Concierge Medical Care: A New Way To Better Health
What If Healthcare Actually Felt Personal?
Imagine being able to call your doctor and actually speak with them. Or getting a same-day appointment without sitting in a crowded waiting room. Imagine longer visits where your doctor really listens. That’s not a throwback to some idealized past—it’s called concierge medicine, and it’s quickly gaining popularity among people who want a more personal, accessible healthcare experience.
Concierge medicine started back in the 1990s when a doctor in Seattle got tired of how rushed and impersonal traditional medicine had become. He wanted to spend more time with his patients and focus on preventing problems—not just reacting to them. So he created a membership model: patients would pay a flat annual fee for easier access, longer visits, and a better overall experience. The idea caught on fast.
Since 2020, the number of concierge doctors in the U.S. has grown by 30%, according to the Concierge Medicine Research Collective. And it’s easy to see why. Patients are tired of 10-minute appointments and feeling like just another number. Doctors, too, are burning out from seeing thousands of patients a year. With concierge care, many reduce their patient load dramatically—often to just a few hundred—so they can focus on things like prevention, whole-person wellness, and truly knowing the people they care for.
One smart way people are making concierge care affordable is by pairing it with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP).
Here’s how that works:
HDHPs have lower monthly premiums but higher deductibles, and they’re designed more for major medical events—like hospital stays or surgeries. When paired with a Health Savings Account (HSA), you can put money aside tax-free to pay for medical expenses, including concierge membership fees, routine visits, and preventive care.
It can be a powerful combination: you get the personal attention of concierge medicine without paying sky-high monthly premiums, and you still have a financial safety net for big medical events.
For many, this setup is the best of both worlds—hands-on, relationship-based care for everyday health needs, and peace of mind if something major happens.
As healthcare keeps evolving, concierge medicine may be pointing us toward the future: a more human, patient-centered way of doing things that puts connection and care back at the heart of medicine.