FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Independent analysis estimates fewer than 2% of U.S. physicians practice in membership-based models and describes growth as steady and incremental

ATLANTA, GA, November 1, 2026. Concierge Medicine Today (CMT), an independent trade publication covering concierge and membership-based medicine since 2007, today released The 2026 Concierge & Membership Medicine Industry Report, a market intelligence briefing for healthcare executives, investors, policy observers, physician leaders, and employers evaluating these care models.

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The report draws on publicly available workforce data, federal policy guidance, market research, and CMT’s longitudinal observation of the field. Because concierge, direct primary care, and membership-based practices are not tracked through any centralized national registry, CMT presents its market figures as directional estimates rather than precise counts.

Key observations from the report

• A small segment of the physician workforce. CMT estimates that approximately 8,000 to 12,000 U.S. practices operate under some form of subscription or membership structure. Assuming an average of 1.2 to 1.5 physicians per practice, CMT estimates roughly 9,600 to 18,000 participating physicians. Measured against the approximately 1.1 million professionally active U.S. physicians reported by KFF as of September 2025, that represents fewer than 2% of the physician workforce.
• Steady, incremental growth. The report characterizes expansion as gradual and uneven, with adoption concentrated in urban, suburban, and higher-income markets. It identifies regulatory structure, reimbursement system inertia, capital requirements, workforce availability, and local demographics as constraints on growth.
• Operating alongside traditional care. According to the report, membership-based models generally operate alongside insurance-reimbursed medicine rather than replacing it. For context, U.S. national health expenditures reached $5.3 trillion in 2024, according to the CMS Office of the Actuary.
• A diverse range of models. The report describes hybrid membership models, which combine a recurring fee with continued insurance participation, as the most commonly observed structure. It also profiles fee-for-care and cash-based practices, direct primary care, specialty-based membership practices, employer-sponsored and executive health programs, health system-affiliated offerings, and small-panel bespoke concierge practices, and observes that no single dominant model has emerged.
• Workforce sustainability as a driver. The report identifies physician burnout, administrative burden, and early retirement trends as factors behind physician interest in smaller-panel, continuity-focused practice design. It notes that traditional primary care panels commonly range from 2,000 to 3,000 patients, while membership-based panels are often several hundred, and that practice transitions typically involve 12 to 18 months of planning.
• Influence beyond market share. CMT’s analysis suggests membership-based practices are contributing to broader conversations about access, scheduling, physician communication, and preventive engagement across healthcare.
• A cautious view of outcomes. The report notes that research in broader healthcare settings has associated continuity of care with improved outcomes in some populations. It also cautions that large-scale independent studies specific to concierge models remain limited, that much available data is observational or organization-reported, that selection bias may be present, and that membership-based care should not be interpreted as guaranteeing superior clinical outcomes.
• Selective institutional adoption. The report observes that some academic medical centers operate concierge programs and that employer interest is concentrated in executive health, leadership retention, and self-funded plan experimentation. It concludes that broader employer adoption would likely depend on clearer longitudinal cost-benefit data.
• Federal HSA guidance on direct primary care. The report references recent federal guidance affecting direct primary care. On December 9, 2025, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service issued Notice 2026-05. Under that guidance, beginning January 1, 2026, otherwise eligible individuals enrolled in certain direct primary care service arrangements may contribute to a health savings account and may use HSA funds to pay periodic DPC fees, subject to statutory requirements, including monthly fee limits that are adjusted annually for inflation. The guidance applies to direct primary care arrangements that meet specific criteria. Whether any particular practice or arrangement qualifies depends on its structure and facts, and practice labels alone do not determine tax treatment. Individuals and practices should consult a qualified tax advisor.
• Considerations for investors. The report outlines structural characteristics investors commonly evaluate in this segment, including recurring revenue in some practice designs, physician-dependent economics, scalability that differs from multi-site consolidation models, sensitivity to local demographics, and regulatory complexity. These observations are offered as general industry context and not as investment guidance.

Availability

The 2026 Concierge & Membership Medicine Industry Report is available for purchase at https://conciergemedicinetoday.net/shop/p/concierge-membership-medicine-industry-intelligence-report. CMT’s annual Concierge Medicine Forum takes place every October in Atlanta, GA USA.

About Concierge Medicine Today

Concierge Medicine Today is an independent trade journal and educational platform for physicians, clinicians, and healthcare professionals in concierge and membership-based care. Founded in 2007, CMT is not owned or controlled by any health system, hospital network, vendor, or membership association, and reports on the full range of practice models and ownership structures in the field. CMT also produces the industry’s annual medical education conference, the Concierge Medicine Forum.

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Sources

1. Concierge Medicine Today, LLC. The 2026 Concierge & Membership Medicine Industry Report. 2026. [Insert URL]. Practice and physician counts are CMT estimates.
2. KFF. Professionally Active Physicians. State Health Facts. September 2025 data. https://www.kff.org/state-health-policy-data/state-indicator/total-active-physicians/
3. Hartman, M., et al., National Health Statistics Group, Office of the Actuary, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. National health expenditures in 2024. Health Affairs, January 2026. As reported by Managed Healthcare Executive, January 15, 2026. https://www.managedhealthcareexecutive.com/view/national-health-expenditures-2024-recap
4. U.S. Department of the Treasury and Internal Revenue Service. Treasury, IRS provide guidance on new tax benefits for health savings account participants under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill (IR-2025-119; Notice 2026-05). December 9, 2025. https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/treasury-irs-provide-guidance-on-new-tax-benefits-for-health-savings-account-participants-under-the-one-big-beautiful-bill

Reference to government agencies, research organizations, and publications is for citation purposes only and does not imply their endorsement of CMT or this report.

Disclaimer

The 2026 Concierge & Membership Medicine Industry Report and this release are provided for general informational and educational purposes only. They do not constitute medical, legal, regulatory, tax, financial, investment, or practice management advice, and are not intended as transaction guidance, underwriting analysis, valuation opinion, or compliance certification. Market sizing, adoption, and growth figures are directional estimates based on multiple sources and observed trends, not precise counts. Forward-looking observations are analytical assessments and not predictions or guarantees of future results. Regulatory and tax treatment varies by jurisdiction and by the specific structure of each practice or arrangement. Readers should conduct independent due diligence and consult qualified legal, tax, and financial professionals before making decisions. Concierge Medicine Today does not endorse or recommend any specific business model, vendor, organization, or course of action, and assumes no responsibility for outcomes resulting from reliance on this information.

© 2026 Concierge Medicine Today, LLC. All rights reserved.

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