Private practice doctors are independent physicians who own or co-own their practice rather than working as employees of a hospital system or corporation. Finding one takes a bit more effort than it used to, since only about 42% of U.S. physicians still work in private practice as of 2024, down from 60% in 2012. But independent doctors are out there, and knowing where to look and what to look for makes the search straightforward.
Why Private Practice Is Different
The key distinction is autonomy. A private practice doctor makes their own decisions about referrals, treatment approaches, scheduling, and how long they spend with each patient. There’s no corporate parent dictating which specialists they can refer you to or how many patients they need to see per hour. That independence often translates into longer appointments, more personalized care, and a stronger doctor-patient relationship built over time.
In a hospital-owned or corporate practice, the physician is an employee. The organization handles billing, staffing, and administration, but it also sets the rules. That can mean shorter visits, restricted referral networks, and treatment decisions influenced by institutional priorities rather than purely clinical ones. About 34.5% of physicians now work in hospital-owned practices, and another 12.2% are directly employed by hospitals. Private equity firms own practices employing roughly 6.5% of doctors, a number that has grown rapidly in just the past few years.
None of this means hospital-employed doctors provide bad care. But if you value continuity, flexibility, and a direct relationship with the person making your medical decisions, private practice is worth seeking out.
Where to Start Your Search
Your health insurance provider directory is the most practical starting point. Go to your insurer’s website, find their provider directory, and search for physicians in your area. Most directories let you filter by specialty, location, and whether the practice is accepting new patients. Look for listings that name the physician as the practice owner or that list a small, independently named clinic rather than a hospital system brand.
You can also search directly through physician finder tools maintained by professional organizations. The American Academy of Family Physicians, the American College of Physicians, and specialty-specific societies all maintain searchable directories. These often indicate practice type or ownership structure. Your state medical board’s website will list licensed physicians and can help you identify independent practitioners in your area.
Word of mouth still works. Ask friends, coworkers, or other healthcare providers you trust for recommendations. Pharmacists are an underrated resource here: they interact with local doctors’ offices daily and know which ones are responsive, well-organized, and independently run.
How to Tell If a Practice Is Truly Independent
Practice names can be misleading. A clinic called “Smith Family Medicine” might actually be owned by a large hospital network. Here are a few ways to tell the difference:
- Check the website. Independent practices typically list the physician-owner by name and describe their personal philosophy. Hospital-owned practices usually display the health system’s branding prominently and link to the parent organization.
- Call and ask directly. There’s nothing wrong with calling the front desk and asking, “Is Dr. Smith the owner of this practice, or is it part of a larger health system?” Staff will know.
- Look at billing paperwork. If you’ve already visited, your explanation of benefits or billing statement will show the entity billing your insurance. A hospital system name there means the practice is system-owned, regardless of what the sign on the door says.
Verify Credentials Before You Commit
Once you’ve identified a private practice doctor you’re considering, take five minutes to verify their credentials. The American Board of Medical Specialties maintains a free lookup tool called “Is My Doctor Certified?” on their Certification Matters website. It draws from a database of more than 997,000 physicians and confirms whether a doctor is board-certified in their specialty. Board certification means they’ve completed additional training and passed rigorous exams beyond medical school and residency.
Your state medical board’s website will confirm an active, unrestricted license and show any disciplinary history. Both checks are free and take just a few minutes.
Confirm Insurance Coverage First
Private practice doctors may or may not accept your insurance, and their network status can change. Before scheduling, verify coverage through two channels. First, search your insurer’s online provider directory for the doctor’s name. Second, call the practice directly and give them your insurance information to confirm they’re currently in-network. Provider directories aren’t always up to date, so the phone call matters.
If a doctor you want to see is out of network, ask your insurer what your out-of-network benefits cover. Some plans reimburse a percentage of out-of-network charges, while others cover nothing. The practice’s billing office can often give you an estimate of what you’d owe out of pocket for a standard visit.
Concierge and Direct Primary Care Options
Not all private practices operate through insurance. Two membership-based models have grown significantly in recent years, and understanding the difference between them saves confusion.
Direct primary care (DPC) practices charge a flat monthly fee, typically between $30 and $100 per month, that covers most or all of your primary care needs: office visits, basic lab work, some procedures, and sometimes even common medications. DPC doctors don’t bill insurance at all, which keeps their overhead low and their prices accessible. They typically manage panels of 400 to 800 patients per provider, compared to the 2,000 or more that conventional primary care doctors carry. That smaller panel means same-day or next-day appointments are common, and visits are longer.
Concierge practices charge a higher membership fee, often $1,500 to $20,000 per year depending on the level of service, and many also bill your insurance for covered services on top of that retainer. The membership fee pays for extras like extended visits, executive-level lab panels, vascular screenings, and sometimes even having the doctor accompany you to specialist appointments. Concierge doctors keep very small panels, often 200 to 300 patients total, which allows for highly personalized, around-the-clock access.
If cost is your primary concern, DPC is the more affordable model. If you want premium, white-glove service and can afford the retainer, concierge care delivers that. Either way, you’ll still want separate health insurance for hospitalizations, specialist care, and emergencies that fall outside what the membership covers.
Questions to Ask at Your First Visit
Your first appointment is a two-way interview. Beyond the standard health history, use it to evaluate whether this practice is the right fit. A few questions worth asking:
- Who covers your patients after hours or when you’re away? Solo practitioners need a coverage arrangement for nights, weekends, and vacations. You want to know who that backup is and how to reach them.
- Which hospital do you admit to? If you ever need hospitalization, your doctor’s admitting privileges determine where you’ll go. Make sure that hospital is in your insurance network and conveniently located.
- How do you handle referrals? One of the biggest advantages of an independent doctor is the freedom to refer you to the best specialist, not just the one employed by the same system. Ask how they choose specialists and whether they’ll work with you on finding the right fit.
- What does a typical visit cost, and how is billing handled? Especially in a small practice, understanding the billing process upfront prevents surprises. Ask whether they offer transparent pricing for common services like labs, imaging orders, or minor procedures.
The Cost Advantage of Independent Practices
Private practice doctors can often save you money in ways that aren’t immediately obvious. Independent physicians have the flexibility to perform procedures in outpatient settings rather than hospital facilities, and the price difference is substantial. Research published in Orthopaedic Reviews found that surgeries performed in outpatient clinics cost an average of $3,225 less than the same procedures done in hospitals, with savings ranging from about 18% to nearly 58% depending on the procedure. One study found that ACL reconstruction cost an average of $9,220 in a hospital but just $3,905 in an outpatient clinic.
Beyond sticker price, outpatient settings are more efficient. Patients spend about 25% less time in an ambulatory surgical center than they would for the same procedure in a hospital, with equivalent clinical outcomes. Private practice doctors who can steer you toward these lower-cost settings, when clinically appropriate, put real money back in your pocket.