<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1zjP1l_14WrPh8A00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1zjP1l_14WrPh8A00" width="1200" height="600" >CARIBOU, Maine (WAGM) - Negotiations between Northern Light Health and Anthem have left many Aroostook County residents concerned about the future of their healthcare coverage. With uncertainty growing, some are turning to alternative options to maintain consistent access to care. As discussions between Northern Light and Anthem continue without resolution, patients across Aroostook County are exploring new ways to safeguard their access to care. One model gaining attention is direct primary care. At Phoenix Direct Care in Caribou, staff say they’ve seen a steady rise in new patients — many of whom are seeking more reliable access to services.Vanessa McDougall, Family Nurse Practitioner for Phoenix Direct Care says: “Just before the Anthem and Northern Light we did lose a primary care provider. One of the offices closed so we’ve already seen an influx for that reason. Losing a primary care provider in the county is always a hard thing to do because we have so few but then with the Anthem people are kind of scrambling to make sure that they’re taken care of. We’ve definitely seen people come on board, learn more about direct primary care and what we do here at Phoenix, and I think people are pretty impressed.”McDougall says the model is gaining traction — not just as a temporary solution, but as a long-term approach that puts the patient-provider relationship front and center. “I’ve definitely seen the direct primary care movement grow. It’s growing in Aroostook County which is super exciting too like I love that. It’s giving meaning back to being a primary care provider. It’s giving that patient/provider relationship back to our patients and helping us to return to our roots of why we got involved in care to begin with. Like, I got involved in primary care to help people. Not check boxes and spend 15 minutes 20 times a day with different people like really building that trusting relationship is important to the patients and it’s important to the providers.”Direct primary care is designed for non-emergency healthcare needs. Services at Phoenix Direct Care are billed monthly — $100 for a single adult, $180 for a couple, and $225 for a family. McDougall: “We don’t bill insurance, but we do have like 90% of our population has insurance. They just keep it for hospital-based testing, imaging, ER visits, that kind of thing, but your membership covers anything in the office. You can see us as many times as you’d like. Especially, If we’re working on an issue trying to adjust medications, or taking care of a wound, or trying to manage a chronic condition like blood pressure, weight loss. All of those kinds of things your visits are included.”With coverage concerns still unresolved, Phoenix Direct Care says it’s ready to meet the growing demand — offering a model that emphasizes time, trust, and personalized care. As more residents explore their options, direct primary care is emerging as a viable path forward in a region where access has long been a challenge.</div></body>

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CARIBOU, Maine (WAGM) - Negotiations between Northern Light Health and Anthem have left many Aroostook County residents concerned about the future of their healthcare coverage. With uncertainty growing, some are turning to alternative options to maintain consistent access to care. As discussions between Northern Light and Anthem continue without resolution, patients across Aroostook County are exploring new ways to safeguard their access to care. One model gaining attention is direct primary care. At Phoenix Direct Care in Caribou, staff say they’ve seen a steady rise in new patients — many of whom are seeking more reliable access to services.

Coverage Concerns Drive Direct Care Demand

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CARIBOU, Maine (WAGM) - Negotiations between Northern Light Health and Anthem have left many Aroostook County residents concerned about the future of their

Coverage Concerns Drive Direct Care Demand

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