What is Concierge Medicine and How Does It Work?

In the United States, your healthcare experience depends significantly on the quality of care and the relationship you build with your physician. 

Choosing the right model of care is one of the most impactful decisions you can make. While looking for a physician that best fits your needs, you might have encountered the term “concierge care” or “concierge doctor.” Understanding how this model differs from traditional healthcare can help you make an informed choice about your medical care. 

We’ll examine what a concierge doctor is, how a concierge model of care works for doctors and patients, and what support Castle Connolly Private Health Partners offers its members. 

Table of Contents

What is Concierge Medicine?

Concierge medicine is a membership-based model of care that provides a connective approach to healthcare. The term concierge doctor applies to physicians who offer this membership-based approach to medicine to provide patients with care that is often more collaborative, connected, and personalized.  

More simply, concierge medicine means patients pay a fee to their physician’s office for a higher level of service and connectivity to their physician. 

Members under this model typically enjoy more connectivity to their primary care physicians. Under the Castle Connolly Private Health Partner (CCPHP) concierge model, Members are given a direct line of communication with their physician 24/7. Members can connect to a network of exceptional partner physicians when their physician is away or if a specialist is needed. 

Physicians under this model of care are often dedicated to providing their Members with unparalleled support through extended visits, direct communication, and wellness benefits.

What Can the Concierge Model Offer Patients? 

When you need to see your doctor, how long do you wait for an appointment? Are your visits long enough to discuss your health concerns? When you’re concerned, can you call your doctor’s office and expect an answer? 

Concierge care offers a return to personal and collaborative care for patients who wish to be seen as more than a number in a system. 

Visiting the office of a CCPHP physician means extended visits and un-rushed, in-depth conversations about healthcare. Concierge patients/members can contact their physician 24/7 and set up same or next-day appointments with little to no wait time.

Unparalleled Connectivity 

In a concierge model of care, patients benefit from increased time and collaboration with their physicians. 

Talking to their doctors during extended visits makes people feel more connected to their care provider and that their medical needs have been fully addressed. 

Members of CCPHP can enjoy 24/7 connectivity to their primary care physician, extended office visits, and same or next-day appointments. 

Coordination of Care

Patients can expect their concierge physician to coordinate their care across healthcare settings. When it’s time to see a specialist, CCPHP physicians can quickly recommend one in the Castle Connolly Top Doctors network.  

Concierge physicians prioritize easy referrals and timely follow-up with patients regarding specialist appointments and test results. Patients can expect their physician to stay informed about their progress and collaborate assertively with specialists, ensuring that treatment plans align with their overall healthcare goals.

Collaboration With Healthcare Providers

Without long wait times, seeking preventative care is easier than ever. 

Regular preventive checkups can lead to better health outcomes and decreased rates of hospitalizations. Scheduled checkups and screenings allow chronic diseases and conditions to be detected and treated earlier. 

Without a collaborative approach to healthcare, the possibility of catching these conditions later could lead to increased pharmaceutical costs and more invasive treatments.

Wellness Resources 

Health and wellness go hand in hand. To support concierge Members on the path to a healthier lifestyle, CCPHP offers resources through the SENS Solution Wellness Program. 

Standing for sleep, exercise, nutrition, and stress management, the SENS Solution Wellness Program offers resources like personal health coaching and exclusive blogs, newsletters, recipes, webinars, and affinity partnerships.  

Related Post: Understanding the SENS Solution Wellness Program

Most importantly, this wellness program is effective. 

After two or more coaching sessions, 75% of Members with exercise-oriented goals and 77% with nutritional-related goals reported making behavioral changes through one-on-one sessions, guidance, and ongoing assessments.

How Do Patients Find Concierge Physicians?   

After deciding if concierge healthcare is a good fit, patients can either schedule a free consultation or get in touch with a CCPHP representative at 212-367-1950.  

What Can the Concierge Model Offer Physicians? 

A partnership with a concierge program allows partner physicians to return to the reasons they chose to practice medicine in the first place.

Physicians' Time is Back in Their Hands

Concierge models of care, like CCPHP, offer administrative support to physicians. This extra guidance allows doctors to focus their time on treating their Members. 

After partnering with a concierge service, physicians can expect their panel size to become more manageable. The American Journal of Medicine reports that the average concierge physician typically sees six to eight patients daily, while a typical doctor can see anywhere from 20 to 24 patients daily!

Achieving Work-Life Balance 

Looking after fewer Members, in turn, allows partner physicians to devote more time to each case, manage their program, and have a greater opportunity to achieve a better work-life balance.

“I have ten years of concierge experience, first with another concierge company and for the last four years with CCPHP. What a difference! The people at CCPHP are first-class: professional, responsible, efficient, and smart. They represent me in a way that I never need to question and are genuinely interested in my success. I would recommend CCPHP to colleagues without reservations.”

—Dr. Jeffrey Graf

Maximize Your Revenue 

Concierge partner physicians enjoy improved revenue opportunities for themselves and their programs.

Related Post: Is Your Practice Sustainable? 4 Revealing Questions Every Doctor Should Ask Today.

Partnering with CCPHP means physicians can access all the necessary resources and assistance to boost their income without sacrificing valuable time with their members. We provide each practice with marketing support to increase brand awareness and attract new patients. This support allows them to focus on providing the best possible care while we take care of the rest. 

Partner physicians retain complete ownership over their clinical program. We believe this autonomy empowers physicians to make the best decisions for patients. 

Practice Conversion and Support

Many concierge care models provide partner physicians with some form of practice conversion and support. CCPHP takes additional steps to provide long-term guidance through every step of the conversion process and beyond.

Related Post: Why Do Doctors Switch to Concierge Medicine?

The CCPHP team offers detailed program analysis, personalized business planning, and pricing development to establish joint-venture practices and enable partnering physicians to focus on delivering the best possible care to members.

To simplify the transition process, we provide training with existing office staff support to ensure a white-glove treatment for your members.

Even after the conversion process concludes, CCPHP is committed to providing ongoing support through comprehensive marketing, Member recruitment, billing, and administrative services, legal guidance, Member and office support, Member engagement, succession planning, and beyond.

Physician partners also have an advanced telemedicine platform to help improve seamless connectivity with Members.

A Record of Success

There is a reason physicians continue to switch their programs to a concierge model of care—it works. Adopting this model has obvious benefits, including extended time with Members, increased revenue, and improved work-life balance.

CCPHP partners typically grow 120-130% a year (until they reach capacity), and 98% of concierge physicians have renewed and extended their relationship with CCPHP. While marketing, finance, legal, and Membership support are handled, physicians can better manage their Member panel and experience.

How Is CCPHP Different From Other Models of Concierge Care?

Choosing the right concierge care service can be overwhelming, but there are a multitude of healthcare options available.

SENS Solution® Wellness Program

Our ultimate wellness resource, the SENS Solution® Wellness Program, helps doctors and their Members alike achieve their health and wellness goals. 

Members can take their health to the next level with exclusive benefits. They get personalized health coaching, access to informative blogs, newsletters, delicious recipes, webinars, and special affinity partnerships.

For doctors, this program means healthier patients, as people who get enough sleep, eat healthily, exercise, and manage stress are at a lower risk for chronic conditions. 

Unique Physician Support

CCPHP provides physicians with unique and comprehensive benefits beyond the standard conversion support offered by most concierge programs.

CCPHP partners are encouraged to maintain their independence and practice identity.

Related Post: Prevent Physician Burnout and Put Heart into Your Practice

As highlighted above, CCPHP partners receive practice-specific marketing materials. Physicians are equipped with tools like a unique website, press releases, social media support, and a dedicated Member advisor who works to generate Membership. CCPHP takes care of reaching patients and allows physicians to focus on running their program. 

Pre-conversion analysis and continued office support are other ways CCPHP supports its partners. With the tools in place to help support the membership program, doctors can concentrate on providing care.

Interested in a Concierge Model of Care? Get in Touch With CCPHP

Physicians can schedule a chat with a CCPHP representative to learn more about the concierge model of care's potential benefits for their programs.

Patients can search for and schedule a free consultation with a concierge physician or contact our team. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Concierge Doctor?

A concierge doctor is a physician who offers a membership-based approach to medicine to provide patients with care that is often more collaborative, connected, and personalized.  Oftentimes, doctors change their practice model only to accommodate concierge appointments, allowing for a more fulfilling work-life balance. 

How Does Concierge Medicine Work?

Concierge medicine is a form of medicine that operates on a membership model where a patient pays an annual membership fee to recieve concierge services. Oftentimes, a concierge medicine membership includes extended appointment times, around-the-clock communication, and no waiting hours or weeks for your doctor appointment. By limiting the number of patients in their offices, doctors who participate in concierge medicine can dedicate more attention to their patients. 

How Does Concierge Medicine Work with Insurance?

Patients should check with their insurance provider to see if their insurance is accepted or not with the concierge clinic. 

How Do I Sign Up For Concierge Medicine Through Castle Connolly?

Prospective Castle Connolly patients can search for and schedule a free consultation with a concierge physician on our website or contact our team today. We offer a number of options to schedule a consultation immediately.