Effective Jan. 1, patients will be able to pay for concierge primary care models through tax-deductible health savings accounts due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
The legislation, signed into law July 4, will allow people with high-deductible health plans and direct primary care arrangements to pay for these services through health savings accounts. Current tax code disqualifies patients with these concierge arrangements to contribute to a health savings account.
Five things to know:
1. A direct primary care service arrangement, or concierge medicine, is when a healthcare provider offers their services for a fixed periodic fee.
2. To be eligible for the upcoming offering, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act stipulates that direct primacy care arrangements cannot exceed $150 per month for one patient. The premium limit for arrangements that cover more than one patient is $300 per month.
3. Concierge medicine is a growing model in healthcare. Cleveland Clinic, for example, is expanding its concierge primary care program as part of a long-term strategy plan.
4. Between 7,000 and 22,000 U.S. physicians offer concierge services, according to one estimate. Membership fees range from $1,000 to $50,000 per year. Critics of concierge medicine contend these arrangements benefit only those who can afford them, thus reducing care access for lower-income individuals.
5. Direct primary care service arrangements exclude procedures requiring general anesthesia, prescription drugs and laboratory services not typically administered in an ambulatory primary care setting, according to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
