Direct Primary Care vs Concierge Medicine: What Is the Difference?

People use the two terms interchangeably, and some practices use both, so it pays to know the difference before you sign anything. The models share one idea, a doctor with fewer patients who gives you more time, and differ on the question that decides your cost: whether the practice bills your insurance.

Concierge medicine

A concierge practice charges an annual retainer for access. The retainer buys a smaller panel, longer appointments, a direct line to the physician and often extras like an executive physical. Retainers commonly run from $2,000 a year to well above $10,000. The practice then bills your insurance for the visits and services it provides, and you pay your copays and deductible on top of the retainer. Concierge is a premium layer on the insurance system.

Direct primary care

A DPC practice charges a flat monthly fee instead of billing insurance. The fee is the entire payment for your primary care: visits, basic in-office tests and procedures, and direct access. The national average is about $98 a month. There are no claims, no copays for office visits and no surprise bill after a visit. You keep separate coverage for everything outside primary care, but the practice never touches it. Florida's section 624.27 defines this model in law as a direct health care agreement and requires the practice to tell you in writing that it is not insurance.

Side by side

Question	Concierge medicine	Direct primary care
How the doctor is paid	Annual retainer plus insurance billing per visit	Flat monthly fee only
Typical cost	$2,000 to $10,000+ per year, plus copays	$50 to $150 per month, no copays
Insurance paperwork	Claims for every visit	None for primary care
Same-day access	Usually	Usually
Labs and generics	Billed to insurance	Wholesale cash prices passed through
HSA treatment	Retainer is generally not a qualified expense	Fee up to $150/mo is HSA-compatible from 2026
Still need coverage?	Yes, and the practice bills it	Yes, for hospital, specialist and catastrophic care

Hybrids and how to spot them

Some practices run both models in one building, or call a membership "concierge" while operating as DPC. A few of the practices in this directory take Medicare or a commercial plan for some services while charging a membership for primary care. The question that cuts through the labels is simple: does the practice file a claim with my insurance for an office visit? If the answer is yes, budget for a retainer plus insurance costs. If the answer is no, the monthly fee is what you pay, and the only other decision is which coverage to pair with it.

Questions people ask

Is direct primary care the same as concierge medicine?

No. A concierge practice charges an annual retainer, often $2,000 to $10,000, and still bills your insurance for visits. A DPC practice charges a flat monthly fee, usually $50 to $150, instead of billing insurance. The membership is the whole payment.

Which one is cheaper?

Direct primary care, by a wide margin. The national average DPC fee is about $98 a month, or under $1,200 a year. Concierge retainers commonly start at $2,000 a year and go much higher, on top of copays and deductibles billed through insurance.

Do I still need insurance with concierge medicine?

Yes, and the practice will bill it. Concierge is built on top of insurance. DPC is built beside it: you still need coverage for hospitals and specialists, but the practice itself does not file claims.

How can I tell which model a practice uses?

Ask one question: does the practice bill my insurance for office visits? If yes, it is concierge or a hybrid. If the monthly fee is the only payment for primary care, it is direct primary care.

Sources

Florida Statutes section 624.27, Direct health care agreements, Florida Legislature