Concierge Medicine in Chicago: Costs, Suburbs, and the 2026 Market

NextMD lists 108 physician-led concierge and direct primary care practices with 194 verified doctors across the Chicago metro. Chicago proper accounts for 58 practices and 115 physicians. The other 50 practices include 26 along the North Shore and northern suburbs, 18 across the western suburbs, and six in Arlington Heights, Park Ridge, and Orland Park.[1]

Price depends on the model and the address. Among 32 practices that publish enough information to calculate a monthly equivalent, the median is $204 per month. Concierge practices have a median of $250 per month, while direct primary care (DPC) practices have a median of $150 per month.[1]

Those medians leave out many programs that require you to call for pricing. They also combine several different products: independent concierge primary care, DPC, specialty memberships, executive physicals, and health-system programs. A patient comparing a $150 DPC membership in the city with a Northwestern program or a $4,000 North Shore membership is comparing different contracts.

Below, we compare the Chicago concierge medicine market by cost, geography, and care model.

The Chicago Market at a Glance

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin is a metro of more than 9.2 million people.[2] NextMD's defined Chicago service area covers the city plus 25 suburban markets, including Lake Forest, Highland Park, Northbrook, Libertyville, Hinsdale, Oak Park, Wheaton, Elmhurst, and Naperville.[1]

The geographic totals reconcile as follows:

Chicago has more than standard concierge primary care. Its 18 specialty membership practices include pediatrics, dermatology, endocrinology, and other focused models. Two performance programs serve patients seeking executive assessments or broader preventive testing.[1]

By physician count, Chicago proper ranks third nationally behind New York and Dallas.[1]

What Concierge Medicine Costs in Chicago

Chicago's disclosed membership fees run from $80 to $500 per month across all models. Most patients will compare one of two structures.

Concierge medicine generally charges an annual membership while continuing to bill insurance for covered medical services. Some concierge practices operate outside insurance and Medicare for their own services, wrapping primary care into the membership instead. Across the Chicago metro, 17 concierge practices disclose fees. Their median is $250 per month, or $3,000 per year. The disclosed range is $99 to $416.67 per month.[1]

Direct primary care charges a monthly fee and usually does not bill insurance for primary care. Nine Chicago-area DPC practices disclose fees. Their median is $150 per month, with a range of $80 to $267.[1]

Only 32 of 108 practices disclose a directly comparable fee. The table describes the visible market. It does not quote every practice. Ask for the complete annual cost, enrollment fee, family pricing, cancellation terms, and a list of services that insurance may still cover.

Chicago's $204 combined median is 23% above the national median of $165 per month across 3,298 practices with disclosed pricing.[1] The national figure combines concierge, DPC, hybrid, specialty, and performance practices, using the same monthly-equivalent field as the Chicago calculation. Our national concierge medicine cost guide explains the broader pricing tiers.

Downtown and the North Side Have the Most Choice

Chicago proper contains 58 practices and 115 verified physicians. The market includes seven DPC practices, 34 concierge practices, 14 specialty memberships, two performance programs, and one hybrid practice.[1]

Fourteen city practices disclose pricing, with a combined median of $224.50 per month. The internal split matters more:

• City DPC fees run from $90 to $267 per month, with a $174.50 median.

• City concierge fees run from $195.83 to $416.67 per month, with a $329.17 median.

• Several premium and health-system programs do not publish a fee, so they are absent from those calculations.[1]

Encore Concierge Medicine in River North publishes a fee of $3,900 per year, plus a one-time $300 enrollment fee. Its membership includes annual exams, personalized lab work, urgent appointments, telemedicine, and care coordination.[3]

Chicago Direct Primary Care illustrates the other structure. The practice charges a flat monthly membership, does not bill insurance, and includes direct physician contact plus same-day or next-day scheduling.[4] NextMD's directory lists its membership at $150 per month.[1]

Your neighborhood still matters. A physician who answers quickly but practices an hour away may be difficult to use for an examination, vaccine, or same-day visit. Patients living downtown, in River North, or on the North Side should compare travel time as carefully as the annual fee.

The North Shore Is a Separate Concierge Market

Across the North Shore and northern suburbs, NextMD lists 26 practices and 48 verified physicians in Evanston, Skokie, Glenview, Northbrook, Deerfield, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Libertyville, and nearby communities.[1]

Eight northern suburban practices disclose fees, with a combined median of $194 per month. Five disclosed concierge memberships have a $217 median. Two disclosed DPC memberships average $140 per month.[1]

ASPIRE Internal Medicine in Northbrook publishes a $4,000 annual membership plus a one-time $250 processing fee. It does not bill insurance or Medicare for its own services. The practice tells patients to retain insurance or Medicare for labs, imaging, hospital care, emergency visits, specialists, and medications.[5]

ASPIRE also shows why hospital affiliation needs a precise question. Its physicians coordinate with Glenbrook, Skokie, Highland Park, and Evanston hospitals and use Epic records through Endeavor Health.[5] That differs from joining Northwestern Medicine's own concierge program. Both may offer care coordination, but they connect you to different doctors, records, and hospital teams.

For North Shore patients, ask where the doctor admits patients and which electronic record they use. A Lake Forest resident who receives specialty care at Northwestern Medicine may value a Northwestern-connected primary care office. A patient whose specialists practice at Endeavor Health may prefer a physician with access to that record system.

The Western Suburbs Span DPC to Premium Concierge

NextMD's western suburban group includes Hinsdale, Oak Park, Wheaton, Elmhurst, Downers Grove, Bloomingdale, Naperville, Schaumburg, Aurora, and Elgin. Together, those communities contain 18 practices and 24 verified physicians.[1]

Six practices disclose pricing. The range runs from $80 to $500 per month, and the median is $249.50. That median comes from a small, mixed sample that includes DPC, concierge, specialty, and hybrid models. It should not be read as the standard suburban price.[1]

Family First Direct Primary Care in Hinsdale publishes age-based monthly fees. Adults start at $80 per month, rising to $125 for patients 71 and older. Children cost $50 with a paying adult or $60 without one. The practice also charges an initial enrollment fee.[6]

At the other end, a Downers Grove concierge practice in NextMD's directory publishes a $5,000 annual fee, equivalent to $416.67 per month. An Oak Park hybrid practice lists $500 per month.[1] These examples show why a suburban search should start with the model, not the ZIP code.

Commute patterns also change the decision. A Hinsdale or Wheaton patient may find a nearby physician more usable than a downtown program, even when the downtown office offers a larger specialist network. Membership value depends on whether you can use the access you are buying.

How Northwestern Medicine Fits Into the Market

Northwestern Medicine operates concierge primary care in downtown Chicago, Geneva, Lake Forest, and Wheaton. It also offers concierge cardiology in Lake Forest.[7] That footprint connects the city, North Shore, and western suburbs under one health system.

Northwestern advertises:

• Visits lasting 45 to 120 minutes

• Same-day or next-office-day appointments

• Direct access through phone, email, and the MyNM patient portal

• Coordination with specialists and diagnostic testing

• Lifestyle and wellness assessments[7]

Northwestern separates the annual membership fee from insurance. It bills insurance for office visits, vaccines, bloodwork, and other covered medical services. Members still pay the program fee themselves.[8]

Specialist coordination has a boundary. Northwestern's coordinators help arrange specialty care, but the program explicitly says it cannot guarantee an earlier specialty appointment.[8] The program promises logistical support and record continuity. It does not promise to move a member ahead of other patients.

Northwestern Executive Health is another product. It centers on a one-day medical assessment and lifestyle review for individuals and corporate clients.[9] Patients seeking an ongoing primary care relationship should confirm whether they are evaluating Executive Health, concierge primary care, concierge cardiology, or more than one program. Each has a different purpose and may carry a separate fee.

Five Questions to Ask Before Joining

1. Is this concierge medicine, DPC, or an executive physical?

Your answer determines how the practice bills, what the fee includes, and whether the doctor becomes your ongoing primary care physician.

2. What is the total first-year cost?

Ask for the membership, enrollment fee, spouse and child rates, laboratory charges, and any services billed separately. A $3,900 annual membership with a $300 enrollment fee costs $4,200 in year one.[3]

3. Which hospital and specialist network does the doctor use?

Northwestern Medicine, Endeavor Health, Rush, Advocate Health, and other systems maintain different records and referral pathways. Ask where the physician can see your chart and where they usually coordinate hospital care.

4. How close is the office to home and work?

Test the route during weekday traffic. Same-day access has less practical value when a downtown or suburban trip prevents you from using it.

5. What does insurance still cover?

DPC usually operates outside insurance for primary care. Concierge programs often bill insurance in addition to the membership. Medicare does not cover concierge membership fees, although it may still cover eligible medical services.[10]

FAQ

How much does concierge medicine cost in Chicago?

Among Chicago-area practices with disclosed pricing, concierge memberships have a median monthly equivalent of $250, or $3,000 per year. The disclosed concierge range is $99 to $416.67 per month. DPC has a lower median of $150 per month.[1]

How many concierge doctors are in Chicago?

NextMD lists 194 verified physicians across 108 membership practices in its defined Chicago metro service area. Chicago proper accounts for 115 physicians at 58 practices.[1]

Does Northwestern Medicine offer concierge care?

Yes. Northwestern Medicine offers concierge primary care in downtown Chicago, Geneva, Lake Forest, and Wheaton, plus concierge cardiology in Lake Forest.[7] It also operates a separate Executive Health program in Chicago.[9]

Are there concierge doctors in the Chicago suburbs?

Yes. NextMD lists 26 practices across the North Shore and northern suburbs, 18 across the western suburban group, and six across Arlington Heights, Park Ridge, and Orland Park.[1] Highland Park, Glenview, and Libertyville each have four listed practices. Hinsdale, Oak Park, and Wheaton each have three.

What is the difference between concierge medicine and DPC in Chicago?

Concierge practices usually charge a membership and bill insurance for covered medical services. Some, including ASPIRE, operate outside insurance and Medicare for their own services.[5] DPC practices generally charge a monthly membership and do not bill insurance for primary care. Both can offer longer visits and direct access, but their contracts and prices differ.

Do I still need health insurance with a concierge or DPC doctor?

Yes. A membership does not replace coverage for hospitalizations, emergency care, specialists, surgery, advanced imaging, or many prescriptions. Northwestern and ASPIRE both tell members to maintain insurance, and Medicare does not cover concierge membership fees.[5][8][10]

Find a Concierge or DPC Doctor in Chicago

Chicago patients can choose among independent concierge practices, DPC offices, specialty memberships, and health-system programs across the city and suburbs. Compare the total fee, care model, location, physician credentials, and hospital relationships before enrolling.

Search NextMD to compare physician-led membership practices across the Chicago metro.

Sources

1. NextMD. (2026). Chicago Metro Concierge and Direct Primary Care Directory. Current practices-master.csv and practitioners-master.csv snapshot, analyzed July 29, 2026 across NextMD's defined Chicago metro service area. Browse the Chicago metro directory

2. U.S. Census Bureau. (2024). More Counties Saw Population Gains in 2023. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin population reported at 9,262,825 for 2023. Read the Census Bureau population release

3. Encore Concierge Medicine. (2026). Concierge Medicine Tailored to Your Life. Adult and pediatric membership benefits, $3,900 annual fee, and $300 enrollment fee. Read Encore's membership page

4. Chicago Direct Primary Care. (2026). What Is Direct Primary Care? Insurance-free monthly membership, direct physician access, and same-day or next-day appointments. Read the Chicago DPC model description

5. ASPIRE Internal Medicine. (2026). The ASPIRE Approach. $4,000 annual membership, $250 processing fee, care model, insurance policy, and Endeavor Health coordination. Read ASPIRE's membership details

6. Family First Direct Primary Care. (2026). Membership Pricing. Age-based fees, child memberships, and enrollment charges in Hinsdale. Read Family First's pricing page

7. Northwestern Medicine. (2026). Concierge Medicine. Illinois locations, concierge cardiology, visit length, physician access, and care-coordination benefits. Read Northwestern Medicine's concierge program overview

8. Northwestern Medicine. (2026). Concierge Medicine Frequently Asked Questions. Insurance billing, urgent access, specialist coordination, fees, and enrollment policies. Read Northwestern Medicine's concierge FAQ

9. Northwestern Medicine. (2026). Northwestern Medicine Executive Health. One-day assessment and lifestyle-review program for individuals and corporate clients. Read the Executive Health overview

10. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. (2026). Concierge Medicine Coverage. Medicare coverage and membership-fee rules. Read Medicare's concierge-care guidance