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

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.

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.

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.

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.)

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

That's the rough estimate from Zirui Song, a Harvard Medical School professor who focuses on health care policy and studies the growth of concierge medicine. He and other researchers found that between 2018 and 2023 the number of concierge and direct primary care practices (concierge care without accepting insurance) grew by 83% and the number of clinicians in those practices increased by 78%.

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.

Older, medically complex patients are a high proportion of concierge practices

These concierge medicine practices tend to have a high proportion of people ages 50 and older and are particularly concentrated in states with older populations, especially California and Florida.

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.

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

Telehealth demand for GLP-1s for weight loss is booming as consumers seek easier access.

Learn how Hollywood tries to get mental health portrayals right

"Entertainment is always the first priority," the director of medical research for "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice" explained in this Newsweek article. But, medical consultants and dedicated groups like the University of Southern California's Hollywood, Health, and Society program, can help inform shows' characters, actions, and sensitivities on subjects like mental illness.

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.

'Slow productivity' as a humane approach to work

Work is increasingly encroaching on every part of our lives, while digital technologies enable supervisors to micromanage every part of an employee’s day. “Slow productivity” is a movement to alter the pace and quality of one’s work to avoid burnout and provide a more humane approach to work.

Why Friday surgeries are (likely) riskier

Scheduling surgery on a Friday may lead to more complications—up to 5% more often—compared to surgeries performed after the weekend. The research was conducted by a team from the United States and Canada and analyzed data from over 450,000 patients who underwent common surgeries in Ontario between 2007 and 2019. Check out their findings here.

After a dementia diagnosis, it's important to plan ahead but also savor the moment

The next steps after a diagnosis include taking lifestyle steps to slow disease progression and completing legal paperwork about long-term medical preferences. It's also important to appreciate the moments and days ahead and find humor in them, when possible. (Some users may encounter a paywall.)

Hotels around the world now offer packages focused especially on sleep

A Belmond Hotel in London, for example, has partnered with a meditation and holistic coach to create a service called the Sleep Concierge, which includes meditation recordings, a pillow menu, and the option of a weighted blanket, among other customized options. Medical experts believe that hotel experiences such as this one can be beneficial to those lacking sleep, provided certain provisions (such as an on-call medical professional) are also provided.

Chronic lyme isn't a medically recognized diagnosis in conventional medicine

It describes a constellation of symptoms attributed to a persistent Lyme infection—meaning the bacteria have remained present even after antibiotics. It often occurs among people who have never received a positive test for Lyme. Doctors do recognize "post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome," however, which can include muscle and joint pain, fatigue, and cognitive difficulties after treatment for confirmed Lyme.

Watch the cumbersome, but necessary, precautions healthcare workers must take to care for and protect themselves while caring for Ebola patients.

The hormonal disorder PCOS was renamed PMOS in 2026, a move designed to improve care and research by shifting the focus to the hormonal causes of this condition that affects 1 in 8 women.

A Yale student wrote a profound essay about the consulting industry's influence on elite college students that was published in a book of her writing after she died in a post-graduation car accident.

In recent years a child anxiety expert has created and tested a novel phobia and anxiety treatment approach for children, focused on changing how parents respond to the fears.

See images of medical cases of firework injuries shared on this 'Instagram for doctors.' (Warning: Graphic content)

Larger animals like giraffes, elephants, and blue whales have developed a unique defense against cancer, a phenomenon known as Peto's Paradox

Despite being favored by 87% of Americans, Congress does not have term limits.

Listen to an in-depth conversation on the links between Parkinson's disease and herbicide exposure and the challenging pace of scientific investigation.

Domino's Pizza's 30-minute delivery guarantee was responsible for the chain's 1980s surge, but it was discontinued after the company was found liable for delivery driver accidents.

Researchers believe the brain consolidates memories, processes emotions, and plans for the future during dream states

Apeirophobia is an overwhelming fear of living forever, perhaps stemming from the brain's inability to conceptualize an infinite life.

Massive 3D printers have been used to build homes by stacking layers of 'concrete toothpaste,' a fire-resistant material that effectively insulates against outside noise.

To reduce wrinkles in clothing, research recommends gentle wash cycles with more water and tumble drying with smaller loads and longer times.

Some renewable energy sources may weaken the resiliency of electric grids by removing outage buffers provided by coal- and natural gas-fired plants, which provide the system with more time to find a new power source if a plant goes down.

The syncytiotrophoblast is the outer layer of the placenta and the largest human cell, spanning an area about twice that of a king-sized bedsheet.

This site reaches millions of visitors who are tired of AI chatbots and seeking human connection. Pretend to be an AI chatbot and ask questions, provide answers, and draw for people in real time.

Hedge funds, the private investment firms that trade a wide swath of financial assets, make money by imposing steep fees on investors and from the fund's investment performance.

The first steps to rebuilding your credit score include getting to know exactly what's on your credit report and figuring out how far you are from the '700 club,' or 'good score' range.

Visualize how CRISPR-Cas9—a type of immune system used by single-celled organisms to attack invasive viruses—targets and makes precise changes to a gene's DNA.

How Amazon operates a 'flywheel' business model, a self-reinforcing cycle that drives continuous growth

A century of Billboard issues documenting the evolution of popular music.

44% of Americans say they pray at least once a day—discover how your state's religiosity stacks up against the rest of the country.

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama spent the 2025 summer training with monks in central China to enhance his body and mind.

After her fellow cult members tried to kill her with an LSD-infused hamburger, one member of the Manson Family, the murderous cult led by Charles Manson, decided to testify against the group's leader.