Patients considering concierge medicine in Palm Beach County usually encounter two paths: joining an MDVIP practice or choosing an independent concierge physician. I chose to build an independent practice. Here's an honest comparison of the two models so you can decide which fits your situation.
The MDVIP model
MDVIP is the largest concierge medicine network in the country, with over 1,100 affiliated physicians serving more than 360,000 patients. The company pioneered the membership medicine concept in the early 2000s and operates a national brand with standardized structure.
How it works: your physician affiliates with MDVIP and adopts their membership structure. You pay an annual fee to MDVIP. A portion supports the network; the rest supports your physician's practice. In exchange, you receive benefits like smaller panels, longer appointments, and MDVIP's wellness program.
The network model has real advantages. Brand recognition and standardization mean you know what to expect from any MDVIP practice. If you travel or split time between cities, you may access affiliated physicians in other locations. The company handles administrative infrastructure, which is attractive to physicians transitioning from traditional practice.
The independent model
Independent concierge physicians operate outside any national network. The practice is built from the ground up, designed around what the physician believes serves patients best. No corporate middleman, no standardized protocols from a national office, no portion of your membership going to network overhead.
Practically, this means full flexibility in how the practice is structured. Appointment lengths, communication methods, services included in the membership, specialist relationships, billing approach. All designed locally.
I chose the independent path deliberately. After years in traditional medicine, I wanted to build something specific to how I believe medicine works best, rather than adopt someone else's template. When a patient contacts my practice, they reach me directly. When something needs to change, I change it without navigating corporate approval.
Practical differences for patients
- Continuity. With an independent physician, you're building a relationship with that specific physician and their practice. With MDVIP, if your physician leaves the network, you decide whether to follow them or stay with MDVIP's replacement.
- Customization. Independent practices can tailor services to specific patient populations. In Palm Beach County, that includes seasonal residents needing coordination with home-state physicians and older patients managing complex medication regimens.
- Direct communication. In my practice, contact comes directly to me or my immediate team. No national call center, no layered infrastructure between you and the physician.
- Where the money goes. Your entire membership investment stays within the practice, supporting the care you receive.
- Practice philosophy. Clinical decisions get made based on the physician's judgment and your specific needs rather than protocols developed by a corporate medical board.
- Billing structure. MDVIP practices typically still bill insurance for services. My practice is private-pay; I don't bill insurance. Both are legitimate structures but meaningfully different.
Questions worth asking either type of practice
Whether MDVIP or independent, some things matter more than the branding:
Panel size. How many patients does the physician carry? Below 400 is meaningful; above 600 and the access typically falls off.
After-hours access. When you call at night, who answers? The physician directly, a covering colleague, or an answering service? How fast is the response?
What's included. Annual physical scope, visits, telehealth, house calls, lab inclusions. Where does insurance billing fit versus membership?
Philosophy. Does the physician prioritize prevention or react to acute issues? How do they handle specialist coordination?
Which fits your situation
If brand recognition and multi-city network access matter most (frequent travel, multiple homes, comfort with a national program), MDVIP offers predictability and scale.
If you value a local physician relationship, practice flexibility, full membership value staying in the practice, and a physician whose clinical decisions reflect their own judgment rather than corporate protocols, an independent practice fits better.
Neither is universally better. The right answer depends on what you're optimizing for.
If you want to talk through the specifics
If you're evaluating concierge options in Palm Beach County and want to talk through whether my independent practice fits your situation, or whether a different option (MDVIP, DPC, or traditional) would serve you better, reach out. I'll give you an honest read.
