Concierge Medicine Was Built For The Few. Here’s How To Open It To The Many.

InnovationHealthcareConcierge Medicine Was Built For The Few. Here’s How To Open It To The Many.ByEve Cunningham,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Dr. Eve Cunningham is a physician leader in senior and women’s health.Follow AuthorApr 24, 2026, 07:00am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.Senior woman teleconsulting from home. (Photo by: BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)Universal Images Group via Getty ImagesConcierge medicine is growing quickly, but access to it remains limited to those who can afford to pay out of pocket. At the same time, both patients and clinicians are signaling that the core elements of concierge care, including time, access and continuity, are not luxuries. They are what primary care has been missing.The newly released APCM codes from CMS create financial incentives to deliver these benefits at scale for clinicians and for the broader primary care population.What Is Concierge Medicine Concierge medicine, and its cousin direct primary care, are membership-based models in which patients pay a subscription for enhanced access, including same-day appointments, longer visits and direct communication with their care team. In exchange, physicians maintain smaller patient panels and deliver more personalized, relationship-driven care.Why Clinicians Are Choosing Concierge Practice ModelsThe core challenge for clinicians is capacity. As populations age and patients become more medically and socially complex, demand for care continues to rise while the clinician workforce remains constrained. In that environment, expecting a primary care physician to manage thousands of patients while also delivering relationship-driven care is a recipe for burnout and moral distress.Membership models offer a more sustainable alternative. By reducing panel sizes, allowing for longer visits and easing documentation demands, they...