Medicare doesn't cover membership fees for concierge care.
Your costs in Original Medicare
You pay 100% of the membership fee for concierge care.
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The membership fee is governed by the contract or agreement you sign with the doctor or doctor group. Additional state laws and consumer protections may apply. For more information, contact your state’s insurance department or consumer protection bureau. |
What it is
Concierge care is when:
- A doctor or group of doctors charges you a membership fee.
- They charge this fee before they’ll see you or accept you into their practice.
- Concierge care may also be called concierge medicine, retainer‐based medicine, boutique medicine, platinum practice, or direct care.
When you pay this fee, you may get some services or amenities that Medicare doesn’t cover.
Things to know
Doctors who provide concierge care must still follow all Medicare rules:
- Doctors who accept assignment can’t charge you extra for Medicare-covered services. This means the membership fee can’t include additional charges for items or services that Medicare usually covers unless Medicare won’t pay for the item or service. In this situation, your doctor must give you a written notice called an "Advance Beneficiary Notice of Noncoverage” (ABN) listing the services and reasons why Medicare may not pay.
- Doctors who don’t accept assignment can charge you more than the Medicare-Approved Amount for Medicare-covered services, but there’s a 15% limit called the " limiting charge ."
- All Medicare doctors (regardless of whether or not they accept assignment) can charge you for items and services that Medicare doesn’t cover.