The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday examined the "rapid growth of concierge medicine," in which physicians charge patients an annual fee of several hundred dollars to as much as $20,000 for extra services, such as longer appointments, shorter waiting times and the ability to call directly. According to the Journal-Constitution, about 1,100 physician groups nationwide operate concierge practices, as "doctors are seeking new ways to find more time for patients and provide better care."

However, critics of concierge medicine maintain that the practice is "elitist, dumping thousands of patients into longer lines in emergency rooms and in offices of family doctors who remain independent," and is "catching on at a time when the number of doctors going into primary care is dropping," the Journal-Constitution reports. The American Medical Association in a recent policy statement said that, although concierge medicine could "raise ethical concerns" in the event that they limit access to care, the practice to date has not led to such issues. William Custer, director of the Center for Health Services Research at Georgia State University, said that concierge medicine helps improve quality of care for patients and is "no more unfair than people driving BMWs while the rest of us drive Toyotas."

Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, said that he has "sympathy for some of the doctors who are overwhelmed" but added that "concierge medicine can't be done without excluding people." Jim King, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians, said that concierge medicine is a "symptom of a broken system, with a lot of physicians looking for a way to keep the light bill paid."

The Journal-Constitution also highlighted services provided by MDVIP, a company that helps physicians operate concierge practices (Hendrick, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9/8).

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