🎯💼 Launching Your Concierge Practice? Start With These 3 Moves

By Editor, Concierge Medicine Today on November 25, 2025

One concierge medicine physician we recently interviewed said on our podcast, “If you want to operate a business, you have to know about business.”

By Concierge Medicine Today sources, with Contributions From CMT, Editor-in-Chief

Disclaimer: This interview, story, article(s), series, webinar, podcast, etc., and/or site does not constitute legal, healthcare, medical, financial or other professional advice. The statements made here are not intended to replace any professional advice. Concierge Medicine Today, LLC encourages any Physician ALWAYS to seek the counsel of a trusted professional and make an informed decision based on all the facts. Please note that an interview/story is not an endorsement. For complete terms and conditions, privacy policy, and more, click here.

ATLANTA, GA—For almost two decades now, Concierge Medicine Today (CMT) has been reporting, discussing, writing, documenting, observing, and talking directly with you (i.e., Physicians) about all the various nuances the concierge medicine industry has on display. Many faces have changed, but everyone’s spirits are still pretty high about the career satisfaction level this business model can provide physicians and patients.

At the same time, we have seen a few Doctors struggle with indecision. Particularly concerning are those physicians who are young, lack business acumen, and have little business experience, which is critical to making more informed decisions and succeeding as a physician-entrepreneur in this space.

Some doctors we’ve interviewed and observed even priced themselves well below what they should have and lived to tell their story of woe a few years later.

No matter how much enthusiasm you felt at a conference or peer pressure you’re getting from a colleague, a salesperson, your staff, or even some patients to start a subscription-based healthcare practice right now, it’s always prudent and wise to take a deep breath and examine all the possibilities, opportunities, consequences and your numbers first. This is a big decision for any Physician. It’s also not entirely your decision either. I bet your spouse, team members, and Patients might even have something to say that you should figure into your equation. For example, a supportive spouse who thinks you should do this is probably more important than a colleague or friends advice. If they’re not on board yet, physicians and industry experts have told CMT over the years, ‘Wait until they [your spouse] come around, then move into this.’

Over the years, many Concierge Medicine Physicians have told CMT that operating and starting a subscription-based, concierge or direct-to-consumer membership medicine practice was not easy. However, it was (or is) so incredibly rewarding that they’re glad they did it all these years later.

RELATED INTERVIEW | SPOTLIGHT | NATIONAL | INDUSTRY EDUCATION
EDU WEBINAR | Qualities Required for Concierge Medicine

CMT has kept in touch with so many Concierge Doctors for all these years and has followed the careers of some Doctors who opened their concierge medicine practice even in the mid-1990s. We’ve all watched as many have succeeded and have gone on to have beautiful careers — something a lot of traditional plan-reimbursed or employed Physicians, unfortunately, cannot echo.

But concierge medicine is not all sunshine and rainbows. It’s not an easy road to follow. If done correctly, concierge medicine can be one of the most rewarding career adventures a Physician will ever have. If not, well, you’re back to square one.

Given my seat on the bus in concierge medicine, I am of the persuasion that every Physician must feel confident about entering concierge medicine. The physician should put as much time, energy, thought, and research into their decision as possible in advance of making a mistake. We all want to make any decision with confidence, clarity, and certainty.

That opinion, however, is not always shared by the masses at some medical conferences. Unfortunately, well-intended enthusiasm and peer pressure have gotten the best of a few Physicians over the years.

Here at CMT, we thought we’d put together a list of helpful do’s and don’ts that new concierge and/or direct care doctors should consider to help them plan to succeed when firing up their brains to start a new subscription-based healthcare delivery practice.

1. Write your questions down first.

The concierge medicine space is filled with qualified companies and people who know what you might not know. They can help you see your blind spots.

Yes, you’re a pretty smart cookie, but there’s no way you (or anyone) can predict how your local community will receive your idea or how your staff will react to change. No one person or company can predict precisely what will happen. However, the right people with the right experience based on good information and a qualified track record of experience can help you find some control and gain some amount of confidence about how your ideas could be implemented shortly.

Therefore, writing down your questions on paper is a good start to this exploratory process. After you’ve written as many questions as you can muster over a given amount of time, it’s prudent to interview as many of the consultant(s) and individuals as you can as if they’re interviewing for a job at your practice.

And, if you still aren’t convinced to take the time to write down your questions, consider this final thought: “If you’re savvy and intelligent, which I think you are, then you know following one colleague’s pathway is not going to be right for your journey. The destination or ending might be the same, but the beginning and middle of your story is going to be different from that of your peers. So, do the work and write down your questions, however seemingly insignificant. You’ll be glad you moved ahead with assurance and clarity vs. ill-equipped and uncertain.”

Industry consultants in the private, subscription-based industry are a wealth of knowledge. Industry consultants in this space have a lot of experience and can teach you a lot of new things and even remind you and your team of some important business and leadership principles to help your practice thrive in the months and years ahead.

You may even want to consider interviewing at least three or maybe even four or five companies that have experience in the transition. Know what’s available to you in the marketplace. We’ve put together a list of industry consultants and more, here.

NOTE – Sponsor/Advertiser Disclosure Statement: We (Concierge Medicine Today, LLC) do not recommend any one company over another. We do however encourage you to talk to as many or all of them as you can so that you feel confident personally and professionally about your next steps. Many of these companies might be current or foerm advertisers or sponsors at Concierge Medicine Today, but please know that a sponsorship or interview is not considered an endorsement. The decision is yours and yours alone and you accept all risk.

Finally, CMT encourages you to interview any and every consultant(s) you can so you can find the right fit for your practice. We’d also suggest asking them all of the pesky questions you think patients and staff might ask of you as well. See how they answer these questions. For example, how long does this process of transition take for most Doctors in my specialty? Have you done any Physicians in my area? What about my EMR System … will it change? What if this doesn’t work out? What then? What happens to Patients who don’t continue with me? What’s your fee? How long is the contract with you? What’s expected of me and my team? What about legal and Medicare and Payor contracts? What’s your timeline and implementation strategy to help me do this? Do you have a patient-practice or patient-physician service contract I can review? Do you have a referral of another Physician I can talk to that has worked with you? We’re hopeful that some of these questions will get your gears turning, and you’ll eventually, with a little effort, develop your own list of questions. Oh, and do yourself a favor before you set up a meeting and write down all of your questions that are specifically important to you. Don’t leave that dinner, phone call or virtual meeting without the clarity you desire to make a more informed decision.

In summary, don’t make the mistake of putting more time into a letter you want to send to your patients outlining why you are frustrated with healthcare and need to change. Patients don’t think in terms of function, even though you do. Patients don’t care how difficult it is for you to hire and retain great staff. However, all these questions can become issues later. You should do your due diligence and write down every question. Do the work. Put in the time. If there’s one thing we know about you (eg, Physicians), you can learn new things.

RELATED STORY | BUSINESS
Should you go into business with a best friend?

2. Ask For Help.

Any good friend, trusted advisor, or peer should tell you: “No matter how hard you work, there are only 24 hours in a day and you’ve got to sleep during eight or nine of them. That’s why it’s important to reach out to people who can help you.”

Announcing that your medical practice is now accepting subscriptions, memberships, retainer fees, or going strictly to a cash-only payment system can be a scary and exciting adventure. A DIY approach, for example, can work. However, a DIY approach to transitioning your practice without legal, business, financial, accounting, and other professional help may not necessarily serve you, your personality, your comfort level with risk, your pocketbook, your bank account, your savings, your Patients, or your business/practice well in the months and years ahead. Do yourself a favor; do a little homework first, then decide if a DIY approach is right for you or if you should use a company that can help. Either way, it’s your decision. Most physicians that we’ve interviewed over the years will tell us it’s a challenge at first either way, but one adventure they are SO HAPPY they chose for their career.

Every practice and every Physician is different. You need trusted voices to help you see your blind spots. Whether it be a trusted business advisor, a qualified accountant, a CPA, etc. You also might need state-specific legal, accounting, financial, and even HR and other small business insight from trusted companies/experts to help you identify some metaphorical guard rails so your practice business plan will follow a particular path rather than steer you right into a ditch.
You also need staff around you who can support you (and believe in what your new practice model stands for). If you already have great employees, ensure they understand what you are trying to do with your new practice.
Finally, a supportive spouse who thinks you should do this is probably more important than anything. If they’re not on board yet, physicians and industry experts have told CMT, ‘Wait until they come around, then move into this.’ Education and mental buy-in is critical. If they don’t believe in what you’re about to do, you may need to make some tough decisions.

Oh, and please, don’t simply take one colleague’s word for it who may say, “You don’t need all that advice, just do it on your own.” Or when one colleague says to another, “Just do what I did.”

3. Find A Great Accountant and Fight The Battle on Paper First.

One concierge medicine physician we interviewed from North Carolina recently said in a podcast interview, “If you want to operate a business, you have to know about business.”

That’s sage advice. Good leaders and great Doctors know their numbers. They pay attention to the numbers and don’t ignore them.

Skipping the accounting step before you start your concierge-style or direct-pay practice could cause you a lot of frustration.

According to industry ‘practice conversion,’ consultants we’ve spoken to over the years often say it is always easier to fight a battle on paper (or a computer spreadsheet) than to promote first and ask questions later. For example, make a to-do list, crunch the numbers, and review your current human capital and operational resources before making any dramatic decision. No matter how much pressure you’re getting from your colleagues, staff members, or even patients to deliver certain services right now, you need to take stock, take a breath, and get all the facts. What’s right for one medical office might not be right for you.

Got thoughts you would like to share? Email us at editor@conciergemedicinetoday.org or attend our industry conference, the Concierge Medicine Forum each fall in Atlanta, GA USA.

Disclaimer: This interview, story, article(s), series, webinar, podcast, etc., and/or site does not constitute legal, healthcare, medical, financial or other professional advice. The statements made here are not intended to replace any professional advice you have gathered and are the opinions of the staff or sources gathered by Concierge Medicine Today in our interviews/research/events over the years. Concierge Medicine Today, LLC encourages any Physician to ALWAYS seek the counsel of a trusted professional and make an informed decision based on all the facts. Please note that an interview/story is not an endorsement. For complete terms and conditions, privacy policy, and more, click here.