Skip to main content
Concierge MedNear Me

An independent guide to membership-based care

Healthcare Is Changing.Understand Your Options.

Finding healthcare that fits your needs can be challenging. Between insurance coverage, appointment availability, and rising costs, more people are exploring different ways to access medical care.

Learn how concierge medicine works, what membership fees may cover, and how to evaluate your healthcare options.

Explore Concierge Medicine Compare Care Models
A physician and an older patient sit side by side on a sofa, talking in a bright, informal room

Who we are

A consumer information site. Not a medical practice, an insurance broker, or a referral service.

Start here

Start With What Matters to You

Six questions people ask most often. Each one opens a full guide.

  1. 01What is concierge medicine?A plain definition, and what the term does and does not mean.
  2. 02How much does it cost?How fees are structured and what sits on top of them.
  3. 03Does insurance cover it?Where your health plan, HSA, and Medicare come in.
  4. 04Is concierge medicine worth it?A way to weigh the fee against how you actually use care.
  5. 05How is it different from traditional care?The same physician visit, organized two different ways.
  6. 06What should I ask before joining?A printable checklist for your first conversation.
A woman sits on a sofa at home with a laptop on her knees, talking on the phone

The context

Why People Explore Concierge Medicine

Interest in membership practices usually starts with a frustration, not a brochure. These are the five we hear about most, and what a membership can and cannot change.

Getting an appointment
Waits for a new-patient visit differ a great deal from one city and one office to the next. Some people look at membership practices because they want a shorter, more predictable wait.
Time with the physician
Membership practices usually care for fewer patients per physician and often describe longer visits. How much time you get is set by each practice, not by the label.
Insurance complexity
Networks, deductibles, and prior authorizations are hard to follow. A membership does not remove them. It changes which parts of your care run through insurance.
Continuity of care
Seeing the same clinician over time matters to many people, especially with ongoing conditions. Ask who you will see and who covers when that person is away.
Predictable expenses
A fixed fee is easy to budget. Whether your total spending goes up or down depends on your coverage and how much care you use.

No care model guarantees faster access, better health outcomes, or lower total costs. Independent research on membership practices is still limited. See what the evidence does and does not show.

Side by side

Compare Healthcare Models

Three ways a primary care practice can be organized, compared on the points that affect your access and your costs.

Traditional primary care

Membership fees
Usually none. You pay per visit through your plan's cost sharing.
Insurance billing
The practice bills your insurer for covered visits.
Appointment availability
Varies by practice, region, and season. Many physicians care for large patient panels.
Included services
The services your plan covers, subject to copays, coinsurance, and deductibles.
Additional costs
Plan cost sharing, plus any services your plan does not cover.
Specialist services
By referral, billed to your insurance under your plan's rules.
Insurance considerations
Confirm the practice is in network and understand your deductible.

Concierge medicine

Membership fees
A recurring retainer, often billed annually, quarterly, or monthly. Amounts vary widely by practice and region.
Insurance billing
Many practices still bill insurance or Medicare for covered visits. Some do not. Ask each practice.
Appointment availability
Practices typically limit how many patients each physician sees and describe shorter waits and longer visits. Terms are set by the agreement and are not guaranteed.
Included services
Defined by the membership agreement. Commonly access and communication features, longer visits, and care coordination.
Additional costs
Cost sharing on visits billed to insurance, plus labs, imaging, prescriptions, and anything outside the agreement.
Specialist services
Not part of the membership. The physician may help coordinate referrals. Specialists bill separately.
Insurance considerations
A membership is not insurance. Coverage is still needed for specialists, hospital care, and emergencies. Insurers generally do not pay the membership fee.

Direct primary care

Membership fees
A flat periodic fee, most often monthly. Some practices set fees by age or household size.
Insurance billing
Generally does not bill insurance for services included in the membership.
Appointment availability
Practices typically limit panel size and describe shorter waits and longer visits. Terms are set by the agreement and are not guaranteed.
Included services
A defined set of primary care services, such as office visits and basic in-office procedures, listed in the agreement.
Additional costs
Labs, imaging, medications, and any service outside the agreement. Some practices arrange cash prices for these.
Specialist services
Not part of the membership. Specialists bill separately, through insurance or directly.
Insurance considerations
A membership is not insurance. Coverage is still needed for specialists, hospital care, and emergencies. Health savings account rules for these memberships changed in 2026.

These are general descriptions. Fees, included services, and billing arrangements vary by practice. Confirm the details in writing with any practice you are considering.

Read the complete comparison guide

Follow the money

Understanding Membership Costs

A membership fee is one line in a longer list. The clearest way to judge it is to see every line it sits beside, and who each one is paid to.

A membership is not health insurance.

It does not necessarily replace a health plan, and it will not pay for specialists, hospital care, or emergencies. Most people who join keep their coverage.

We do not publish an “average” membership price. Fees differ by practice, region, and what is included, and no current, reliable national figure exists. Ask each practice for its fee schedule in writing.

How membership fees work Add up your own numbers
  1. 01

    Membership fee

    A recurring charge for belonging to the practice. What it buys is defined by the written agreement.

    Paid to the practice

  2. 02

    Insurance premiums

    The price of your health plan. Joining a membership practice does not reduce it.

    Paid to your insurer

  3. 03

    Office visit charges

    Some practices bill your plan for visits, so copays and deductibles still apply. Others include visits in the fee.

    Depends on the practice

  4. 04

    Laboratory testing

    Often sent to an outside lab and billed to insurance or paid at a cash price.

    Usually separate

  5. 05

    Imaging

    X-rays, ultrasound, CT, and MRI are provided and billed by imaging facilities.

    Separate

  6. 06

    Specialist care

    Specialists bill on their own, through your insurance or directly.

    Separate

  7. 07

    Prescription expenses

    Paid at the pharmacy under your drug coverage, or in cash.

    Separate

  8. 08

    Hospital expenses

    Emergency and inpatient care are the largest potential costs and the main reason to keep coverage.

    Separate

Decision support

Is Concierge Medicine Right for You?

We cannot answer that for you, and no website should. What we can do is point to what is worth investigating, depending on where you are starting from.

Situation 1

“You want primary care access you can count on.”

What to investigate

  • Ask how many patients each physician cares for and the usual wait for urgent and routine visits.
  • Find out how after-hours contact works and who actually answers.
  • Get access commitments in the written agreement, not only in marketing copy.
How concierge medicine works

Situation 2

“You are comparing membership costs.”

What to investigate

  • List what each fee includes so you compare like with like.
  • Add the fee to your premiums and expected out-of-pocket costs for a full-year view.
  • Ask about enrollment fees, increases, and refunds.
Open the cost worksheet

Situation 3

“You already have an insurance plan.”

What to investigate

  • Ask whether the practice bills your plan and whether it is in network.
  • Confirm how labs, imaging, and referrals will be billed.
  • If you have a health savings account, check how a membership affects it.
Insurance and memberships

Situation 4

“You are managing ongoing healthcare needs.”

What to investigate

  • Ask how the practice coordinates with your specialists and handles prescription refills.
  • Understand what happens during a hospital stay.
  • Remember that specialist, hospital, and medication costs sit outside the membership.
Benefits and limitations

Situation 5

“You are considering direct primary care.”

What to investigate

  • Get the list of services the monthly fee includes.
  • Ask for cash prices for labs, imaging, and medications.
  • Plan how you will cover hospital and specialist care.
Concierge vs. direct primary care

These are general prompts for your own research. They are not medical advice or a recommendation to join, leave, or choose any practice or plan.

From the guides

Featured Educational Guides

Browse all articles
A physician checks an older patient's blood pressure across a desk in a small office

Understanding Concierge Medicine3 min read

What Is Concierge Medicine?

A membership fee, a smaller practice, and a contract. Here is what the term means, what it leaves out, and why two concierge practices can look nothing alike.

A hand holding a pen works down a handwritten checklist in a notebook

A practical guide

How to Choose a Concierge Physician

Choosing a membership practice is part medical decision and part contract. Before you sign, it is worth checking each of these, and getting the answers in writing.

  1. 01Physician credentials and licensure
  2. 02The membership agreement
  3. 03Services included in the fee
  4. 04Insurance arrangements
  5. 05Appointment policies
  6. 06Communication access
  7. 07Cancellation and refund policies
  8. 08Coverage when the physician is unavailable
Read the complete guide Build a question checklist

Better Information. More Choices in Healthcare.