By Dr. Michael Barber, Medical Director and Cardiologist at Strata Med
Healthcare can feel fragmented when appointments are brief, access is limited, and different providers are addressing individual concerns without seeing the full picture. For people who want more time, communication, and continuity, concierge medicine offers another approach.
At Strata Med’s Colorado Springs locations, concierge care gives patients a more personalized healthcare experience built around access, preventive care, and an ongoing relationship with their care team. That model also incorporates whole-person care, coordinated wellness services, and individualized recommendations based on your health history, priorities, and goals.
Table of Contents
What Is Concierge Medicine?
Concierge medicine is a healthcare model in which patients typically make a membership investment in exchange for a more personalized level of care and access. Rather than focusing primarily on individual appointments, concierge care is designed to support an ongoing relationship between you and the providers managing your health.
The model can provide more time to discuss concerns, review your health history, plan preventive care, and understand how different factors affect your overall well-being. At Strata Med, members also have access to a dedicated Wellness Coordinator who helps with priority scheduling, communication, and keeping their care organized.
How Does Concierge Medicine Work?
At Strata Med, the process begins with a complimentary Discovery Session with a Wellness Coordinator. This conversation gives you an opportunity to discuss your goals, understand the membership experience, and determine which approach may fit your healthcare needs. A comprehensive intake with a primary care physician can then help establish your health history, current concerns, lifestyle, and wellness priorities.
Memberships currently start at $2,500. The upfront membership investment becomes a personal wellness account, with eligible appointments, laboratory work, testing, supplements, and treatments deducted from that balance as they are used. Services outside the membership plan are paid separately. If you plan to use HSA or FSA funds, confirm eligibility for the specific expense with your plan administrator or tax professional.
Members also currently receive 10% off provider appointments, 20% off IV therapy appointments, and support from a dedicated Wellness Coordinator. Strata Med currently accepts Kaiser insurance, while appointment pricing and insurance billing can vary by provider and service.
For routine communication during regular office hours, patients can call Strata Med or connect with the medical team online, while the Wellness Coordinator supports ongoing questions, scheduling, and care coordination. After-hours questions can be left for the on-call provider. Medical emergencies should be directed to 911. If hospital-based or higher-level acute care is needed, concierge membership works alongside rather than replaces health insurance. Colorado Springs patients have access to regional facilities such as UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central and CommonSpirit Penrose Hospital, while Strata Med can collaborate with outside healthcare providers and specialists when additional care is needed.
Traditional Primary Care vs. Concierge Medicine
Traditional Primary Care
- Primary Focus: Routine medical care, preventive screenings, ongoing condition management, and treatment when health concerns arise.
- Appointment Access: Scheduling availability depends on the practice, provider capacity, and urgency of the health concern.
- Appointment Time: Time pressure can limit how much can be addressed during a conventional primary care visit, an issue discussed in the Journal of General Internal Medicine article “The End of the 15–20 Minute Primary Care Visit.”
- Cost: Commonly uses health insurance, with deductibles, co-pays, coinsurance, or other patient costs depending on the plan.
- Care Coordination: Your primary care provider may coordinate referrals and follow-up care with specialists and other healthcare professionals.
Concierge Medicine
- Primary Focus: Personalized healthcare with greater emphasis on prevention, continuity, health goals, and proactive planning.
- Appointment Access: Strata Med members receive priority scheduling and ongoing communication with their care team.
- Appointment Time: The model provides expanded, less hurried appointments so providers have more opportunity to understand your concerns and health priorities.
- Cost: Strata Med memberships start at $2,500, with membership funds used toward eligible care and additional discounts available to members.
- Care Team: Members can access multiple areas of healthcare and wellness, supported by a Wellness Coordinator who helps organize appointments and ongoing communication.
The Strata Difference: Concierge Care Beyond a Single Appointment
Concierge medicine is most valuable when greater access also leads to a deeper understanding of your health. At Strata Med, the goal is not simply to provide a more convenient doctor’s appointment. Expanded appointment time gives the clinical team more room to consider your health history, lifestyle, testing, medications, symptoms, and long-term priorities together.
In cardiology, that additional time can be especially useful when cardiovascular risk involves more than a single measurement. Blood pressure trends, cholesterol patterns, family history, medications, exercise tolerance, sleep, nutrition, and other lifestyle factors can all add useful context when determining whether further evaluation or changes to a care plan may be appropriate.
The same principle applies when symptoms overlap. Fatigue or reduced exercise tolerance, for example, may warrant a broader review of cardiovascular findings, medications, metabolic health, lifestyle factors, and other possible contributors rather than treating one data point in isolation. When another discipline could add useful insight, care can connect with cardiology, functional medicine, nutrition, naturopathic medicine, chiropractic care, acupuncture, or other appropriate services.
Access is also designed to be more responsive. Members receive priority scheduling, ongoing support from a dedicated Wellness Coordinator, and eligible teleWELL services when virtual care is appropriate. This creates more flexibility while keeping your providers connected to the same broader picture of your health.
Is Concierge Medicine Worth the Investment?
Concierge care may be worth considering if you value more time with your healthcare team, easier communication, coordinated care, and a proactive approach to your long-term health. The financial investment should also be considered alongside what the specific membership includes and which services you expect to use.
At Strata Med, memberships currently start at $2,500, with different options based on your goals, treatment needs, and desired level of care.
You can explore Strata Med membership options to compare the available benefits, care structure, and services before deciding which approach fits your priorities.
Your healthcare goals, anticipated services, and preferred level of support are personal. A Complimentary Discovery Session gives you time with a Wellness Coordinator to discuss those priorities and understand what membership could look like for you.
About the Author
Michael J. Barber
Medical Director and Cardiologist at Strata Med
Specialties include concierge cardiology, internal medicine, executive wellness, men’s health, and cardiovascular disease.
