The NYT Ethicist Weighs in on Concierge Medicine

This is a thought-provoking read for anyone thinking about the future of medicine, physician burnout, and why so many doctors are reimagining how they practice.

The New York Times Ethicist frames concierge (or membership) medicine not as a moral failing, but as a symptom of a broken health care system. A system where time and thoughtful conversation are undervalued, procedures are rewarded over relationships, and primary care physicians are pushed into 15-minute visits just to keep the lights on. The result is not only frustrated patients, but widespread “moral injury” among doctors too — so much so that a 2023 report found one in four U.S. physicians consider leaving clinical medicine altogether.

Concierge medicine, the Ethicist argues, is often a way for physicians to step off the hamster wheel and practice the kind of medicine they were trained to provide: attentive, cognitive, relationship-based care. And in many cases, it may keep experienced physicians in practice rather than losing them entirely.
The real ethical challenge isn’t individual doctors or patients making personal choices. It’s a system that consistently devalues time, attention, and primary care — and one that ultimately demands policy-level solutions.

Click here to read the full article on the NYT:

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/20/magazine/concierge-medical-practice-ethics.html