In their paradigmatic 1992 paper, ‘Four Models of the Physician-Patient Relationship’, Emanuel and Emanuel distinguish four models of patient–physician interaction: the paternalistic, informative, interpretive, and deliberative model. We argue that, over the last decades, the healthcare landscape has changed in such a way that the relevance and applicability of the ‘Four Models’ needs to be reconsidered. In particular, three phenomena have combined to necessitate the articulation of a new ‘Fifth Model’: the collaborative model. These phenomena are (1) the rise of chronic illness and the attending shift ‘from cure to care,’ (2) the increasing role for patient empowerment (including epistemic empowerment), and (3) the increased role of the community in the management of care. This collaborative model’s central assumption is that dealing with chronic illness appropriately necessitates a long-standing active collaboration between patient and physician, as well as between both physician and patient and the wider network of health professionals and the patient’s community. The theory and practice of the collaboration between patient and physician in chronic disease management is already well-described in the literature. However, its consequences for the physician-patient relationship within the broad framework conveyed by Emanuel and Emanuel has not been assessed. In what follows we explore the normative implications of this novel understanding of the physician-patient relationship and examine its core values and responsibilities. Finally, we discuss some ethical concerns regarding the implementation of the collaborative model.