The three faces of retainer care: crafting a tailored regulatory response.

Retainer care arrangements allow patients to pay a retainer directly to a physician's office in order to obtain special access to care.' Practices usually convert to retainer status by focusing their attention on those willing to pay a retainer fee, and dropping the majority of their patients, who are left to be absorbed by other practices.2 Also known as "boutique medicine," "concierge care," or "innovative practice design," retainer practices have drawn thousands of enthusiastic patients.3