Why Switch to a Concierge Medicine Job?

The difference between a traditional primary care doctor and a concierge doctor is the structure in which they practice.

There are five key differences in the way concierge doctors practice compared to traditional PCPs:

1. See fewer patients overall and on a daily basis. 
2. Spend more time with each patient during appointments. 
3. Dedicate time each day for sudden acute care appointments. 
4. Guarantee 24/7/365 access to care by yourself or another concierge physician in your practice.
5. Provide more in-depth annual physicals.

Concierge medicine started in 1996 when a pair of Seattle doctors decided to offer a membership fee so they could deliver the same kind of care they provided the superstars of the NBA's Seattle Supersonics.

As it increased in popularity, the cost of concierge medicine for patients has decreased to become more affordable than in its luxurious beginnings.  

Today, more than 12,000 concierge doctors practice in the United States, and it's growing.

Concierge medicine seeks to solve the problems created by the current healthcare system in the United States — large patient panels, no time, inconsistent care, and a high-stress environment. 

Over the last two decades, we've learned a few things about why physicians switch to concierge medicine.

One myth about concierge medicine jobs is that physicians make the switch because they are looking to cash in and work less. Neither of those will happen in most concierge practices. 

Here are a few legitimate reasons to switch, whether from a traditional primary care practice or from another concierge practice:

1. You want to practice medicine the way you originally envisioned.
2. You’re tired of running the business.
3. You are on the path to burning out.
4. Your current practice isn’t delivering the standard of care you envisioned.
5. You want to provide even more options and amenities for your patients.

Concierge medicine allows you to slow down, develop long-term personal relationships with your patients, and walk in and out of an exam room confident in your ability to make the right diagnosis and help ensure their path to better long-term health.

Here are three main benefits of concierge medicine physician jobs:

1. More time with your patients. Guaranteed. Appointments are scheduled for at least 30 minutes, so you don't have to worry about missing something because you were rushing from one appointment to the next. 

2. Scheduling flexibility that allows you to actually see your patients when they are sick (in-person or via telehealth). Concierge medicine physicians leave appointment slots open on their calendar each day for same-day or next-day acute care appointments. No more trying to quickly treat ill patients over the phone or sending them to urgent care because your schedule is fully booked. 

3. More being a doctor, less running the business (in some practices). No managing relationships with insurance companies, negotiating building leases, managing staff, coordinating marketing, or dealing with other business worries. This can vary based on the practice. 

Concierge medicine is only for the rich. Ever heard that before? That's the number one myth regarding switching to concierge medicine. It used to be, but it has become more affordable as it grew in popularity. At PartnerMD, our patients’ annual fee is about $2,000 per year and far less for young adults and children.

Here are three more myths: 

1. Concierge medicine and direct pay primary care are the same. Concierge medicine and direct pay use different methods to be reimbursed for care.

Most concierge practices accept some form of insurance. Direct pay works entirely outside of the health insurance model to be reimbursed directly from the patient at the time of service.

2. Doctors switch to concierge medicine so they can work less. Although concierge doctors see fewer patients per day, they see each patient for longer.

Instead of squeezing in 3 patients every 30 minutes, they invest time with one patient during that 30 minutes.

Concierge doctors also see patients for longer, and more advanced, annual physicals and have on-call responsibilities after hours.

Add all this up and concierge doctors don’t usually work less, but they do feel like their work is less of a hamster wheel.

3. Doctors switch to concierge medicine because they want to make more money. There are some “concierge” doctors who charge $10,000+ annual retainer fees.

Those folks undoubtedly make a phenomenal living, but we’d call that VIP medicine or luxury medicine.

At more standard concierge practices, doctors make about the same as traditional primary care physicians.

At PartnerMD, we tell prospective physicians that compensation will be comparable to that of other salaried primary care practices in our markets.