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Jump to Key Points This week in medical subreddits: family medicine clinics pivoting to concierge care, young patients heading to the emergency department, and the hurdles of opting out of health data sharing.
Why Are Family Medicine Clinics Pivoting to Weight Loss, Botox, and Concierge Care?
r/FamilyMedicine · u/Pale-Orchid4454 · October 15, 2026
A former licensed practical nurse at a community health center described watching the clinic close because it was not seeing enough patients, then reopen as a family medicine practice “that is more focused on weight loss, antiaging, and concierge care.” The poster said they have seen the same pattern at many family clinics and worry whether the shift encourages patients to care more about how they look than how healthy they are.
The poster asked, “Is it just because family medicine isn’t profitable enough and not enough people have the resources/insurance to see a family doctor anymore?”
- Primary care clinics pivoting to concierge/DPC, weight loss, Botox = revenue survival strategy.
- Low visit volume + payer pressure threaten independent family medicine viability.
- High admin burden, patient demands, and quality metrics worsen primary care burnout.
- Younger patients may bypass PCPs for ER care; drivers include anxiety, health literacy, copays.
- Opting out of health data sharing can hinder record access, continuity, and risk assessment.
Commenter u/BubblySass143 vented about their frustration with the state of family medicine. They encountered “hundreds” of patients asking for labs because of chatbot suggestions, administrative messages about quality metrics, and a harsh online review from a patient who arrived late. The commenter commiserated with those who make a major shift, concluding, “I’m ready to sell out.”
Commenter u/thesupportplatform viewed this pivot from a different lens, pointing to insurer profits and projected 2027 premium increases. They wrote that “providers will once again be asked to do more with less, which always hits primary care hardest,” and argued that independent primary care in a tough market means seeing 40-60 patients a day or finding revenue outside the conventional model, such as direct primary care or concierge care. “Please stop framing this as ‘selling out.’ It’s a survival choice, which to me is no different from those providers who choose to stay in the conventional system.”
The two replies framed the same shift differently: one as the product of exhaustion with patient and administrative demands and the other as a rational response to payer economics.
Join the Conversation ▸ Seeing family med clinics switching to weight loss/Botox/concierge
Why Are Young, Healthy Patients Heading to the ER?
r/FamilyMedicine · u/cloudypuff33 · October 19, 2026
Do younger, healthier patients have a lower threshold for going straight to the emergency department instead of their primary care office? That’s the question one clinician posed to their colleagues. They had observed their younger patients going to the emergency room (ER) even for problems such as an upper respiratory infection or a rash. In one example, a patient tried the recommended rash treatment for 6 hours before going to the ER for steroids because of the itch.
The poster suspected that the underlying reason for the ER rush is anxiety fueled by social media and self-diagnosis, and wondered whether it is “the instant gratification generation.” They then asked whether other clinicians see the same pattern.
Commenter u/church-basement-lady agreed that social media plays a role, writing that “social media is a problem, along with a low level of health literacy.”
Commenter u/invenio78, who identified as a doctor, pointed to cost instead. An ER visit can mean a hefty copay for those with private insurance, whereas patients with Medicaid or other coverage may not face that cost burden when deciding between an office visit and an ER visit. “Most likely it’s about copays not being a barrier,” the commenter wrote.
The replies offered two competing explanations, one rooted in health literacy and online influence, the other in financial incentives.
Join the Conversation ▸ Are your patients high ER utilizers?
How Hard Should It Be to Opt Out of Health Data Sharing?
r/medicine · u/adifferentGOAT · October 17, 2026
The poster shared a STAT article about a reporter who needed a notary, weeks of phone calls, and a trip to Las Vegas to opt out of health data sharing. The poster called the notary requirement “absurd” and said health systems treat opt-outs as “a nuisance to manage” rather than something patients are entitled to.
Commenter u/malachite_animus, who described seeing new patients who had opted out or come from a non-Epic system, said a lack of records makes care harder, writing, “Manually requesting records is slow and usually incomplete.”
Commenter u/psychNahJKpsychYES, who identified as a psychiatrist, worried that people who take the trouble to opt out may be at especially high risk and could benefit most from collateral information. However, they also empathized with the “understandable concern among the public about big data and privacy” and called for extra protections around abortion care, gender-affirming care, and immigration status.
The commenter said patients should be able to opt out after being counseled on the risks, and that the process should be “harder to do than clicking a button and easier to do than needing to get a form notarized.”
The replies centered on the clinical cost of fragmented records, with one commenter proposing a middle path on how hard opting out should be.
Join the Conversation ▸ Reporter needed a notary, weeks of calls, and a trip to Epic’s booth in Vegas to opt out of health data sharing
This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
