If you've decided concierge medicine fits your situation, the practical question is how to actually make the switch without creating gaps in your care. It's not complicated, but a few steps done in the right order make the transition smooth rather than chaotic. Here's a step-by-step framework.
TL;DR The 6-step transition:
- Know what the model actually is (and what it isn't)
- Evaluate the specific physician (panel size, what's included, billing model, credentials)
- Understand how insurance fits (concierge runs alongside, not instead of)
- Transfer your medical records (HIPAA gives you 30 days; faster electronically)
- Schedule the initial comprehensive visit (60-90 minutes; don't rush this)
- Notify your current physician (clean handoff matters)
Best timing: before you urgently need the new physician, not during a crisis. To reach the practice: call 561-468-6981
Step 1: Know what the model actually is
Before switching, understand what you're changing and what you're not. Concierge medicine means a direct relationship with your physician rather than episodic care through a revolving door of providers.
In my practice, the switch typically means:
- Same-day or next-day visits become standard rather than rare
- Direct cell-phone access to me for medical questions, day or night
- Appointments of 30 to 60 minutes
- Comprehensive annual exams with detailed labs and preventive planning
- Specialist coordination I handle directly
- Hospital involvement if you're admitted
- House calls across Palm Beach County, included
What you're leaving: a traditional practice where the physician is responsible for 2,000 to 3,000 patients and structurally cannot provide this level of attention. (Full breakdown of how the concierge tiers compare and what each costs.)
Step 2: Evaluate the specific physician
Not all concierge practices are the same. The questions that separate them:
Panel size. How many patients does the physician actually carry today (not the cap, the current number)? Below 400 is meaningful; above 600 and you may not see much improvement over traditional care. Mine caps at 50.
What's included in the membership. Look for annual comprehensive exams, direct access, same-day sick visits, coordination, preventive planning, and house calls if relevant. These should be the standard offering, not premium add-ons. (Full breakdown of what's included in this practice's membership.)
Billing model. Does the practice bill insurance for services in addition to the membership, or is it private-pay? Neither is wrong; the answer matters for how the relationship works.
Credentials and experience. Board certification in Internal Medicine, active unrestricted license, verifiable record through state board.
Meet before committing. Any reputable concierge practice offers a consultation where you can meet the physician, ask questions, and assess fit before signing. (Full evaluation framework: questions to ask any concierge practice.)
Step 3: Understand how insurance fits
Concierge medicine works alongside your health insurance, not instead of it. Your insurance still covers specialist visits, hospitalizations, lab work, imaging, and prescriptions. The membership covers what the physician delivers personally.
In my practice specifically, which is private-pay, I don't bill insurance at all. You keep your insurance for everything that happens outside my office. For patients on high-deductible plans specifically, this structure often works well; the membership replaces fragmented out-of-pocket primary care while the HDHP handles catastrophic events.
For seasonal residents, the value compounds. A Florida physician who actually knows you beats urgent care visits with strangers every time something comes up during the winter months. (How concierge medicine works for snowbirds specifically.)
Step 4: Transfer your medical records
Before your first appointment, request records from your current primary care physician: recent labs, imaging reports, medication lists, notes from specialists. Under HIPAA, your current practice must provide these within 30 days. Many offices can send electronically, which is faster.
Useful to bring to the first visit:
- Complete medication list including supplements and over-the-counter products
- Pharmacy information
- Contact details for every specialist you see regularly
- Recent hospital discharge summaries, if any
- Family history updates
- A list of questions or concerns you want to cover
If this feels overwhelming, practice staff at most concierge practices can help coordinate record transfers.
Step 5: Schedule the initial comprehensive visit
A first concierge visit shouldn't look like a standard office appointment. In my practice, initial visits run 60 to 90 minutes and cover the complete medical history, family history, lifestyle, health goals, and concerns.
This isn't a rushed encounter. It's the foundation for the relationship. Patients often use this visit to surface things that previously got glossed over: symptoms they never had time to mention, family history details, questions they'd been sitting on for years. (Full breakdown of what an executive-level annual physical actually includes.)
Step 6: Notify your current physician
This step feels awkward, but it's worth doing. Let your current primary care physician know you're transitioning. You don't owe an explanation, but a clean handoff ensures good records flow and maintains the relationship in case you need anything from that office later.
Most physicians understand. The traditional system's structural problems aren't the individual doctor's fault, and they know it as well as patients do.
Timing the switch
The best time to switch is before you urgently need to, not during a health crisis. Establishing the relationship when you're well lets the physician build a baseline, allows records to transfer without time pressure, and means you have the access in place when something does come up.
For patients considering this, I usually recommend scheduling the initial visit at least a few weeks before any anticipated travel, elective procedure, or expected medical event, so we have time to establish things properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my current doctor be upset if I switch?
Most aren't. Traditional primary care physicians know the structural constraints of their model better than patients do; they're often relieved when patients with complex needs find a setting better suited to those needs. A polite notice and a records-release request is the entire interaction. You don't owe a justification.
How long does the records transfer typically take?
HIPAA gives the current practice 30 days to provide your records, but in practice it's usually faster (a week or two). Many practices can send records electronically the same week. Specialist records may take longer; if your situation involves multiple specialists, start the requests early so the new physician has a complete picture by the first visit.
What if I'm in the middle of treatment for a chronic condition?
This is exactly where careful timing matters. Ideally, schedule the transition around natural breakpoints in care (post-procedure, between specialist follow-ups, between annual physicals). The new physician can take over chronic-condition management without disruption if there's good record handoff and a coordinated visit early in the transition. For acute situations, sometimes it makes sense to delay the switch by a few weeks.
Can I keep some of my existing specialists when I switch?
Absolutely. Concierge medicine changes your primary care relationship, not your specialist relationships. Your cardiologist, endocrinologist, dermatologist, and any other specialists stay exactly the same if you want them to. The new primary care physician will coordinate with them going forward; some patients use the transition as an opportunity to consolidate or review their specialist roster, but neither is required.
What if it doesn't work out and I want to switch back?
That happens occasionally and isn't a problem. The membership structure means you're not locked in long-term; most concierge practices structure as month-to-month or annual with reasonable cancellation. If the fit isn't right, you can return to traditional primary care without burning bridges. The reverse is harder (going back from concierge to a 7-minute primary care relationship), so most patients who try concierge stay; the small minority who leave usually had a different reason than dissatisfaction (relocation, financial change, etc.).
Can I do the transition remotely if I'm a snowbird transitioning before arrival in Florida?
Yes. Initial paperwork, records transfer, and a video consultation can all happen before you arrive. Many of my snowbird patients establish the relationship in October or November before their season starts so the in-person initial visit happens in the first week or two after they get to Florida.
How to evaluate any concierge practice for the actual transition
The criterion isn't whether the practice has a polished onboarding pitch; it's whether they actually help with records transfer, communicate with your prior physicians and specialists, and structure the first visit to build a real baseline. (Full criteria for evaluating any concierge practice.)
About the Author
Dr. Ben Soffer, DO is a board-certified physician practicing concierge primary care in Boca Raton, Florida. He caps his practice at 50 patients, which makes the kind of careful, unhurried transition described above the actual operating model rather than a marketing claim.
If you're ready to talk through the transition
A no-obligation conversation about your specific situation, including what the transition would actually look like for you.
- Call: 561-468-6981
- Email: info@drbensoffer.com
- Or reach out through the contact form
