MDVIP vs starting your own concierge practice

Joining MDVIP means affiliating with a membership network that evaluates your practice first (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026). If MDVIP deems the practice a good fit, it builds a transition plan and supports you afterward (MDVIP, How to affiliate with MDVIP, as of October 26, 2026). Starting your own concierge practice means you set the fee, the panel and the services, and you carry the Medicare, contract and patient transition work yourself. MDVIP practices keep billing Medicare and commercial insurance for routine visits (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026), and an independent practice can too.

This comparison is for licensed clinicians, and every source was checked October 26, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Medicare and contract rules change, so confirm your Medicare status and any agreement with counsel before you sign.

How do MDVIP and your own concierge practice compare?

The biggest differences are who sets the terms and who does the setup work. MDVIP's physician FAQ puts its typical annual fee at $2,400 to $5,000 (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026). MDVIP describes panels of around 600 members (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026). On your own, you choose the fee, the panel size and what membership includes, within Medicare rules and state law. The table uses each company's own pages for its column and federal and ethics sources for yours.

	MDVIP	Your own concierge practice
Annual patient fee	Typically $2,400 to $5,000 (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026)	You set it. Medicare doesn't cover concierge membership fees, per Medicare.gov.
Panel size	Around 600 members (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026)	You set it to match the access you promise
Daily schedule	8 to 10 patients a day (MDVIP, The MDVIP Model, as of October 26, 2026)	Set by your hours, staffing and panel
Insurance	Routine visits are billed to Medicare and commercial insurance, and the fee covers preventive care insurance doesn't reimburse (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026)	Your choice: keep billing insurance, stay out of network, or opt out of Medicare
Clinical decisions	Physicians keep full control of clinical decisions (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026)	Yours
First step	A no-cost, no-obligation practice evaluation (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026)	Your own market, payer and legal review
Approval to start	A transition plan follows if MDVIP deems the practice a good fit (MDVIP, How to affiliate with MDVIP, as of October 26, 2026)	No outside approval of the model, though licensing, credentialing and contracts still apply
Time to switch	The transition plan typically spans multiple months (MDVIP, How to affiliate with MDVIP, as of October 26, 2026)	Depends on your licensing, credentialing, payer and Medicare choices, and how you tell current patients
Help with a new practice	Guidance on site selection, credentialing, staffing and marketing (MDVIP, The MDVIP Model, as of October 26, 2026)	You do this work, hire for it, or use an operations partner
Patients who don't join	MDVIP helps physicians set continuity-of-care plans (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026)	The AMA says to help them transfer care
Retirement	MDVIP offers succession planning (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026)	You plan your own sale or handoff

What does joining MDVIP involve?

MDVIP's how-to-join page starts with a practice evaluation (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026). MDVIP says you don't need to own a practice to affiliate (MDVIP for physicians, as of October 26, 2026). MDVIP's physician page also says a dedicated account manager supports patient communications, marketing, compliance and technology (MDVIP for physicians, as of October 26, 2026).

1. MDVIP runs a no-cost, no-obligation practice evaluation (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026).
2. If MDVIP deems the practice a good fit, it builds a personalized transition plan (MDVIP, How to affiliate with MDVIP, as of October 26, 2026).
3. MDVIP says that plan typically spans multiple months, though timelines vary (MDVIP, How to affiliate with MDVIP, as of October 26, 2026).
4. After launch, MDVIP gives ongoing support that includes marketing tools, regulatory and administrative guidance, and clinical resources (MDVIP, How to affiliate with MDVIP, as of October 26, 2026).

What does starting your own concierge practice involve?

You write the membership terms, settle your Medicare status, plan for patients who decline, and set up the business. Nobody screens the practice for you, so the fee and panel math is yours to test. The concierge practice guide walks through each step. These are the duties that come with a retainer model under the AMA Code of Medical Ethics:

1. Present the retainer terms clearly, including what they mean for the patient's insurance.
2. Don't imply that the retainer buys more or better medical care.
3. Keep each patient's decision voluntary, with a real choice to decline.
4. Help patients who decline transfer their care. If a local transfer isn't feasible, keep caring for them under their existing insurance until other care is arranged.
5. Keep billing honest, and separate retainer charges from care that insurance pays for.

How do Medicare rules apply on each path?

Medicare rules bind every concierge practice that sees Medicare patients, whichever path you take. As of October 26, 2026, Medicare.gov says Medicare doesn't cover concierge membership fees, and that doctors who offer concierge care must still follow all Medicare rules. On your own, your Medicare status is a decision you make with counsel before you set a fee.

Your Medicare status	What Medicare.gov and the regulations say
Accept assignment	The membership fee can't add charges for Medicare-covered services, unless Medicare won't pay, and then you give a written Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage
Don't accept assignment	You can charge above the Medicare-approved amount for covered services, up to the 15% limiting charge
Opt out	You file an affidavit with each Medicare Administrative Contractor you would bill, and each private contract with a Medicare patient has to meet the federal rules, under 42 CFR 405.410. The initial opt-out period runs two years.

All Medicare doctors can charge for items and services Medicare doesn't cover, Medicare.gov says. MDVIP's patient FAQ says its annual fee isn't reimbursable by insurance (MDVIP patient FAQs, as of October 26, 2026).

What should you ask before signing an affiliation agreement?

An affiliation agreement decides how much of the membership fee you keep and how hard it is to leave. Get each answer in writing, and have a healthcare attorney read the contract. State law on non-competes varies, so check yours in the non-compete guide before you sign.

1. What share of each membership fee does the network keep, and does it take a share of insurance billing?
2. How long is the term, and how does renewal work?
3. Is there a non-compete or non-solicitation clause, and what are its radius and length?
4. What does leaving early cost, and who owns the patient list and records afterward?
5. Who sets the patient fee and the panel cap, and can you change them?
6. What happens to patients who decline to join?

Should you join MDVIP or start your own concierge practice?

Choose MDVIP if you want a set model, an evaluation before you commit (MDVIP physician FAQs, as of October 26, 2026) and hands-on help through the switch (MDVIP, How to affiliate with MDVIP, as of October 26, 2026). Choose your own practice if you want to set every term yourself and can take on the legal, billing and patient transition work. Either way, read the agreement with counsel and test the fee against the time you can give each patient.

Where does Vye Health fit?

You're an independent clinician running your own practice. Vye is the infrastructure and operations layer. You control clinical decisions, hours, patient relationships, and your business model. Vye Health helps providers launch, run, and grow private practices.

Vye manages licensing, credentialing, malpractice insurance, and your website, and payer contracts if you want them. Vye runs bookings, billing, coding, denials, and compliance. Vye bills insurance for your practice.

If you want your own concierge practice without building the back office alone, apply to Vye Health.