What is the difference between a concierge doctor and a regular doctor?

The clinical training is the same. The difference is the size of the practice. A concierge physician deliberately keeps a small panel, which is what makes extended visits, same-day appointments and direct phone access possible. In a traditional practice the panel size makes those things impractical regardless of intent.

How much does concierge medicine cost at My Choice Primary Care?

Membership starts at $160 per month and is tiered. The membership fee covers your relationship with Dr. Sisodia: extended visits, direct phone and text access, and coordination of your wider care. It does not replace health insurance.

What is the downside of a concierge doctor?

You pay a membership fee that insurance does not reimburse, and you still need insurance for specialists, imaging and hospital care. If you rarely see a physician, or your care is already well managed by a practice you like, the membership may not be worth it. It is worth most to people who want time and direct access.

Understanding the model

What is concierge medicine?

Written by a physician who practises it, rather than by a directory that sells listings.

Concierge medicine is primary care funded by a membership fee paid directly to the practice, instead of by the volume of visits billed to insurance. Because the practice is not paid per visit, it can keep a deliberately small patient panel, which is what makes longer appointments, same-day access and direct contact with your own physician possible.

The mechanism, in one paragraph

In insurance-funded primary care, a practice earns per encounter. The rational response to that incentive is a large panel and short appointments, and that is what most practices end up with, regardless of how any individual physician feels about it. A membership fee decouples the practice’s income from the number of appointments it runs. Once that link is cut, a small panel becomes financially survivable, and everything patients associate with concierge care follows from the small panel.

So the fee is not buying luxury. It is buying a smaller denominator.

The terms you will see

Concierge medicine: Primary care funded by a membership fee. The practice usually still expects you to carry insurance for care delivered outside it, such as specialists, imaging and hospital stays.
Direct primary care (DPC): A closely related model, also membership-funded. The distinction is not standardised across the industry and the two terms are often used interchangeably.
Panel: The number of patients one physician is responsible for. This is the number that determines everything else. My Choice Primary Care caps its panel at 150.
Membership fee: What you pay the practice directly, typically monthly. At My Choice Primary Care it starts at $160 a month.

What it costs

Fees vary widely across the country, and many practices will not publish theirs at all, which is why the question is asked so often. At My Choice Primary Care membership starts at $160 a month and is tiered. The figure is on the membership page rather than behind a consultation.

How it works with insurance

Insurance and Medicare do not cover the membership fee. However, many members find that their HSA or FSA funds can be used to pay for concierge services; please consult your tax advisor to confirm.

Yes, you still need insurance. We do not participate in any insurance networks, including HMOs, Tricare Prime, or Medicaid. You will need your insurance to cover specialist visits, imaging, and hospital stays.

Who it does not suit

Someone who sees a physician rarely, has no ongoing conditions and is content with their current practice is unlikely to get 160 dollars a month of value from a membership. The model earns its keep for people who want time, continuity and direct access, and for people managing something ongoing where having one physician who knows the whole history genuinely changes the care.

We would rather say that plainly than sell a membership that does not fit. There is a fuller version of this argument on whether concierge medicine is worth it.

See what membership costs Compared with insurance-based care

Common questions

What is the difference between a concierge doctor and a regular doctor?: The clinical training is the same. The difference is the size of the practice. A concierge physician deliberately keeps a small panel, which is what makes extended visits, same-day appointments and direct phone access possible. In a traditional practice the panel size makes those things impractical regardless of intent.
How much does concierge medicine cost at My Choice Primary Care?: Membership starts at $160 per month and is tiered. The membership fee covers your relationship with Dr. Sisodia: extended visits, direct phone and text access, and coordination of your wider care. It does not replace health insurance.
Does insurance or Medicare cover the membership fee?: Insurance and Medicare do not cover the membership fee. However, many members find that their HSA or FSA funds can be used to pay for concierge services; please consult your tax advisor to confirm.
What is the downside of a concierge doctor?: You pay a membership fee that insurance does not reimburse, and you still need insurance for specialists, imaging and hospital care. If you rarely see a physician, or your care is already well managed by a practice you like, the membership may not be worth it. It is worth most to people who want time and direct access.