The movement toward concierge medicine is a by-product of the broader shift toward consumer-driven healthcare, supporters argue. Given the economic realities of managing a medical practice, charging a small fee to allow more personalized care is a reasonable suggestion, the logic goes. Concierge medicine has been a controversial idea since it appeared in the late 1990s. Critics argue the trend is another step toward a two-tiered health system in which some patients receive barely standard care while those able to pay more get the best treatment. Patients able to afford concierge rates, however, are more upbeat, saying more personalized attention is what they're looking for.
- see this article from The New York Times