<p>Any business by definition has customers. They can be patients, clients, other businesses, etc. The problem with medical practice is that it is a mix of B2B and B2C model, where both B (insurance cos) and C (patients) have their specific demands and needs, and those demands do not necessarily overlap. So doctors have to deal with both!! Plus, the docs have to operate in a regulatory environment, and that eats up time and adds costs. Pizzagirl, your husband deserves a gold star for running his practice like he does! </p>