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Concierge medicine: how it works and what it costs

Concierge medicine is primary care where you pay the practice a membership fee for more access and extra services, and most practices still bill your insurance for covered visits [1][2]. Published fees we read on October 17, 2026 ran from $2,250 a year at an MDVIP physician in Phoenix to $4,000 a year and up at Sollis Health [3][4].

Updated Oct 17, 2026By the Wellchosen Health editorial team

Medical review: pending. A licensed clinician has not yet reviewed this page.

Concierge medicine is a way of running a medical practice in which doctors charge patients a membership fee in exchange for enhanced services or amenities [1].

Published fees
$2,250 to $3,600 a year at MDVIP physicians and PartnerMD; Sollis Health from $4,000 (checked Oct 17, 2026) [3][5][4]
Insurance
Concierge practices charge a retainer and keep billing insurance [2]
Medicare
Does not cover the membership fee [6]
Growth
Concierge and DPC practices rose from 1,658 in 2018 to 3,036 in 2023 [2]
HSA
Arrangements that bill insurance are not direct primary care arrangements under IRS Notice 2026-5 [7]

What concierge medicine is

The U.S. Government Accountability Office defines concierge care as a practice approach in which physicians charge a membership fee in exchange for enhanced services or amenities [1]. A 2025 Health Affairs study draws the line this way: concierge practices charge an annual retainer and keep billing insurance, while direct primary care practices work outside insurance [2]. Our concierge vs direct primary care comparison sets the two side by side.

The model is still small but growing. The same study counted 1,658 concierge and DPC practices in 2018 and 3,036 in 2023, an 83.1% rise. Clinicians in these practices went from 3,935 to 7,021, and practices tied to corporations grew 576% [2].

What the membership fee usually pays for

Each practice sets its own package. These are examples taken from the practices' own pages:

  • MDVIP: the fee pays for an annual Wellness Program of advanced screenings and diagnostic tests not typically covered by insurance. Members keep Medicare or commercial insurance for other care [8].
  • Cleveland Clinic Concierge Medicine: 24/7 physician access, same- or next-day appointments on most weekdays, an annual comprehensive health assessment, chronic disease management, specialist coordination, vaccinations at cost, and all office and virtual visits with the concierge provider. The fee is not published [9].
  • Sollis Health Signature: care coordination, same-visit treatment, on-site X-ray, CT, ultrasound, MRI and labs, and priority referrals to 2,000+ specialists [4].

The American Academy of Family Physicians describes concierge memberships as built around an in-depth physical and screenings, with annual contracts and higher fees than direct primary care [10].

Costs at a glance

Concierge and membership care prices, checked October 17, 2026
ModelExamplePublished priceInsurance billed?Source
Concierge networkMDVIP, three physician pages$2,250 to $2,930 a yearYes, for care outside the Wellness Program[3][11]
Concierge groupPartnerMD$2,600 to $3,600 a yearYes, for eligible services[5]
Concierge, urgent-care styleSollis Health SignatureFrom $4,000 a yearNot stated on the page we read[4]
Hybrid membershipOne Medical$199 a yearYes, scheduled visits[12]
Direct primary careAAFP national range$50 to $100 a monthGenerally no[10]
Every published fee we found, with dates and links, is in the Concierge Fee Index. The oldest national data point is GAO's 2005 survey, where annual fees ran $60 to $15,000 and the most common fee was $1,500 [1].

See the Concierge Fee Index

Who concierge care tends to serve

AAFP says concierge practices typically serve higher-income patients, while direct primary care serves patients across income levels [10]. Harvard Medical School's summary of the Health Affairs study says concierge fees can range from thousands to tens of thousands of dollars a year [13]. If you are weighing the money, our is concierge medicine worth it guide works through the math.

For people on Medicare the fee is always out of pocket: Medicare.gov says Medicare doesn't cover membership fees for concierge care [6]. Our concierge medicine and Medicare guide covers assignment, the limiting charge and the Advance Beneficiary Notice.

One Medical vs concierge medicine

One Medical charges a $199 yearly membership that includes 24/7 messaging and video care, but scheduled visits are billed to insurance and copays or deductibles may apply [12]. That makes it a hybrid membership, not a concierge retainer. The concierge fees we read were more than ten times higher, starting at $2,250 a year [3].

How to choose a concierge practice

  1. Get the full annual fee in writing and ask how it can be paid. MDVIP lets members pay quarterly, semi-annually or annually [8].
  2. Ask what the fee covers and what gets billed to your insurance on top of it.
  3. Ask about separate charges. One MDVIP physician page we read listed a $70 lab charge billed apart from the $2,930 fee [11].
  4. Read the cancellation terms. PartnerMD asks for 30 days' notice and gives a prorated refund [5].
  5. If you have Medicare, ask whether the doctor accepts assignment. A doctor who does can't charge extra for Medicare-covered services [6].
  6. Look up the doctor's license with your state medical board. The Federation of State Medical Boards keeps a directory of every board [14].

We do not rank practices

Practices named on this site appear with facts only: name, what they offer, published price and a link. Placement on city guides can be sponsored, and sponsored slots are always labeled. Read how we make money.

Concierge and primary care guides

In this section

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Guides

Trackers

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By city

Concierge medicine

Questions people ask

What is concierge medicine?

Concierge medicine is a practice model in which doctors charge patients a membership fee in exchange for enhanced services or amenities, per the U.S. Government Accountability Office [1]. Most concierge practices still bill insurance for covered visits [2].

How much does concierge medicine cost?

Fees we read on practice pages on October 17, 2026 ran $2,250 to $2,930 a year at three MDVIP physicians, $2,600 to $3,600 a year at PartnerMD, and from $4,000 a year at Sollis Health [3][11][5][4].

Does insurance cover concierge medicine?

Insurance generally pays for covered visits, not the membership. Concierge practices keep billing insurance [2], MDVIP says its fee pays for screenings not typically covered by insurance [8], and Medicare doesn't cover membership fees for concierge care [6].

Is concierge medicine the same as direct primary care?

No. Concierge practices charge an annual retainer and keep billing insurance, while direct primary care practices charge a periodic fee and operate outside insurance [2]. AAFP puts DPC fees at $50 to $100 a month [10].

Can I pay for concierge medicine with an HSA?

IRS Notice 2026-5 lets HSA funds pay direct primary care fees of up to $150 a month for one person or $300 for more than one, but an arrangement that bills insurance separately does not qualify [7]. Concierge practices that bill insurance fall outside that rule.

What is the best concierge medicine practice?

We do not rank concierge practices. Compare published fees, what each fee includes, separate charges, cancellation terms and Medicare status. For example, PartnerMD publishes $2,600 to $3,600 a year with 30 days' notice to cancel [5].

How many concierge medicine practices are there?

A Health Affairs study counted 3,036 concierge and direct primary care practices combined in 2023, up from 1,658 in 2018, with 7,021 clinicians [2].

Sources

14 cited
  1. Physician Services: Concierge Care Characteristics and Considerations for Medicare (GAO-05-929). U.S. Government Accountability Office, Aug 12, 2005.
  2. Concierge medicine and direct primary care growth (Health Affairs study, doi 10.1377/hlthaff.2025.00656). Johns Hopkins University Hub, Dec 18, 2025.
  3. MDVIP physician page: Mayy Deadrick, MD, Phoenix, AZ. MDVIP, seen 2026-10-17.
  4. Membership. Sollis Health, seen 2026-10-17.
  5. Concierge medicine cost. PartnerMD, seen 2026-10-17.
  6. Concierge care. Medicare.gov (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), undated, read 2026-10-17.
  7. Notice 2026-5: health savings account rules for direct primary care service arrangements. Internal Revenue Service, Dec 9, 2025.
  8. What does MDVIP cost and what does my annual fee cover?. MDVIP, undated (page copyright 2026), read 2026-10-17.
  9. Concierge Medicine. Cleveland Clinic, undated, read 2026-10-17.
  10. Direct Primary Care. American Academy of Family Physicians, undated, read 2026-10-17.
  11. MDVIP physician page: Brooke J. Nevins, MD, Bronxville, NY. MDVIP, seen 2026-10-17.
  12. Membership. One Medical, seen 2026-10-17.
  13. How much are concierge medicine and direct primary care growing?. Harvard Medical School News, Dec 18, 2025.
  14. Contact a state medical board. Federation of State Medical Boards, read 2026-10-17.

This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own care.

See the Concierge Fee Index