Panel size is based on clinical full-time equivalents (FTE) or clinical supply (availability for appointments), and a full-time provider will have a larger panel size than a part-time provider. When two full-time providers have very disparate panel sizes (and thus very different levels of demand), efforts should be made to make the panel size equitable for each provider. An equitable panel size can be achieved by either actively redistributing patients from a larger panel to a smaller one, or by temporarily closing the larger panel to allow new patients to fill the smaller panel, thereby decreasing the larger panel by attrition.

At some point, each clinical team will reach its limit of supply and will need to reduce the patients entering the practice to balance those leaving the practice. New patients that cannot be absorbed by a team with a full practice should be deflected to teams capable of accommodating the demand. At some point the entire practice may reach its limit. At this point the practice must come together to discuss whether to deflect new patients to other practices (closing temporarily or permanently to new patients) or to grow the practice by adding more clinical teams.