Readmore: Local, News, Health, Consumer, Concierge Medicine, Doctors, Insurance Companies, Members only Practice, Private Practice, Doctor Patient Relationship, Donald Vanorden, Health Care System, Healthcare, Insurence, American Academy of Private Physicians, American Medical Association

If you're one of the millions of Americans who have received a letter from your doctor informing you they're changing things up to become a "members only" practice, you know the growth of so-called "concierge medicine."

A government commission recently found the number of such red-carpet practices has increased five-fold in the last six years.

Dr. Jennifer Chilek went into private practice eight years ago at Stone Creek Family Medicine in Montgomery, Texas, but, like so many doctors across the country, she's felt the pinch as overhead goes up and reimbursements go down.

"The insurance companies have handcuffed small practices," she says.

The only way to make ends meet was to bring in more patients, which in turn means less face time with your doctor.

"The health care system is destroying the doctor-patient relationship. I couldn't have kept going the way that it was," Chilek explains.

So this year Chilek joined an estimated 3,500 private practitioners who've switched to so-called concierge or boutique medicine, which has swept the nation the last decade.

Patients pay an annual fee from $600 to $5,000, even $20,000, and insurance is not accepted.

Chilek chose a newer, more affordable model called practice membership that works with your insurance.

See more here:

What is “concierge medicine” and how does it impact you?