One proven answer is concierge medicine, delivered through flexible models specifically designed for large health systems.

​​As health systems prepare for the financial impact of Medicaid reductions under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, executives are reassessing where to invest capital and how to create sustainable sources of revenue. As Becker's recently reported, several health system CEOs are shifting investments away from capital-intensive hospital projects and toward ambulatory care, including primary care, outpatient centers, and other lower-cost sites of care.
 
This shift creates an important strategic question for health system leaders: How can primary care become more financially sustainable while preserving the availability, relationships, and community presence that make it so important?
 
One proven answer is concierge medicine, delivered through flexible models specifically designed for large health systems.
 
Primary Care Is More Than a Referral Source
 
Health systems have long recognized the strategic importance of primary care. Primary care physicians sit at the center of the patient journey, maintaining relationships with broad patient populations, coordinating care, and influencing where patients receive specialty, diagnostic, and procedural services.
 
Just as important, primary care serves as one of a health system's strongest connections to the community. Primary care physicians offer something large organizations often struggle to create: personal relationships, continuity, and trust. For many patients, the primary care physician is the face of the health system.
 
Historically, however, primary care has often been valued primarily for its downstream impact rather than as a financially viable service line on its own. Today, that perspective is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain. Workforce shortages, physician burnout, reimbursement pressures, and rising operating costs are forcing health systems to take a closer look at the economics of their primary care practices.
 
At the same time, the industry's trend toward ambulatory care requires health systems to strengthen primary care, not simply maintain it. It’s more critical than ever that every service line must contribute to both strategic and financial performance.
 
Concierge Medicine Changes the Economics
 
At CCP, we have seen firsthand how a well-designed concierge medicine program can create significant new revenue from existing primary care practices, while maintaining a health system's commitment to patient care. When implemented thoughtfully, concierge medicine can help transform primary care from a traditional loss leader into a profitable and sustainable business line.
 
The key is flexibility.
 
Large health systems with multiple primary care physicians and practice locations possess a key advantage. They can offer patients the option to join a concierge program while preserving continuity of care for those who choose not to participate.
 
We accomplish this in two ways:
 
Full Practice Transition Model: A physician converts their practice entirely to concierge medicine, and patients who elect not to join the concierge program are reassigned to physicians with capacity, allowing those providers to grow their patient panels.
 
Hybrid Concierge Model: Physicians continue caring for traditional patients while offering concierge services to a small group of patients who want it.
 
Whether implemented as a full practice transition or a hybrid program, the financial impact of a Concierge Choice program can be substantial.
 
Consider a single physician participating in a hybrid concierge model. If just 100 patients enroll at an annual membership fee of $3,000, the practice generates $300,000 in recurring private-pay revenue each year. Expand that model across ten physicians, and the health system creates a new revenue stream of $3 million annually.
 
Importantly, the benefits extend beyond financial performance.
 
Physicians gain the ability to spend more time with patients, practice at a more sustainable pace, and regain professional satisfaction, all of which are increasingly valuable in an era defined by burnout and workforce shortages.
 
Patients benefit as well. Concierge medicine offers an enhanced practice experience with greater connectivity and more time with their physician. Perhaps most importantly, it gives patients the confidence and peace of mind that comes from feeling like more than just a number on a chart.
 
Primary Care May Be Healthcare's Most Undervalued Growth Opportunity
 
As health systems continue expanding their ambulatory footprint, I believe success should be measured by more than just opening new locations or hiring more physicians. The greater opportunity lies in maximizing the productivity and value of existing primary care investments.
 
A flexible concierge medicine strategy can help achieve that objective. For health systems willing to think differently, our approach to concierge medicine offers more than a supplemental service. It represents a strategic opportunity to transform primary care from a traditional cost center into a powerful engine for growth and financial sustainability.
 
At a time when Medicaid-related funding pressures are forcing difficult decisions across healthcare, the answer is to reimagine what primary care can deliver. Contact Concierge Choice Physicians at 877.888.5590 or email answers@ccpmd.com to learn more about our models and how they are being used to strengthen health systems from coast to coast.

Concierge medicine is one such opportunity. Its continued growth and popularity is something health system executives can no longer ignore. Data shows that patients want more control over their healthcare experience, and they are willing to invest in a stronger physician-patient relationship. But how can a health system implement concierge medicine without taking on another risky vendor relationship?

Fortunately, there's a way around that. Contract leakage can't exist when there is no upfront capital investment and very little investment in time or internal resources.

Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP) is the leading provider of concierge medicine services for large medical groups, hospitals, and health systems. Our flexible, no-risk approach is what has earned us a leadership position in the industry.

Here's how implementing the right membership model with CCP is truly risk-free:
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• No upfront costs. CCP invests in the research, development, marketing and launch of your health system's membership medicine program.
• No structural costs. Physicians and patients don't need to move into new, swanky offices. Physicians can practice concierge medicine right where they are, serving the patients who already know and trust them.
• No need to dismiss patients. Concierge medicine is no longer an all-or-nothing model. Membership programs can be offered as an optional service, allowing physicians to care for both concierge and traditional patients.
• Practice analysis backed by industry expertise. CCP's in-depth research identifies the physicians most likely to succeed in a concierge program, ensuring that programs are successfully developed and launched.
• Success is shared. Our contracts are structured so that CCP succeeds only when our clients succeed. This isn't the traditional vendor relationship where you pay upfront and hope for results. CCP’s compensation is tied to the revenue generated by the program, creating a symbiotic relationship that ensures mutual success.
• Start with a pilot program. Even with these safeguards, many executives prefer to start small, and that’s fine with us. Beginning with a limited cohort of physicians allows your organization to see how the program works, how it integrates into your existing structure, and how physicians and patients respond. We are confident that additional cohorts will be added after the successful launch.
• Partner with the industry leader. You may think you're avoiding contract leakage by building a concierge program internally, but do you have the expertise, dedicated staff, and time to do it successfully? Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

​Don't let the fear of a costly and unproductive contract cause you to delay—or worse, miss—an important growth opportunity for your health system. Contact us at 877.888.5590 or answers@ccpmd.com to learn more about how our contracts are structured and how you can get started with a simple pilot program.

You can also hear directly from one of our clients, Timothy P. Seibert, MPH, Chief Administrative Officer & Executive Director, Primary Care Initiative at Weill Cornell Medicine, in the Becker's Healthcare podcast, How Flexible Concierge Models Are Supporting Physician Sustainability and Patient Experience

 A highly regarded senior cardiologist was faced with all too common concern: declining reimbursements and increasing overhead costs were destabalizing his practice. After going months without receiving compensation, he knew he needed to make a change or retire. He loved his patients and they loved him too—he did not want to say goodbye to them. He met with Concierge Choice Physicians with the hope a membership option could help support his practice.

The cardiologist outlined his goals:

• He need to generate more revenue
• He did not want to dismiss any patients from his practice
• Maintaining his referral relationships was critical

After CCP’s indepth practice and patient analysis, we recommended a Hybrid Choice™ program for this cardiologist. The analysis showed the Hybrid Choice’s flexible approach to membership medicine would allow him to meet his goals in the most seamless manner, without disrupting his practice structure.
 
The proprietary patient analysis was also a validation of his life’s work, confirming the strength of the relationship he shared with patients. While the Hybrid Choice’s blended approach to concierge care allowed him to maintain his private practice, it also showed that he had the flexibiity to eventually move to a full concierge practice, when the time was right.

Three years later: The cardiologist’s limited membership program reached capacity and he earned nearly $200k per year in new revenue, all from his most loyal patients. The extra income allowed him to maintain his practice and continue to care for all of his patients. Best of all, it didn’t cost him anything to start.
 
Seven years later: The cardiologist decided to transition to a full concierge practice instead of retiring. With a much smaller patient panel made up entirely of concierge members, he continues to practice medicine while generating the same amount of yearly revenue at a pace that works for him. CCP handled his transition and continues to support and nurture his cardiology membership practice.

That is precisely why implementing the right model is critical when introducing a concierge program. Successful models keep customization and inclusivity at the forefront. Concierge Choice Physicians has evolved from the national leader in hybrid concierge medicine to the leading concierge service provider for health systems because our approach aligns with this philosophy. Quite simply, health systems and hybrid concierge medicine are a natural fit. You cannot commit to serving an entire community while offering concierge care unless the model is inclusive and centered on patient choice.

More than 20 years ago, Concierge Choice Physicians pioneered a flexible approach that put control back into patients’ hands. This model enables physicians across specialties and practice sizes to experience the benefits of concierge medicine without abandoning traditional care. Today, health systems represent our fastest-growing segment, a testament to the strength and scalability of this approach.

What Is Hybrid Choice Concierge?

Our Hybrid Choice concierge program is a flexible model of membership medicine. It allows physicians to offer patients the option to join a concierge program for an enhanced practice experience with more time and support, or remain a traditional patient in the physician’s practice.

Physicians limit the number of concierge memberships they accept, ensuring they can continue to care for all patients—both concierge and traditional. In this way, patients are empowered to choose the care experience that best suits their needs. Those who want a more personalized, highly connected experience can opt in, while others may continue as before.

Addressing Concerns About a “Two-Tiered” System

Healthcare leaders often ask: How do patients perceive this model? Does it create a sense of two-tiered medicine—where concierge patients get to see their doctor and others are left behind to see whoever is available?

This is an important and fair question.

First, we must acknowledge an existing reality: physicians today are stretched to their limits, often seeing high volumes of patients each day. Even without a concierge program, patients with urgent needs are sometimes unable to see their preferred physician and must instead see another available provider. This is not a new issue—it is a widespread challenge across traditional care models.

A thoughtfully designed limited-membership concierge program does not create this problem. Rather, it offers a solution for patients who feel strongly about having consistent and direct care from their chosen physician.

Second, the way a concierge option is introduced to patients is critically important. This is where many organizations fall short. Communicating the availability of choice—without diminishing the value of either option—requires a thoughtful, balanced approach. Patients should understand that they are not losing their physician, they are gaining the ability to tailor their healthcare experience.

The Impact on Patient Satisfaction and Physician Well-Being

Interestingly, many of our clients report that overall patient satisfaction scores improve after implementing a Concierge Choice program. While it may be obvious that concierge members would value the increased time, availability and support they receive, what often surprises administrators is that satisfaction among traditional patients also rises.

One client explained it best: “We don’t have burned-out physicians in practices with concierge programs. Our physicians are happier, and that positivity extends to all patients. They can feel the difference, and it leaves an impression.”

Reduced physician burnout leads to more engaged, attentive care—benefiting every patient, regardless of membership status.

Balancing the Needs of All Patients

Membership medicine, when implemented carefully, does not have to sacrifice patient equity. CCP’s hybrid approach demonstrates it is possible to balance enhanced services with broad availability, allowing health systems to improve revenue and physician satisfaction, while ensuring no patients are left behind.
  
For more information on Concierge Choice Physicians’ flexible, inclusive approach to concierge medicine, please contact us at 877.888.5590 or answers@ccpmd.com, or visit www.ccpmd.com/healthsystems.
 

Concierge Choice Physicians is the leading service provider for membership medicine programs in large medical groups, hospital systems and healthcare organizations. The reason why we are so successful in this market is because of our no-risk approach that allows business administrators to understand the program and how it operates before committing.

Here’s how:

Start a pilot program.

• It doesn’t cost anything to try out a CCP model. We absorb all the costs to develop, launch and market a program.
• Our flexible approach means no patients are dismissed or relocated. The structure and patient panel of a practice remain intact.
• You can select a small cohort of physicians to launch—even just one. We have deep data analytics that can help you select the right physician(s) to start with.
• Get a feel for how the program operates. See the revenue it generates. Monitor patient and physician satisfaction.

And then have your “Aha Moment,” as we like to call it.

• Your success is our success at CCP. That’s how our program is structured. It ensures an ongoing, proactive and collaborative relationship based on trust. Your business is safe in a CCP relationship.
• You maintain control of your program. We don’t take over. It’s your logo and name on marketing materials (or not, if that’s preferred). We work with your team to ensure the program is presented in a way that aligns with your goals.
• Revenue is enhanced for each physician by 35% on average, turning primary care practices from loss leaders into revenue generators.
• Professional satisfaction among participating physicians increases, and other physicians notice. They begin asking about starting a program, too.
• Patients are enthusiastic. It turns out that many patients are seeking this kind of relationship with their doctor.

You grow from there.

• The next cohort of physicians are selected.
• The program is introduced as a physician retention and recruitment tool.
• The revenue generated supports other business goals, including non-profit missions.

Our challenge is to make clear to decision makers that the first step is simple: a risk-free pilot program. That’s our hurdle, but it’s getting easier as more and more administrators are seeing health systems succeed with our approach. Once the CCP pilot program is launched, the “Aha Moment” follows quickly, and then the expansion.  

Don’t miss the opportunity to generate more revenue while improving physician and patient satisfaction. We’d love to chat with you about our pilot programs or connect you with some of our clients at large healthcare organizations. Watch a video interview with our client, from one of the largest health systems in the United States, where he discusses his experience starting a pilot program and how he’s grown from there.

At the recent Becker’s CEO+CFO Roundtable, Wayne Lipton, Managing Director of Concierge Choice Physicians (CCP), and Timothy P. Seibert, MPH, Chief Administrative Officer and Executive Director of Primary Care at Weill Cornell Medicine, explored how concierge medicine is evolving and why health systems are embracing it.
Lipton outlined the full spectrum of concierge membership models, with a focus on CCP’s Hybrid Choice™ program—an innovative, low-risk approach that allows physicians to offer concierge-level services to a limited group, while maintaining their traditional practice. Because practices preserve their entire patient panel, existing payer relationships and referral networks, the model works well and is becoming increasingly popular in large, vertically integrated healthcare organizations.

Seibert detailed why Weill Cornell Medicine chose to introduce concierge medicine, emphasizing its alignment with organizational priorities including physician satisfaction, patient demand for more personalized care, and the need for more sustainable practice revenue models. He then walked through how the system successfully integrated concierge services, highlighting operational planning, stakeholder communication, and physician engagement as key components.
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Tim concluded with a look at how CCP’s Hybrid Choice programs are currently working at Weill Cornell, noting the growth of the program, positive patient feedback, and meaningful benefits for physicians—particularly around improved work satisfaction and strengthened patient relationships.
CCP closed with a call to action: as healthcare organizations face increasing financial and operational pressures, concierge programs—especially hybrid models—offer a strategic way to stabilize revenue while elevating the patient and physician experience.