How to Find a Concierge Doctor Near You

Before you search: know what you want

A search goes faster when you can describe what you are looking for. Decide in advance:

• Model. A concierge practice that bills insurance, or a direct primary care practice that does not?
• Specialty. Internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, geriatrics, or something else? See specialties and services.
• Budget. The most you are willing to pay per year on top of your insurance.
• Distance. How far you will travel, and whether virtual visits matter to you.
• Coverage. Whether the practice needs to be in your insurance network or participate in Medicare.

Step 1: Build a shortlist

No single source lists every membership practice, so use several.

• Your current clinicians. Physicians often know which colleagues run membership practices and how they are regarded.
• People you trust. A friend's experience tells you things a website will not, though one person's experience is only one data point.
• Online search. Searching for "concierge doctor" or "membership primary care" with your city will surface local practices. Read practice websites as marketing: useful for facts such as location and fees, less so for claims about quality.
• Network locators. Some national membership networks, such as MDVIP, publish their own physician finders. These list only physicians affiliated with that network. We have no relationship with any network or practice.

Aim for two to four practices to compare.

About this site. We do not operate a physician directory, and we do not recommend individual doctors. This guide explains how to do the research yourself.

Step 2: Verify credentials independently

Do not rely on a practice's own description of its physicians. Checking is free.

Medical license

DocInfo, run by the Federation of State Medical Boards, lets you search for a physician by name and see the states where they are licensed and whether any state board disciplinary actions are on record.

Your state medical board's website will also show whether a license is active and in good standing.

Board certification

Certification Matters, from the American Board of Medical Specialties, shows whether a physician is certified by one of its member boards and in which specialty.

Board certification is voluntary and separate from licensure. A license is the legal permission to practice. Certification shows that a physician has met a specialty board's additional standards.

What to look for

• An active, unrestricted license in your state
• Board certification in the specialty the practice advertises
• Any disciplinary history, and whether you are comfortable with it

Step 3: Request the documents

Ask each practice on your shortlist for:

1. The membership agreement. The full contract, not a summary.
2. The fee schedule. Membership fees, enrollment fees, and prices for services outside the membership.
3. A list of included services.

The American Medical Association's guidance on retainer practices calls for contract terms to be presented clearly. A practice that will not share its agreement before payment is asking you to buy something you have not seen.

Step 4: Compare on the things that matter

Put your shortlisted practices in a simple table of your own and fill in the same rows for each.

Our questions to ask a concierge doctor guide turns each row into specific questions.

Step 5: Check the insurance and Medicare fit

• If you have private insurance, ask whether the practice bills your plan and whether it is in network. See does insurance cover concierge medicine?
• If you have Medicare, ask whether the physician accepts assignment, is non-participating, or has opted out. Medicare explains what each status means for your costs. An opted-out physician's services are not paid by Medicare. See concierge medicine and Medicare.

Step 6: Have the conversation

If an introductory meeting is offered, use it to judge the things documents cannot show: whether the physician listens, explains clearly, and answers direct questions about fees and limits without hedging.

Notice how the practice handles ordinary logistics too. How quickly did they return your call? Did you receive the agreement when you asked for it? Those are early samples of the service you would be paying for.

Warning signs

Consider looking elsewhere if a practice:

• Will not provide the agreement before you pay
• Promises specific health outcomes or guaranteed savings
• Suggests you can drop your health insurance
• Is vague about how visits, labs, or referrals are billed
• Pressures you to decide quickly

After you choose

Arrange the transfer of your medical records, keep your insurance in place, and note the renewal date. After a few months, check whether you are getting what you expected. If not, your agreement's cancellation terms tell you how to leave.