Recession Has Little Effect on Growth of Concierge Practices

The current economic recession has had little effect on the growth of concierge medical practices, the New York Times reports. The practices, also known as boutique practices, typically charge at least $1,500 annually for enhanced services, such as physicians giving out their cell phone number to patients or access to same-day appointments. The Times interviewed 20 physicians and executives in concierge practices, most of whom said that only a small number of patients had not re-enrolled in recent months. According to the Times, concierge practices generally have "shown resiliency" because the recession has "reaffirmed the importance of health care to their patients," many of whom see a link between health and continued employment (Sack, New York Times, 5/11).