MDVIP is the largest concierge (membership) primary care network in the U.S. A physician limits their patient panel and, in exchange, members pay an annual fee for longer visits, faster access, 24/7 physician contact, and a comprehensive wellness exam. MDVIP is not health insurance — you still need your own coverage, and the practice still bills your insurer for covered visits. Fees vary by physician and change over time; as of early 2026 they are commonly cited in roughly the $1,800–$2,400 per person, per year range, but you should confirm the current fee directly with the practice. This article is general information, not medical, tax, or financial advice.
MDVIP is widely described as the largest concierge medicine network in the United States, with a network the company reports numbers in the range of well over a thousand affiliated physicians across most states, serving hundreds of thousands of members. (These figures grow and shift over time, so treat any specific count as approximate and verify the current numbers on mdvip.com.) If you have heard about concierge medicine and wondered how to find a practice that is not reserved for the ultra-wealthy, MDVIP is often the most accessible entry point. But what is MDVIP exactly — is it a doctor’s office, an insurance company, or something else? Understanding the model before you commit an annual fee is essential.
MDVIP operates within the broader membership-based healthcare movement that includes direct primary care and independent concierge practices. This article focuses specifically on the MDVIP model — how it works, what it typically costs, what you get, and how to decide whether it fits your primary care needs.
How MDVIP Works
MDVIP is a management company that partners with existing primary care physicians to convert their practices to a concierge model. The physician keeps their own independent practice but affiliates with MDVIP, which provides business infrastructure: membership management, marketing, technology platforms, wellness-program development, and administrative support.
When a physician joins MDVIP, they reduce their patient panel from the typical 2,000-plus down to a much smaller number (MDVIP has historically cited a cap around 600 patients). Existing patients can choose to join the membership or transition to a new physician. This panel reduction is what makes the enhanced experience possible — longer appointments, same-day availability, and direct physician access are feasible when a doctor serves a fraction of the patients they previously managed.
MDVIP is not insurance. This is the single most important thing to understand. MDVIP physicians still accept and bill health insurance. When you see your MDVIP doctor for a covered service, the office bills your insurer just like a traditional practice, and your copays, deductible, and coinsurance still apply to those services. The MDVIP membership fee is a separate annual payment that covers enhanced access and the wellness program — it does not cover hospitalizations, specialists, imaging, prescriptions, surgery, or emergencies. You still need comprehensive health insurance alongside an MDVIP membership.
MDVIP Membership Cost
The annual MDVIP membership fee is set by each individual physician, not a single national price, and it changes over time. As of early 2026, MDVIP memberships are commonly discussed in roughly the $1,800 to $2,400 per person, per year range, with many practices clustering toward the lower end (about $1,800, or roughly $150 per month) and some in higher-cost markets charging more. Because these figures move, confirm the current fee directly with the specific practice before you decide. The fee is paid to the physician’s office, usually annually, though some practices offer quarterly or semi-annual payment options.
The fee is generally per person — each adult who wants to be a patient pays their own annual membership — so for a couple the combined cost is roughly double. Children’s memberships may be available at a reduced rate, but not all MDVIP physicians see pediatric patients; ask the practice.
Remember that the membership fee is in addition to your regular health insurance costs. Your total primary care spending includes the MDVIP annual fee plus whatever insurance cost-sharing applies to visits and services billed through insurance. While MDVIP’s fee is modest compared with premium concierge practices that can charge many thousands of dollars per year, it is still a meaningful addition to your annual healthcare costs, and worth weighing against how you actually use primary care.
What’s Included in MDVIP Membership
Every MDVIP membership is built around the MDVIP Wellness Program, the centerpiece of the value proposition. Specific inclusions can vary by physician, so confirm details with the practice.
Annual wellness evaluation. MDVIP’s wellness program centers on a comprehensive annual exam that goes well beyond a standard physical, typically including an expanded set of screenings — advanced cardiovascular and metabolic testing, body-composition analysis, and personalized health-risk scoring — and taking substantially longer than a typical rushed physical. Results are compiled into a personalized wellness plan with goals and follow-up benchmarks. The exact tests included can vary by practice and year.
Same-day or next-day appointments. With a much smaller panel, MDVIP physicians generally have the schedule flexibility to accommodate same-day sick visits and next-day routine appointments. Members frequently report dramatically reduced wait times compared with traditional practices.
Extended office visits. Standard MDVIP appointments generally run longer than the traditional-practice average, allowing more thorough discussion, unhurried examination, and collaborative decision-making.
24/7 physician access. Members can typically reach their doctor after hours through a dedicated line. The exact level of after-hours access varies by physician — some share a personal cell number, others use an answering service that pages them. Secure messaging through the member portal is generally available for non-urgent questions.
Care coordination. MDVIP physicians coordinate specialist referrals, help navigate hospital admissions, follow up after procedures, and serve as a central point of contact. When you are dealing with multiple specialists, having one physician overseeing the full picture helps prevent conflicting treatments and missed follow-ups.
Telemedicine. Virtual-visit capability is generally built into the membership, letting you see your own MDVIP doctor by video or phone for appropriate concerns.
MDVIP’s Track Record
MDVIP has published peer-reviewed research examining its model. A 2012 study in the American Journal of Managed Care reported that MDVIP patients had substantially fewer hospital admissions than a matched control group in traditional primary care, along with higher rates of preventive screening and better management metrics for some chronic conditions. It is worth noting this research is now more than a decade old, so treat it as historical evidence rather than a current guarantee.
The company also reports high completion rates for the annual wellness evaluation among members — unsurprising given the model’s design: when your doctor has time and you have easy access, preventive care tends to happen more reliably.
That said, selection bias complicates these outcomes. MDVIP patients self-select by choosing to pay for enhanced care, which correlates with higher health consciousness, higher income, and better baseline health behaviors. Attributing better outcomes solely to the MDVIP model — rather than to the characteristics of people who join — calls for caution.
How to Join MDVIP
Joining starts with finding an affiliated physician near you. The MDVIP website (mdvip.com) has a doctor-finder tool searchable by ZIP code, clinical interests, and insurance accepted. Not all MDVIP physicians are accepting new members; popular practices may have waiting lists.
Once you identify a physician, you will typically schedule a meet-and-greet (often complimentary) to see whether the practice is a good fit. If you decide to join, you complete enrollment paperwork, pay the annual membership fee, and schedule your comprehensive wellness evaluation. Most practices help verify your insurance and can confirm your coverage before your first billed visit.
If your current doctor is converting to MDVIP, you should receive advance notice (often several months) and the choice to join or transition to a new provider. The practice should assist with records transfer and provide referrals if you choose not to join.
Potential Drawbacks of MDVIP
Despite its strong value proposition, MDVIP has legitimate limitations to weigh before committing.
Patient displacement during conversion. When a physician converts a traditional practice to MDVIP, the panel shrinks dramatically, which means many existing patients must find new primary care — often in communities where new-patient availability is already limited. This displacement has drawn criticism from healthcare-equity advocates who argue that concierge conversions can worsen access for the patients left behind. MDVIP practices provide transition assistance and advance notice, but finding a new PCP accepting patients can be difficult in provider-shortage areas.
The retainer does not eliminate insurance costs. Because MDVIP practices bill insurance for covered services, you still pay copays, deductible amounts, and coinsurance for visits on top of the annual retainer. For patients with high-deductible plans, that can mean paying the retainer and then paying out of pocket for each visit until the deductible is met. For people with few annual visits, total primary care cost can end up significantly higher than a traditional practice.
Geographic and physician variability. Your experience depends heavily on your specific affiliated doctor. MDVIP provides the business framework, wellness program, and technology, but each physician’s clinical quality, communication style, and practice culture are individual. Some MDVIP practices earn outstanding reviews; others draw complaints about impersonal service. Meeting the physician before joining is essential — the brand alone does not guarantee a uniformly consistent experience.
MDVIP vs. Direct Primary Care
MDVIP and direct primary care (DPC) share a membership structure and smaller panels, but they differ in cost and, crucially, in how they interact with insurance. MDVIP’s annual per-person fee is generally higher than most DPC memberships (DPC often runs roughly $600 to $1,800 per year), and — the key distinction — MDVIP practices still bill insurance for visits, while DPC practices generally do not bill insurance at all and instead include most primary care in the flat monthly fee.
For patients with good insurance who want enhanced access layered on top of covered services, MDVIP works well. For patients who want to simplify their primary care relationship and step outside the insurance-billing system for routine care, DPC is often the cleaner model. Our DPC vs. concierge comparison explores these trade-offs in depth, and our DPC cost breakdown covers typical pricing.
MDVIP, HSAs, and the 2025 Tax-Law Change
A common question in 2026 is whether membership fees can be paid with tax-advantaged health accounts. Historically, the IRS has not issued definitive guidance treating concierge retainer fees as qualified medical expenses, and paying a retainer that is largely for “access” has been a gray area.
A 2025 federal tax law — the budget reconciliation package widely referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) — included a provision, effective in 2026, that allows people with a health savings account (HSA) to use HSA funds for direct primary care membership fees (up to specified monthly limits) and clarifies that having a DPC arrangement does not by itself disqualify someone from contributing to an HSA. Importantly, this change is written around DPC and does not automatically extend to concierge memberships like MDVIP, which bill insurance and are structured differently. Whether any portion of an MDVIP fee could qualify is unsettled and fact-specific. Treat this as an evolving area, verify the current rules, and consult a qualified tax professional before assuming an MDVIP fee is HSA- or FSA-eligible.
MDVIP and Medicare: What Seniors Need to Know
Medicare beneficiaries make up a significant and growing share of MDVIP’s membership, so understanding how the two interact is important.
Most MDVIP physicians accept Medicare assignment, meaning they bill Medicare for covered office visits and services at Medicare-approved rates. Your MDVIP annual fee is separate from Medicare — it funds the enhanced wellness program, extended access, and smaller-panel benefits that Medicare does not recognize or reimburse. When you see your MDVIP doctor for a covered medical service, Medicare pays its portion (typically 80% of the approved amount after the Part B deductible), and you are responsible for the rest (often covered if you have a Medigap supplement or Medicaid).
MDVIP structures its annual wellness evaluation to include the components of Medicare’s Annual Wellness Visit (AWV), which Medicare covers at $0 cost-sharing, plus additional testing and health-risk assessments funded by the retainer. This structure is designed to comply with Medicare rules — the annual fee is not supposed to cover Medicare-eligible services — while offering an evaluation that exceeds what Medicare alone covers.
Seniors should also consider how MDVIP interacts with Medicare Advantage plans. Some MA plans have network restrictions that may or may not include your MDVIP physician; if the doctor is out of network for your MA plan, you could face higher cost-sharing that compounds with the retainer. Original Medicare with a Medigap supplement often pairs more cleanly with MDVIP because Original Medicare has no provider network restrictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MDVIP health insurance?
No. MDVIP is a concierge primary care membership, not insurance. It does not cover hospitalizations, specialists, prescriptions, imaging, surgery, or emergencies. You still need comprehensive health insurance, and MDVIP practices bill that insurance for covered visits while the annual fee covers enhanced access and the wellness program.
Does MDVIP accept Medicare?
Many MDVIP physicians accept Medicare. The annual membership fee is separate from Medicare billing — the fee covers the wellness program and enhanced access, while Medicare covers standard office visits and medical services. MDVIP structures its membership to comply with Medicare rules so the fee does not cover Medicare-eligible services. Confirm participation with the specific practice.
Can I cancel my MDVIP membership?
Yes. Memberships are annual but can be canceled, and refund policies vary by physician — some offer prorated refunds for mid-year cancellation, others have specific windows. Review the membership agreement’s cancellation terms before signing.
Is the MDVIP annual fee tax-deductible or HSA-eligible?
It is unsettled. The IRS has not issued definitive guidance specific to MDVIP fees; some tax advisors treat part of the fee as a deductible medical expense (only to the extent total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income), while others view it as a non-qualifying access fee. The 2025 tax-law change that allows HSA use for direct primary care does not automatically cover concierge memberships. Consult a tax professional about your specific situation.
What if there’s no MDVIP doctor near me?
MDVIP is concentrated in metro and suburban areas, so coverage is uneven. If no MDVIP physician is nearby, consider independent concierge practices or direct primary care, which is available in many markets MDVIP has not reached and is often less expensive.
Is MDVIP Worth the Annual Fee?
MDVIP is worth considering if you value the comprehensive wellness evaluation, want reliable same-day access, and can comfortably afford the annual fee on top of insurance costs. For many patients, the model delivers a genuinely better primary care experience — more time, more access, more prevention — than a traditional practice, and it sits at the more affordable end of concierge medicine available at scale. Just remember it is a layer on top of insurance, not a replacement for it.
If the fee would be a financial strain, a lower-cost DPC membership offers similar enhanced access without the insurance-billing layer, often at a lower annual cost — and, as of 2026, potentially with HSA funds under the new tax rules. The right choice depends on your budget, how you use primary care, and whether the MDVIP wellness program’s comprehensive approach aligns with your health priorities. Whatever you choose, keep robust health insurance in place.
Disclaimer: This article is general educational information, not medical, insurance, tax, or financial advice. Fees, physician counts, network coverage, and tax rules change; verify current details with MDVIP, the specific practice, and a qualified tax or financial professional before deciding.
Sources
- MDVIP — company, network, and membership information
- American Journal of Managed Care — MDVIP outcomes research (2012)
- IRS — medical and dental expenses (Publication 502) and HSA rules (Publication 969)
- Medicare.gov — Annual Wellness Visit and Part B cost-sharing
- Public reporting on the 2025 budget reconciliation law (OBBBA) HSA/DPC provisions