For many people, a primary care physician is the only doctor they see. But as medical practices have increasingly become organized under large hospital systems, care can be difficult to access. Primary care physicians can have up to 2,500 patients on their rosters and see an average of 25 to 30 patients a day, which necessitates referring even minor procedures—such as removing a benign skin lesion—to specialists. Patients, who may have waited weeks for an appointment, feel they are being rushed out the door, and physicians, under pressure to keep pace and overwhelmed with paperwork, are burning out.

A new model gaining momentum across the country offers a solution. Direct primary care offers patients 24/7 access to their primary care physician for a monthly fee—an average of $75. Doctors with independent direct primary care practices do not take traditional insurance, see significantly fewer patients, and provide a range of basic care including physicals, lab tests, and prescriptions. Whether they have an urgent concern or just need to discuss managing their diabetes and hypertension, direct primary care patients report that their physicians are more engaged in their care, and direct primary care doctors have the time and the flexibility to get to know their patients.

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“The reason I went into medicine is that I enjoy building connections and communities,” says Dr. Anastasia Norman, a physician who opened her own direct primary care practice, Grace Health, in South Portland after working for a large healthcare organization. With just under 2,000 patients at her former practice, Dr. Norman says she would sometimes learn after the fact that a patient had gone to the emergency room after being unable to reach her through the system. Now when they call she answers the phone. “I finally have the relationships with my patients that I envisioned 16 years ago when I started the process of becoming a physician,” she says. “I can provide care in a way that really helps them to lead their best lives.”

Direct primary care is not the same as concierge medicine, a model that charges higher monthly fees as well as per-visit fees that can quickly add up. Particularly for those who are underinsured, or even uninsured, direct primary care can be more affordable than having to seek medical care at emergency rooms and urgent care facilities. While insurance is still recommended for catastrophic situations, direct primary care provides a better experience for core healthcare needs.

“I can take care of most people’s healthcare needs for about $1000 a year,” says Dr. Benjamin Hagopian, who opened his direct primary care practice, Integrative Family Care, in Portland last year. He and Dr. Norman are among the 30 and growing physicians offering direct primary care in Maine; their profiles can be found on TaroHealth.com/Maine. Dr. Hagopian says more time and flexibility with his patients allows him to hear out their concerns and answer their questions, which helps him practice better medicine. “I have a foot in the conventional side and a foot in the more holistic, alternative side, helping people eat better and have better lifestyles,” he says. “And the only way that is possible is with more time with each patient.”

To learn more about direct primary care in Maine and schedule a free, 15-minute video meet-and-greet with a local doctor, visit TaroHealth.com/Maine.

Find direct primary care in your county today!

Cumberland county

Dr. Anastasia Norman
Grace Health in South Portland, ME 
Book online or call practice: (207) 303-8800
NEDPCA member

Dr. Oren Gersten
Portland Direct Primary Care in South Portland, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 200-4519
NEDPCA member

Dr. Michael Ciampi
Ciampi Family Practice in South Portland, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 774-1222
NEDPCA member

Dr. Ben Hagopian
Maine Integrative Family Care in Portland, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 544-9800
NEDPCA member

Dr. Alison Lee
Leeward Health in Portland, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 618-6604
NEDPCA member

Dr. Ali Kopelman (Pediatrics focused)
Personalized Pediatrics of Maine in Portland, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 409-0901
NEDPCA member

Dr. Lisa Lucas
Fulcrum Family Health in Freeport, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 386-4895
NEDPCA member

Dr. Catherine Krouse
Lotus Family Practice in Falmouth, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 536-0560
NEDPCA member

Dr. Alexandra Barr (Geriatrics focused)
Coastal Maine Direct Care in Falmouth, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 506-0412
NEDPCA member

Steve Saylor, PA
Coastal Maine Direct Care in Falmouth, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 383-1296

Dr. Heidi Larson
Heidi Larson, MD in Scarborough, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 233-2502
NEDPCA member

Dr. Eric Gerchman
Living Well Family Medicine in Bridgton, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 805-8484
NEDPCA member

Knox county

Dr. Brian Pierce
Megunticook Family Medicine in Rockport, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 390-8570
NEDPCA member

Lincoln county

Dr. Minda Gold
Full Circle Direct Primary Care of Damariscotta, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 563-6616
NEDPCA member

Oxford county

Cortney Muldoon, FNP
Live Life Family Practice in South Paris, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 739-4614

Penobscot county

Dr. Leigh “Jack” Forbush
Osteopathic Center for Family Medicine in Hampden, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 945-5400
NEDPCA member

Dr. Erin Chandler
Osteopathic Center for Family Medicine in Hampden, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 945-5400
NEDPCA member

York county

Dr. Earl Freeman
Lower Village Doctor’s Office in Kennebunk, ME
Book online or call practice: (207) 967-3726
NEDPCA member