Independent concierge primary care in Bucks County, PA
Many of our members come from MDVIP. They want the same membership model, same-day visits, 24/7 access, longer appointments, but with a doctor who personally owns the practice, deeper care coordination, and access to the Private Physicians Alliance partner network.
Signature Medicine is an independent, physician-owned concierge internal medicine practice in Newtown, PA, and an alternative to MDVIP. It participates in the Private Physicians Alliance while remaining independently owned.
Signature Medicine vs. MDVIP vs. traditional primary care
The membership-based model is the same. The ownership, coordination, and partner network are where they diverge.
| Signature Medicine | MDVIP | Traditional primary care | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ownership | Locally owned by Dr. Sitapara | National membership network; Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Charlesbank acquired shared control in 2021 | Hospital system, PE-backed group, or solo physician |
| Who owns the practice | Locally owned by founder Dr. Sitapara | MDVIP states affiliated physicians own and run their own practices | Hospital system, investor-backed group, or the physician |
| Patient panel size | 350 per physician | ~600 (typical) | 2,000–3,000+ |
| Appointment length | 30–60 minutes | 30 minutes | 15 minutes |
| Same-day availability | Routine | Routine | Rare |
| 24/7 direct access to your doctor | Yes, your Signature Medicine physician’s direct line | Yes, your MDVIP physician | Call center / on-call rotation |
| Care coordination | Total, specialists, hospital, insurance, follow-up | Referrals + basic coordination | Patient-driven (you coordinate) |
| National travel network | PPA member network | MDVIP affiliate network | None |
| Advanced screening partners | Prenuvo, Galleri, Natera, MyOme, NAG, Empower Sleep, InBody, Medjet | Limited (varies by location) | Patient-arranged, full cost |
| Insurance accepted | Most major plans | Most major plans | Varies |
| Decisions made by | Dr. Sitapara | The physician; MDVIP states it is not involved in medical decisions | Practice owner / system |
MDVIP fees vary by physician and location. Signature Medicine membership is $3,500 for the first year and $3,000 annually thereafter. The structural difference, independently owned versus affiliated with a national membership platform, does not change with the price point.
What independent ownership actually changes
Your physician owns the practice
The practice is locally owned by its founder, and that ownership does not change with a corporate transaction elsewhere.
Total care coordination
MDVIP handles primary care visits and basic referrals. Signature Medicine quarterbacks your entire healthcare journey, every specialist, every hospital admission, every insurance authorization, every test result. You are never your own case manager.
The PPA partner network
Through the Private Physicians Alliance, our members get preferred-member access to Prenuvo (whole-body MRI), Grail Galleri (multi-cancer early detection), Natera (genetic testing), MyOme and New Amsterdam Genomics, Empower Sleep, InBody body composition, and Medjet medical evacuation, vetted by practicing physicians, not negotiated by corporate procurement.
20 years in Bucks County
Dr. Sitapara founded Signature Medicine in 2005. Many of his original members are still with him, and have trusted him with the care of their parents, children, and friends. That continuity is structurally easier to preserve in an independently owned practice.
MDVIP vs. Signature Medicine, frequently asked
Is Signature Medicine affiliated with MDVIP?
No. Signature Medicine is an independent, physician-owned concierge primary care practice. Dr. Sitapara is the sole owner. There is no affiliation with MDVIP or any other national concierge network.
What is the difference between MDVIP and Signature Medicine?
MDVIP is a national membership-based primary care network. Goldman Sachs Asset Management and Charlesbank Capital Partners acquired shared control of MDVIP in 2021. MDVIP states that affiliated physicians and their staff are independent of MDVIP, that it does not own or manage their practices, and that the physician alone directs medical care. Signature Medicine is locally owned by founder Dr. Ashish Sitapara.
How much does concierge medicine cost compared to MDVIP?
MDVIP membership fees are set by each affiliated physician and vary by practice and location, so there is no single national figure. Signature Medicine sets its own annual fee independently: membership is $3,500 for the first year and $3,000 annually thereafter, and children ages 18 to 25 are half price.
Why do MDVIP patients switch to Signature Medicine?
The most common reasons our members cite: deeper care coordination (we manage specialists, hospitals, and insurance, not just office visits), access to the Private Physicians Alliance partner network (Prenuvo whole-body MRI, Galleri multi-cancer screening, Medjet medical evacuation, and more), and a doctor who personally owns the practice and answers his own phone.
Will I lose access to my MDVIP doctor if I switch?
If your current physician is in the MDVIP network, your membership with them ends when you leave MDVIP. Most patients who switch do so because they want a different relationship with a different practice. We are happy to coordinate medical records transfer.
Does Signature Medicine accept the same insurance as MDVIP?
Yes. Both practices use the same model: the annual membership fee covers enhanced access and coordination, while office visits, labs, and procedures are billed to your insurance as usual. Most major commercial plans are accepted; we do not participate in Medicare Advantage.
Is Signature Medicine part of the Private Physicians Alliance (PPA)?
Yes. PPA is a national federation of independent, physician-owned concierge practices, a different structure from the national membership platforms. PPA membership gives our members preferred access to advanced screening (Prenuvo, Galleri, Natera, MyOme, New Amsterdam Genomics), sleep medicine (Empower Sleep), body composition (InBody), and global medical evacuation (Medjet).
Is concierge medicine in Bucks County, PA worth it?
For patients with complex conditions, frequent specialist coordination, or who want a primary care doctor who actually has the time to listen, it is. Signature Medicine caps each physician's panel at 350 patients (vs. 2,000–3,000 in a typical primary care practice) so visits run 30–60 minutes and same-day appointments are routine. Whether it is "worth it" comes down to whether time, access, and coordination are worth a predictable annual fee to you.
Last reviewed by Dr. Ashish Sitapara, MD, FACP on