Concierge rheumatology is a membership-based private practice model where patients pay a flat fee for direct physician access, same-week appointments, 60-minute visits, and telemedicine — bypassing insurance delays. In Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, Dr. Joshpaul Dhillon, DO, FACR, offers this model to patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases who cannot afford to wait.Concierge rheumatology is not luxury healthcare. It is the standard of care that traditional rheumatology used to deliver — before 15-minute appointments, prior authorizations for insurance, and three-month waitlists became the norm. For patients in active flare, newly diagnosed with lupus or RA, or dismissed by a system that said "your labs look fine," the concierge model restores what medicine lost: time, access, and a physician who remembers your name.This page is the complete guide to how our Beverly Hills and Los Angeles-serving private rheumatology practice works, who it is built for, what is included, and how to begin. Why the Traditional Rheumatology Model Is Breaking Down The average wait to see a new rheumatologist in the United States now stretches for months, not weeks. According to the American College of Rheumatology's workforce study, the U.S. faces a projected rheumatologist shortfall of more than 4,100 providers by 2030 — a gap that is already showing up as delayed diagnoses and rushed appointments.For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriatic arthritis, or scleroderma, those months matter. Untreated systemic inflammation does not pause while you sit on a waitlist. It erodes cartilage, scars organs, and compounds symptoms that early intervention …
Concierge Rheumatology in Beverly Hills: A Private Practice Model Built Around You
Concierge rheumatology is a membership-based private practice model where patients pay a flat fee for direct physician access, same-week appointments, 60-minute visits, and telemedicine — bypassing insurance delays. In Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, Dr. Joshpaul Dhillon, DO, FACR, offers this model to patients with autoimmune and inflammatory diseases who cannot afford to wait.
Concierge rheumatology is not luxury healthcare. It is the standard of care that traditional rheumatology used to deliver — before 15-minute appointments, prior authorizations for insurance, and three-month waitlists became the norm. For patients in active flare, newly diagnosed with lupus or RA, or dismissed by a system that said “your labs look fine,” the concierge model restores what medicine lost: time, access, and a physician who remembers your name.
This page is the complete guide to how our Beverly Hills and Los Angeles-serving private rheumatology practice works, who it is built for, what is included, and how to begin.
Why the Traditional Rheumatology Model Is Breaking Down
The average wait to see a new rheumatologist in the United States now stretches for months, not weeks. According to the American College of Rheumatology’s workforce study, the U.S. faces a projected rheumatologist shortfall of more than 4,100 providers by 2030 — a gap that is already showing up as delayed diagnoses and rushed appointments.
For patients with rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, psoriatic arthritis, or scleroderma, those months matter. Untreated systemic inflammation does not pause while you sit on a waitlist. It erodes cartilage, scars organs, and compounds symptoms that early intervention could have slowed.
The traditional insurance-based rheumatology visit is now structured around three constraints:
Volume — physicians must see 20 to 30 patients per day to remain solvent on insurance reimbursement rates.
Documentation — CPT coding, prior authorization, and EMR clicks consume a large share of each visit.
Scarcity — fellowship-trained rheumatologists are in short supply, so demand outstrips availability.
The outcome is familiar to anyone reading this page: a 15-minute appointment, a referral loop, a prior authorization denial, and a follow-up three months from now. Concierge rheumatology is a deliberate departure from that model.
What Concierge Rheumatology Actually Is
Concierge rheumatology is a direct-care, membership-based private practice structure. Instead of billing a third-party insurer per visit, the practice operates on a transparent membership fee paid directly by the patient. That fee covers a defined set of services and, critically, funds the physician’s time, which is what a rushed appointment takes away and a concierge model gives back.
A concierge rheumatology practice typically has three defining features:
- A limited patient panel. Traditional rheumatologists may carry 2,000 to 3,000 active patients. A concierge rheumatologist typically caps the panel at a few hundred, so each patient receives proportionally more time and attention.
- Direct physician access. Patients are given a direct line — often the physician’s mobile phone or a dedicated messaging channel — for questions that would otherwise require a new appointment or a portal message with a 72-hour response window.
- Longer, unhurried appointments. New-patient visits routinely run 60 to 90 minutes. Follow-ups are 30 to 45. There is time to review your full history, not just your chief complaint.
This is not boutique medicine layered on top of a traditional practice. It is a distinct operating model designed for patients whose conditions require continuity — the thing assembly-line rheumatology cannot offer.
| Dimension | Traditional Insurance-Based Rheumatology | Concierge Rheumatology (Dr. Dhillon) |
|---|---|---|
| New-patient wait time | 2 to 4 months typical | Same-week appointments |
| New-patient visit length | 15 to 30 minutes | 60 to 90 minutes |
| Follow-up visit length | 10 to 15 minutes | 30 to 45 minutes |
| Physician access between visits | Patient portal, 24 to 72 hour response | Direct phone and text with Dr. Dhillon |
| Panel size per physician | 2,000 to 3,000 patients | Limited panel (hundreds, not thousands) |
| Payment model | Insurance billing + copays + surprise bills | Flat monthly or annual membership |
| Prior authorization handling | Patient navigates denials | Handled internally, no patient burden |
| Telemedicine | Limited, often billed separately | Included for California residents |
| Waiting room experience | Crowded, often delayed | Private, by appointment only |
The comparison is not meant to disparage traditional rheumatologists. Many are excellent physicians trapped inside a reimbursement system that does not reward the time their patients need. The concierge model is simply a different contract between physician and patient — one that trades insurance middle layers for directness.
What Is Included in a Concierge Rheumatology Membership
Memberships at our practice are structured to cover the services a rheumatology patient uses most. While full pricing details live on the dedicated membership-based rheumatology page, the core inclusions are:
Unlimited appointments during the membership period (no per-visit copay).
Same-week or next-day in-office visits at our Beverly Hills office, with statewide California telemedicine for patients in Long Beach, Los Angeles, Orange County, and beyond.
Direct physician cell and text access for questions, medication changes, flare triage, and lab interpretation.
Private telemedicine visits for any patient located in California.
Extended visit lengths — 60 to 90 minutes for new patients, 30 to 45 minutes for follow-ups.
Coordination of specialty referrals, imaging, and infusion therapy when clinically indicated.
Integrated lab review with results discussed directly by Dr. Dhillon, not a portal message.
Laboratory testing, imaging, and infusion medications are billed separately through your insurance or at cash-pay rates — we are transparent about what membership does and does not cover, because nothing erodes trust faster than surprise fees. Considering whether concierge care fits your situation? Schedule a free 15-minute discovery call with Dr. Dhillon’s team. No pressure, no pitch — just a conversation about whether this model is right for what you are going through.
Who Concierge Rheumatology Is Built For
The model is not for everyone, and we will tell you plainly when it is not a fit. It is built for three overlapping patient profiles:
The Wait Time Warrior
You are in active flare — swollen joints, crushing fatigue, morning stiffness that steals your first two hours — and the next new-patient slot at your local rheumatology group is in twelve weeks. You cannot wait. Concierge care exists because you should not have to.
The Dismissed Patient
You have been told your labs “look fine” while you watched your body change. You have cycled through providers who gave you a 12-minute appointment and a shrug. A concierge rheumatologist has the time to do what rushed medicine cannot: listen to your full story, run appropriate workups, and take seriously the possibility that something real is happening even when the first-tier screen is normal.
The Newly Diagnosed
You just heard “lupus,” “rheumatoid arthritis,” or “scleroderma” for the first time, and you are terrified. You are reading too many Google results and sleeping too few hours. Concierge rheumatology compresses the months of confusion into a structured, guided path — with a physician reachable for the 10 p.m. question you would otherwise carry into the next morning.
Secondary audiences include executives, public figures, and professionals who require discretion — the model supports concierge rheumatology care for executives with privacy, flexible telemedicine, and coordinated specialist access.
Conditions Dr. Dhillon Treats in Concierge Practice
Dr. Dhillon is double board-certified in rheumatology and internal medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology (FACR). The practice treats the full scope of adult rheumatologic disease, including:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) — see concierge medicine for lupus
Psoriatic arthritis — see a private rheumatologist for psoriatic arthritis
Ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis
Sjögren’s syndrome
Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis)
Vasculitis (including giant cell arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica)
Gout and crystal arthropathies
Fibromyalgia (when paired with an inflammatory workup)
Osteoarthritis with systemic features
Mixed connective tissue disease
Undifferentiated autoimmune presentations (positive ANA, unclear diagnosis)
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases estimates that more than 54 million U.S. adults have been diagnosed with arthritis or a related rheumatic condition — and millions more live with undiagnosed autoimmune symptoms. If you are one of them, you deserve a rheumatologist who has read your chart before you sit down.
What a First Visit Looks Like
The first appointment is the single most important visit in a rheumatology relationship. Ours is structured to reflect that.
- Pre-visit intake. You complete a detailed history before arrival — symptom timeline, prior workups, medication history, family history — so your time with Dr. Dhillon is spent on analysis, not data entry.
- 60 to 90 minutes face-to-face. Dr. Dhillon reviews your records, performs a full joint and systemic exam, and takes the history you have probably never had the time to fully tell.
- Same-day plan. Labs, imaging, and differential diagnosis are outlined before you leave. If medications are appropriate, they are started — not deferred to a follow-up six weeks out.
- Direct follow-up. You leave with Dr. Dhillon’s direct contact. Results are discussed by him, not relayed through a portal.
If you want to prepare well for that first visit, our guide to preparing for a rheumatology appointment with abnormal labs walks through exactly what to bring.
How to Start: Three Simple Steps
- Schedule a free discovery call. A 15-minute phone conversation with our team to determine whether concierge care is appropriate for your situation.
- Enroll in membership. Transparent agreement, flat fee, no hidden costs. Review the full structure on the membership-based rheumatology page.
- Book your first appointment. Same-week scheduling in most cases — see the same-week rheumatology appointment page for timing details.
Our in-person office is in Beverly Hills, California [CONFIRM exact street address before publish]. Statewide, California telemedicine is available for patients in Long Beach, greater Los Angeles, Orange County, and every other part of the state.
You just heard “lupus,” “rheumatoid arthritis,” or “scleroderma” for the first time, and you are terrified. You are reading too many Google results and sleeping too few hours. Concierge rheumatology compresses the months of confusion into a structured, guided path — with a physician reachable for the 10 p.m. question you would otherwise carry into the next morning.
Secondary audiences include executives, public figures, and professionals who require discretion — the model supports concierge rheumatology care for executives with privacy, flexible telemedicine, and coordinated specialist access.
Conditions Dr. Dhillon Treats in Concierge Practice
Dr. Dhillon is double board-certified in rheumatology and internal medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Rheumatology (FACR). The practice treats the full scope of adult rheumatologic disease, including:
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) — see concierge medicine for lupus
Psoriatic arthritis — see a private rheumatologist for psoriatic arthritis
Ankylosing spondylitis and axial spondyloarthritis
Sjögren’s syndrome
Scleroderma (systemic sclerosis)
Vasculitis (including giant cell arteritis, polymyalgia rheumatica)
Gout and crystal arthropathies
Fibromyalgia (when paired with an inflammatory workup)
Osteoarthritis with systemic features
Mixed connective tissue disease
Undifferentiated autoimmune presentations (positive ANA, unclear diagnosis)
The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases estimates that more than 54 million U.S. adults have been diagnosed with arthritis or a related rheumatic condition — and millions more live with undiagnosed autoimmune symptoms. If you are one of them, you deserve a rheumatologist who has read your chart before you sit down.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Concierge rheumatology is a type of private rheumatology practice, but not all private practices are concierge. The concierge distinction is a membership-based fee structure, a limited patient panel, and direct physician access between visits. A standard private practice may still rely on insurance billing and 15-minute visit slots.
Most insurance plans do not cover the membership fee itself, because it pays for services outside the traditional billing model (extended time, direct access, telemedicine). However, prescribed labs, imaging, infusions, and medications are typically still billable to your insurance. Many patients use HSA or FSA funds toward membership — check with your plan administrator.
