) and four figures for MDVIP and SignatureMD. Annual fees jump to $10,000 or more for options like Massachusetts General Hospital's concierge practice.

The Government Accountability Office in 2005 concluded concierge medicine didn't threaten Medicare

This congressionally mandated analysis concluded that the number of concierge physicians nationwide was too small for concierge practices to undermine Medicare patients' access to affordable health care and it was "unlikely that the approach has contributed to widespread access problems." Medicare is the federal health insurance program for the aged and some disabled individuals.

Virtual care—telehealth—is a significant component of concierge medicine

Telehealth—a central plank of concierge medicine—can widen the gap between the rich and the poor since lower-resource individuals may have less access to technology and encounter other access issues.

Urgent care is one step up from primary care

If a patient needs to see a provider today, urgent care can be a good solution. It has shorter wait times and a more affordable price tag than heading to the emergency room. Typically, an emergency department will have more specialists available for a serious and complicated issue, as well as advanced testing capabilities.

Flexible spending accounts can't be used to pay for concierge membership fees

FSAs, used by roughly half of Americans, can only cover qualified medical services—so actual care—and cannot be used to cover membership fees for a concierge medicine practice. These fees must be paid out of pocket by clients.

Private equity's expansion into healthcare has been criticized for raising patient medical costs

Between 2000 and 2018, PE's total investment in healthcare ballooned from $5B to $100B. While healthcare systems originally began consolidating as a solution to navigating complex regulations (and to make working with insurance companies easier), research suggests that private equity has both increased patient costs and decreased the quality of care in hospitals and doctors' offices.

There may be a surplus of nearly 8,000 emergency room doctors by 2030

That was the 2021 prediction of the American College of Emergency Physicians, which led to a sudden steep decline in the field among medical students and residents. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

The rise of telemedicine: A post-pandemic analysis

Before COVID-19, telemedicine remained on healthcare's periphery; however, the pandemic thrust it into the limelight, transforming how we approach medical care. This comprehensive review published by Press Ganey dives deep into the evolution,...

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s is on the rise as people seek it out for myriad reasons—the proportion of non-obesity and non-diabetes-related prescriptions for the drug soared from 4.5% in 2018 to 17% in 2023.

Doctors are prescribing social activities—and seeing good results

Physicians, especially in the UK, are asking patients what they enjoy and then prescribing a consistent regimen of doing that type of activity to improve fitness and overall health, including community exercise classes, volunteering, and spending time in nature. This approach may provide better incentives to stick with an activity.

Patients are messaging their doctors online more than ever—recent research suggests portal messages have risen by 157% since 2020.

USA Television Network fictional series Royal Pains spotlights concierge medicine

This fictional television series, that aired from 2009-16, chronicles the adventures of a doctor who transitioned into offering concierge medicine for a big-spender clientele. As a private physician-for-hire he is on call to provide care 24/7.

In 2018, roughly 13% of Yale University graduates became consultants

Consulting is a popular career path for today’s top college students. A student newspaper article dives into a Yale University student’s brief love affair with the consulting industry, starting with a depiction of the interview process.

Freestanding emergency departments are growing increasingly common

These satellite emergency rooms, though not yet approved in all states, are helping meet the need for emergency services beyond a hospital setting. But from an insurance perspective, they are considered emergency rooms—not urgent care. Freestanding emergency rooms grew tenfold from 2001 to 2016.

About half of physicians report feeling burned out

Burnout is often considered a disorder of caregivers, with teachers, doctors, nurses, and social workers reporting high levels of burnout. Among K-12 education professionals, 44% reported experiencing burnout in 2022. Reported rates from emergency care workers is about 60%, the highest in the field.

Healthcare fraud may cost the US more than $100B annually—see this dashboard tracking healthcare fraud cases nationwide.

The cost of covering family health insurance has tripled in 20 years

The Milliman Medical Index tracks the real cost of health insurance for people covered through employer-sponsored plans. In 2025, healthcare for a family of four cost an average of $35K, including employer contributions, out-of-pocket expenses, premiums, and offset wages.

How is precision medicine is transforming healthcare?

As the medical sector moves toward more personalized care, healthcare systems are using technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to pave the way for precision medicine. This analysis in HealthTech Magazine looks into the...

Digital healthcare is helping emerging economies

In a world that is rapidly becoming more digitized, low and middle-income countries (LMICs) are trailblazing a path to cohesive digital healthcare ecosystems. This article from McKinsey & Company analyzes the different digital healthcare strategies...

How dentistry evolved from carnival sideshow to respected medicine

The field, which has remained siloed from other medical care, also has a separate insurance system. This podcast walks through how and why dental insurance often remains capped at $1,500 primarily to cover cleanings, and it wouldn't cover catastrophes—unlike many other medical or housing insurance models.

How Korea’s beauty industry is impacting its healthcare system

Hallyu, or the spread of Korean culture, has made South Korea a global leader in the beauty industry. People worldwide travel to the country, seeking aesthetic procedures like microneedling and noninvasive lifting. The $4B industry attracts many doctors seeking high profits. However, the result is a healthcare system facing a critical shortage of general practitioners and hospital physicians.

Precision medicine, offering the right treatment at the right time for individuals, integrates genomics, data analytics, and AI to predict risks, personalize treatments, and improve patient outcomes.

Jobs that marry each other the most

Out of all married physicians, roughly one in five is married to another physician. The trend extends beyond the medical field. Some professionals are more likely to marry one another than others. Find out which jobs most often pair together among married couples with this interactive tool based on estimates from the American Community Survey. Click here to type in your profession and see your most likely match.

Patient portals offer a good opportunity to track your healthcare records and communicate with doctors, but they also allow patients to see test results without context, which can cause unnecessary concern.

A new schizophrenia healthcare model is giving patients more of a role in shaping their own treatments, with good results.

Over 28% of US adults use yoga for pain management.

The potential promises and pitfalls of AI in medicine

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being integrated into healthcare, offering the potential to aid in diagnoses, answer patient queries, and streamline administrative processes. In a recent PBS interview, Dr. Isaac Kohane, editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine AI and chair of Harvard’s department of biomedical informatics, discusses the current state and future of AI in medicine.

Modernizing health data privacy: A call for comprehensive reform

Despite the advancements in medical technology and data collection, securing personal health data remains a pressing issue in the 21st century. This Forbes article analyzes the state of health data privacy, sheds light on the current shortcomings,...

The funeral home industry is increasingly consolidating via private equity firms

A growing share of the funeral home industry is being acquired by private equity-backed firms. A 2022 article states that about 20% of this $23B business is owned by funeral home chains, and private equity-backed firms own about a quarter of those.

Most Americans are now dying at home, reversing 20th century trends

For most of the 21st and 20th centuries most Americans died in hospital settings. But in 2016, home-based deaths overtook hospitals; most Americans are now dying at home, likely fueled by individual preferences to die at home or to receive at-home palliative care.

See this ranking of the top 10 medical shows on television

The Hollywood Reporter created this 2025 ranking of 10 television shows from around the world that focus on medicine. Candidates included "Grey's Anatomy," "The Pitt," "New Amsterdam," "ER," and more. The publication warns that its ranking is a living document that may change with time—and that its explanations include show spoilers.

Links between long-term caregiving and chronic stress

This Cleveland Clinic overview suggests that around 60% of people caring for family or loved ones with health conditions will experience burnout. Caregivers prepare meals, help with transportation, administer medications, and perform daily tasks for others, all while managing their own lives. This guide may help readers overcome the guilt or frustration of long-term caregiving to seek alternative options.

The global consulting industry was worth roughly $710B in 2023

From 2017 to 2021, the consulting firm McKinsey took in $77M in consulting contracts with just the US Food and Drug Administration alone.

In 2018, roughly one-third of Yale graduates went into either finance or consulting

Every year, top consulting firms head to career fairs at Ivy League universities like Yale across the country. They end up recruiting a significant population of the student body by graduation.

Congress didn't renew temporary enhanced Affordable Care Act federal subsidies that expired at the end of 2025, a move that substantially raised ACA health insurance premiums.

Read what it's like working in emergency medicine

A board-certified emergency medicine physician working in the Bronx writes about what her workweeks look like and what attracted her to this fast-paced medical specialty, including being able to help suffering patients quickly, treating a wide range of ailments, and tending to disadvantaged communities.

Consulting is more than just giving advice

A deep-dive article from Harvard Business Review argues that many clients of consulting firms need to ask more from these firms and to understand their capabilities, which range from accounting to growth strategy and more.