Is Concierge Primary Care a Good Fit for You?

Your answers point to the things concierge primary care is built around: getting seen when you need to be, real time with your doctor, and a direct line when something comes up. Those are the reasons many busy professionals and executives choose AnswersMD.

Each AnswersMD physician cares for a small panel of about 300 patients or fewer, so patients are usually seen the same day and visits are unhurried. Members can reach their physician directly by cell, and urgent calls and texts usually get a phone call back. Every visit lasts as long as you need, whether it's a sick visit, a checkup, ongoing care for a chronic condition or a full executive physical. AnswersMD cares for whole families: the Tampa office sees patients from newborns up, and the St. Petersburg and Boca Raton offices see patients age 6 and up.

The best way to know for sure is to meet a physician and see the office for yourself. You can ask anything you like about how membership works.

Some of what matters to you lines up well with how AnswersMD works, and some of it you may still be weighing. That's normal. Choosing a doctor is a real decision.

Here's how it works. AnswersMD is a cash-pay membership practice. Office visits aren't billed to insurance, though outside labs and imaging still bill your insurance. In return, each physician keeps a small panel of about 300 patients or fewer. Patients are usually seen the same day, visits are unhurried, and members can reach their physician directly by cell. AnswersMD cares for whole families: the Tampa office sees patients from newborns up, and the St. Petersburg and Boca Raton offices see patients age 6 and up.

A meet & greet is the easiest way to decide. You'll meet a physician, see the office and get your questions answered. AnswersMD's physicians are Douglas Shapiro, DO, the founder (family medicine), and Drew Meriwether, MD, FAAP (internal medicine and pediatrics), in Tampa; Ellen Howard, MD, MPH, in St. Petersburg; and Divino D'Alessio Jr., MD, CAQSM (family and sports medicine), in Boca Raton.

From your answers, it sounds like you're getting much of what you want from your care right now, or that quick access and extra time aren't top concerns at the moment. That's a good place to be.

Life changes, though. A new role, more travel or a growing household can change what you need from a doctor. When that happens, it helps to know what concierge care looks like: small patient panels, unhurried visits, and a physician you can reach directly by cell. AnswersMD also cares for whole families: the Tampa office sees patients from newborns up, and the St. Petersburg and Boca Raton offices see patients age 6 and up.

You're always welcome to come see for yourself. A meet & greet is a relaxed way to meet a physician, tour the office and ask questions, whenever the timing feels right.