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An independent guide to concierge medicine and membership-based healthcare

Healthcare Is Changing.Understand Your Options.

Explore concierge medicine, understand membership costs and insurance, and compare your healthcare options before joining a practice.

Compare Care Models Estimate Your Costs
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. Start with any of them; each 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

People explore membership-based care for different reasons. Here are five common considerations.

Getting an appointment
Some practices offer shorter waits. Confirm availability before joining.
Time with the physician
Visits may be longer. Ask how much time appointments typically allow.
Insurance complexity
Membership does not eliminate insurance rules. Confirm what is billed separately.
Continuity of care
Ask who you will see regularly and who provides coverage when they are away.
Predictable expenses
A fixed fee may simplify budgeting. Total costs still depend on coverage and care needs.

Access, services, and costs vary by practice. Membership does not guarantee better outcomes or lower total costs. Read the benefits and limitations guide.

Side by side

Compare Healthcare Models

Three ways a primary care practice can be organized, at a glance.

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.
Verify before choosing
Whether the practice is in your network, typical appointment waits, and after-hours contact.
More on traditional primary care

Concierge Medicine

Membership fees
A recurring retainer, often billed annually. Amounts vary widely by practice.
Insurance billing
Many practices still bill insurance or Medicare for covered visits. Some do not.
Verify before choosing
What the fee includes, how visits are billed, and the cancellation terms.
More on concierge medicine

Direct Primary Care

Membership fees
A flat periodic fee, usually monthly.
Insurance billing
Generally does not bill insurance for services included in the membership.
Verify before choosing
Which services are included, prices for labs and medications, and how it fits your health plan or HSA.
More on direct primary care

General descriptions only. Fees, services, and billing vary by practice, so confirm the details in writing.

Read the complete comparison guide

Practical tools

Work It Out for Yourself

Three free tools. No account, and nothing you enter is stored or sent.

  1. Compare Your Options

    See traditional care, concierge medicine, and direct primary care side by side.

    Compare Care Models

  2. Understand the Costs

    Add membership fees to your other expected healthcare expenses.

    A membership fee is only part of your total healthcare spending.

    Open Cost Worksheet

  3. Prepare Your Questions

    Build a checklist before contacting or joining a practice.

    Build Your Checklist

From the guides

Featured Educational Guides

Browse All Guides

Before you join

How to Choose a Concierge Physician

Before joining, confirm the physician’s credentials, what the membership includes, how billing works, and the cancellation terms.

Read the Choosing Guide Build Your Question Checklist