Carmel resident Farah Myers provides direct primary care with her new practice, Cool Creek Family Health at 340 N. Range Line Rd. The practice opened in spring 2020, but a grand opening celebration and open house was held May 11.
Myers, a nurse practitioner, describes the direct primary care model as “Netflix for health care,” in which patients pay a membership fee and all primary services are included. Myers also offers various testing that can be done at a much lower price than through other health care providers.
“When you take out insurance, prices get lower,” she said. “So, if (the patient) wants to check B12 levels, that’s only $9.”
One of the advantages to a direct primary care model is keeping prices transparent.
“There will never be a bill five months down the road,” Myers said. “If things are tight and the patient says we can only do this blood work, that’s what we do. I’m trying to make medicine much more affordable.”
Many of Myers’ patients either have no insurance or have insurance but with a high deductible. The membership is $75 monthly for adults and $35 for children. She offers testing for strep throat, urine tests, mononucleosis testing, COVID-19 testing, EKGs and women’s health services. She also can help with allergy testing, food allergy testing, genetic testing, anxiety, depression and insomnia.
“I allow people to take charge of their health a little more and do what they need to do,” she said.
Myers, who previously worked in a primary care office at IU Health, said she keeps her membership levels between 500 to 600 patients so she can have a relationship with each patient and isn’t inundated each day. She also wants to hire another provider in the future.
“I saw that when I was practicing at IU, there’s so many gaps in people’s care and it’s so fragmented,” she said. “People jump from provider to provider. I was burning out and felt like a revolving door for health care and had no relationship with the patient. Here, I’ve been able to develop strong relationships with the patients.”
Myers described her direct primary care model as the “most rewarding way to practice ever.”
Other service Myers wants to offer in the future is IV therapy. She also displays art by local artists in her practice and sells it without taking a commission.
For more, visit coolcreekfamilyhealth.com.