More people are opting out of waiting for a doctor’s appointment and opting into concierge medicine, paying more for better access.
A recent report found the market for concierge medicine was valued at over $20 billion in 2024 and expected to grow to nearly $36 billion by 2030.
CBS News Miami explored why some people are willing to pay the price to skip the waiting room.
As a stock trader and investment manager, Ian Scott is well aware of the value of time. When he’s not working, how much time it takes to manage his healthcare — from seeing a doctor to getting medication — takes little to no time at all.
“Sometimes, you could reach out [with my old doctor] and it would never happen,” he said. “Now, the prescriptions get called in within the hour.”
Scott is a patient of Dr. Tiffany Di Pietro’s concierge medical practice in Fort Lauderdale. He pays $425 a month for unlimited visits and access. Scott even has the doctor’s cell phone number at his fingertips in case he needs to ask a question.
Di Pietro has been a cardiologist for 10 years but gave up her traditional practice for personalized medicine.
“It got overwhelming to deal with insurance companies [and] reimbursements,” she told CBS News Miami. “Primary care doctors, most have between 3,000 and 5,000 patients, especially in South Florida, where they see 6 to 8 patients an hour — I see one or two an hour.”
By definition, “concierge medicine” is a membership-based medical practice that offers more personalized care for an annual fee.
Here in South Florida, costs can range from $2,000 to $10,000 a year. That cost is not covered by insurance; however, regular insurance will cover things like tests, imaging, and prescribed medication while seeing a concierge doctor. And a concierge doctor makes it easier to connect with specialists when you need them.
“One of the biggest advantages is preventative medicine,” Scott said. “Access to my previous doctor was awful and when they would get back to me frequently, they didn’t know my name.”
That access, along with quicker wait times and identifying risks sooner, has driven enrollment at the country’s largest membership-based health care service, MDVIP, which is based in South Florida.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Andrea Klemes told CBS News Miami that their 1,300 doctors are treating 400,000 patients across the country — a 65% increase in just the last five years.
Why the switch? She told CBS News Miami it comes down to the rule of threes: “It takes them three weeks to get an appointment, three hours in a waiting room, and three minutes with a doctor.”
MDVIP’s recent physician survey of 401 primary care doctors found that 81% of primary care physicians felt that they don’t have enough time with their patients, and 52% said they would choose a different specialty if they could do it all over again.
“We have published data on many things — saving the health care system money but also our patients have less heart attacks and strokes, live longer and have better control of their diabetes and high blood pressure,” Klemes said.
Di Pierrot limits her concierge practice to about 300 patients. She still works long hours and technically is on-call, but she told CBS News Miami that she’ll never go back to running a standard practice.
“I feel so much less stress,” she said. “Now, I go home, and my work is done. Most importantly, I feel like I did everything right today.”
