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.

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.

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.

Concierge services are one of the top medical costs retirees fail to factor into their planning

One of the unexpected medical costs retirees are facing is thousands of dollars a year for concierge care membership fees. A typical annual fee can average $3,500. Concierge care is an option that's particularly popular among older adults with more complex health needs and in some areas of the country doctors are increasingly turning away Medicare patients and only accepting new patients willing to pay annual fees for concierge medicine. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

US concierge and direct primary care practices surged 83.1% between 2018 and 2023

Research published in December 2025 in the journal Health Affairs indicates that these retainer-fee care models are expanding across the country. Concierge medicine charges monthly or annual fees, as does direct primary care (which doesn't take insurance).

Older, medically complex patients are a high proportion of concierge practices, a membership-based model which is sometimes referred to as retainer medicine or VIP medicine.

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.

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%.

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.)

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.)

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

Many physicians experience aspects of burnout, and concierge medicine provides a slower, more relational approach to medicine, including consistent follow-up care for a smaller pool of patients. A concierge medicine clinician may talk with each patient frequently, perhaps every few weeks, instead of just once a year.

Flexible spending accounts can't be used to pay for concierge membership fees

FSAs, used by roughly half of Americans, can only cover qualified medical services—so actual care—and cannot be used to cover membership fees for a concierge medicine practice. These fees must be paid out of pocket by clients.

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.

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.

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.

One estimate values concierge services at $38.9B by 2032

Data Horizons Research put the value of this global market at $18.9B in 2021, but anticipates massive growth by 2032, with North America comprising the majority of the market. Chronic health conditions, their analysis suggests, will be a contributing factor to this growth as medically complex individuals seek more personalized care.

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.

Attending Davos can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars

Access to Davos’ most exclusive events often comes at a steep price: Annual WEF dues can exceed $50K, premium membership can reach $500K, and attendance adds high costs for travel, lodging, security, and credentials.

Consulting firms are known for their relatively high starting salaries

The “Big Three” and the “Big Four” consulting firms especially are known for high pay. Top firms often offer entry-level salaries well over $100K per year.

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.

The Amazon Prime subscription service offers its members a variety of benefits, including free two-day shipping on eligible items

Prime also offers members access to streaming video and music, and exclusive deals. As of this writing, its annual price tag is $139. A CNBC article sets out to address whether the subscription is worth that price, outlining the service’s key perks and who’s likely to benefit from it the most.

The matchmakers serving the elite of Silicon Valley

If members of the wealthy elite want to find romance, they often choose expensive match-making services rather than dating apps. These services can cost $150,000 for each match, and providers are experts in dealing with the unique social dynamics caused by being wealthy and the unusual egos such wealth can bring. This article explores this hidden cultural phenomenon.

The Platinum American Express card is among the most expensive mainstream travel credit cards

American Express charges a $895 annual fee on its Platinum Card in exchange for nearly $3.5K worth of credits and benefits. Some of the credits include a $600 for hotels, a $400 credit at restaurants with Resy, a $300 Lululemon credit, and even a $200 credit at Oura ring. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

One of the most important pieces of Amazon’s corporate empire? Its Prime subscription business

Prime drives customer loyalty and boosts Amazon’s revenue through its monthly and yearly fees. The key components included with a Prime subscription include free two-day shipping on eligible items, as well as access to services like Amazon Music and Prime Video.

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.

The 'Centurion' card is American Express' highest tier, invite-only credit card

The Centurion card or "black card" debuted in 1999 and created the trend of credit card companies' most exclusive cards being black. Centurion cards are technically invite-only, but you can fill out a form to request being considered for the card. It has a $5K initiation fee and a $5K annual fee.

Private equity's expansion into healthcare has been criticized for raising patient medical costs

Between 2000 and 2018, PE's total investment in healthcare ballooned from $5B to $100B. While healthcare systems originally began consolidating as a solution to navigating complex regulations (and to make working with insurance companies easier), research suggests that private equity has both increased patient costs and decreased the quality of care in hospitals and doctors' offices.

The cost of covering family health insurance has tripled in 20 years

The Milliman Medical Index tracks the real cost of health insurance for people covered through employer-sponsored plans. In 2025, healthcare for a family of four cost an average of $35K, including employer contributions, out-of-pocket expenses, premiums, and offset wages.

Why American Express charges merchants more than other card companies to accept AmEx

Each card network charges merchants a discount rate, which is a fee merchants pay to accept cards. American Express charges higher discount fees than competitors like Visa and Mastercard as the business is more reliant on fees for operation.

American Express runs on a 'spend-centric' model, using perks and merchant fees to drive profit

American Express cardholders tend to spend more money per transaction than other credit card users, which makes the interchange fees merchants have to pay to accept American Express cards worth it while incentivizing other companies to pay the interchange fee as well.

American Express intentionally targets wealthy cardholders, who spend higher amounts per transaction and tend to make more transactions than the average cardholder, thereby reducing the company's risk.

The most expensive private schools in the US

Private schools can offer students specialized education and one-of-a-kind opportunities, but those often come with a price, with some schools charging close to six figures. Check out this list of the four most expensive American private schools, which charge more than most four-year colleges.

American Express charges merchants more than other card companies to accept AmEx, making Visa a more accessible option for many merchants.

Each card network charges merchants a discount rate, which is a fee merchants pay to accept cards. American Express charges higher discount fees than competitors like Visa and Mastercard as the business is more reliant on fees for operation.

As of 2022, Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and SpaceX are the primary space tourism companies

Blue Origin offers 11-minute suborbital flights for $28M, while Virgin Galactic provides a 90-minute suborbital flight for $450,000. SpaceX offers orbital flights for $55M, including trips to the International Space Station, and plans to offer civilians trips to the moon by 2030.

How dentistry evolved from carnival sideshow to respected medicine

The field, which has remained siloed from other medical care, also has a separate insurance system. This podcast walks through how and why dental insurance often remains capped at $1,500 primarily to cover cleanings, and it wouldn't cover catastrophes—unlike many other medical or housing insurance models.

In 2013, American Express became the first credit card company to open an airport lounge

American Express opened its first airport lounge, the Centurion, in Las Vegas more than a decade ago. Since then, not only has American Express increased the number of lounges it has in airports across the country, but other credit card companies have also opened lounges.

Support groups are typically free, which makes them widely accessible

The groups are typically run by someone with the same illness or set of experiences and can provide clear, practical knowledge about navigating healthcare resources, bureaucracy, and more. Since they function on trust, however, there are no legal confidentiality prohibiting people from sharing what's discussed. What's more, group leaders may not be uniformly trained or certified.

Freestanding emergency departments are growing increasingly common

These satellite emergency rooms, though not yet approved in all states, are helping meet the need for emergency services beyond a hospital setting. But from an insurance perspective, they are considered emergency rooms—not urgent care. Freestanding emergency rooms grew tenfold from 2001 to 2016.

In the 1960s, Virginia became home to the first emergency department in the US.