Healthcare alternatives gain traction in the county

PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) - Accessing healthcare can be a challenge for families in Aroostook County but a new primary care provider is aiming to change that—especially for the county’s youngest residents. Lionheart Direct Primary Care is set to open its doors in Presque Isle on September 15th.

As negotiations between Anthem and Northern Light Health continue, many in Aroostook County are exploring new ways to maintain consistent care. One model gaining traction is direct primary care. Lionheart Direct Primary Care in Presque Isle is stepping in to fill the gap for younger patients—serving patients from newborns to age 25. Founder Maria Rutmann says her mission is personal: she wants local children to receive the same quality of care she’d expect for her own. “The demands for checking boxes, primarily to serve the insurance, chews up a lot of our time as providers. People are absolutely nervous and understandably so. They’re paying their premiums. They’re out of pockets are outrageous and still services are getting denied. They don’t have access to their providers. On the other hand, you have the hospitals that are getting reimbursed so poorly by these insurance companies that they’re struggling to make ends meet. They’re not able to provide certain services if they’re not financially solvent, right? So, it’s really a bit of a lose-lose situation. I think a lot of people are starting to wake up to the reality that unfortunately having insurance doesn’t equal having care.

Rutmann says one of the biggest draws to direct primary care is the ease of communication between patients and their provider. “The direct communication with your provider is so valuable. Particularly in pediatrics because understandably parents get nervous you know with a weird rash or a cough that gets worse overnight because they all get worse overnight and then they land themselves in the ER in the walk-in clinic for something that was really not ER worthy. By having direct communication with your provider, you can just shoot me a text after hours and be like, “Hey, I’m really worried about this cough. What do you think?” and I can say “No, I think he’s good. Do this, this, and that and I’ll see him tomorrow first thing in the morning.” And everybody wins.”

With lower overhead costs, Lionheart DPC is able to offer services that may be out of reach for larger healthcare systems. Rutmann: So, the beauty of this model is having the autonomy to incorporate tools that would be challenging to get in traditional systems. So, for example, I’m getting a vision screener that I can do early vision screens as early as 6 months of age in patients. Those are expensive pieces of equipment that it’s just hard for a hospital to justify but because my overhead is so low I can actually make it work and provide that service. That’s the beauty of pediatrics is that if I do preventative care and I tackle things at an early age it’s better health for the patient for their entire rest of their lives.

Patients at Lionheart DPC pay a monthly membership fee, which Rutmann says helps eliminate surprise billing and makes care more predictable. “In direct primary care you join as a member to the practice no different than joining a gym. So, whether you come 1 time that month or you come 7 you just pay that 1 monthly fee. Right now, for the founders members we’re starting at $90 a month for 1 patient, siblings so two siblings would be $175, and families of 3 or more is $260.” Lionheart DPC is hosting an open house at 209 State Street in Presque Isle on Friday the 12th from 3pm to 6pm. The open house is an opportunity for families to tour the space and learn more about direct primary care.