FAQs: Direct Primary Care & Insurance Update
We understand the changes we sent via the Patient Portal message application on November 27, 2024, may raise questions and concerns about your ongoing care and insurance coverage. Our primary goal is to ensure a smooth transition and to continue offering you the best possible care. Please fully review these FAQs prior to calling the practice, emailing reception, or sending a message in your patient portal.
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We are making changes to our insurance and care model protocols to improve patient care, reduce unpaid medical bills, and remain in business to serve the community. We cannot continue operating in a profitable manner if we do not make these adjustments.
Other Powers Family Medicine providers are not shifting to a Direct Primary Care model. For Dr. Powers, he is shifting to Direct Primary Care for several reasons, including:
Arbitrary, intrusive decisions that inevitably follow with third-party payors telling us what is best for Dr. Powers’ patients will be reduced.
Should federally funded health programs change in the future, the Direct Primary Care Membership enables Dr. Powers to provide uninterrupted care to patients.
Revenues received by the Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership will offset the financial impact caused by our acceptance of Meridian Medicaid. By remaining a patient of Dr. Powers and joining the Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership, you are enabling us to keep accepting Meridian and directly supporting a patient in need. If Dr. Powers didn’t move to a Direct Primary Care Membership, our practice wouldn’t be able to accept Medicaid for any providers due to overhead costs.
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For existing patients, these changes go into effect on January 1, 2025.
For new patients, these changes go into effect immediately.
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Dr. Powers is the only provider moving to a Direct Primary Care Membership model. If you see another Powers Family Medicine provider (Dayna Niewolak, Sommer Shefferly, and Damian Gerkman) and have any of the insurance options listed below, you will not experience any changes to your care or access to your provider.
Insurance Accepted by Other Providers:
Michigan Meridian Medicaid
Michigan MeridianComplete Medicare-Medicaid
Commercial (Private) insurance
Self-Pay (Uninsured)
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If your provider is not Dr. Powers we accept:
Michigan Meridian Medicaid
Michigan MeridianComplete Medicare-Medicaid
Commercial (Private) insurance
Self-Pay (Uninsured)
We do not accept other types of Medicaid.
If your provider is Dr. Powers or you would like to begin seeing Dr. Powers:
Dr. Powers now has a Direct Primary Care model and does not accept insurance. To see Dr. Powers, you will need a Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership. You can learn about the fees and included services in our Membership details.
If you have a Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership, you can still use your Meridian insurance or Commercial (Private) insurance for lab visits, imaging and other diagnostics, specialists, medication, and other services that Dr. Powers might recommend or refer.
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If you have another type of Medicaid that is not Michigan Meridian Medicaid or Michigan MeridianComplete Medicare-Medicaid, you will need to switch Medicaid programs to remain a patient of any provider except Dr. Powers.
Michigan Open Enrollment is open until January 15, 2025. You can learn about plan options, and switching to Meridian, via the Michigan Health Insurance Website.
To remain a patient of Dr. Powers, you must have a Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership. You can learn about the fees and included services in our Membership details.
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The Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership for Dr. Powers is a membership program with quarterly fees that provides expanded access to Dr. Powers and select services without copays, deductibles and without billing or using insurance.
A comprehensive list of services and fee information is included in our Membership details.
Key features of the Direct Primary Care Membership include:
Direct Primary Care members get 12 appointments annually (with additional appointments costing $40) with no copay.
Members are able to message Dr. Powers anytime to get primary care services like physicals, preventive care, urgent care, managing chronic diseases, and mental healthcare, without worrying about hidden costs.
Members can still use their Meridian insurance or Commercial (Private) insurance for lab visits, imaging and other diagnostics, specialists, medication, and other services that Dr. Powers might recommend or refer.
Without having to deal with insurance for core services, arbitrary, intrusive decisions that inevitably follow with third-party payors telling us what is best for Dr. Powers’ patients will be reduced.
Should federally funded health programs change in the future, the Direct Primary Care Membership enables Dr. Powers to provide uninterrupted care to patients.
Additional benefits, including two 15-minute laser sessions and discounted hormonal pellet implantation, among other complimentary or discounted services, are included.
There are a limited number of spaces. Should the Membership list become full, we will have a waitlist.
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We recognize that any additional costs may seem daunting. However, we designed Dr. Powers’ Direct Primary Care Membership with our patients in mind. Ultimately, without the typical office visit fees you would pay your insurance, it may not be a huge difference. You can learn more, including the fees and what services are included, in our Membership details.
Alternatively, any of our other providers, including Dayna Niewolak, Sommer Shefferly, and Damian Gerkman (intermittent) would be thrilled to welcome you as a patient.
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Please fully review these FAQs before messaging your Provider or contacting the office. If you still have questions, please contact us.
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Use the sign-up button below to let our team know you want to join the Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership. A member of our team will be in touch with the Membership Agreement and billing details. Payment will not be due immediately.
There are limited spaces. Should the Membership roster become full, we will have a wait list.
Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership
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Individual Member:$400.00 ($1,200.00 annually)
Member and one Spouse or Child (Under 21): $600.00 ($2,000.00 annually)
Additional Members: $100.00 ($400.00 annually)
Additional Membership Fee Details:
To receive additional member discounts, additional members must enroll at the same stay and stay enrolled.
Those enrolled in the family membership must have the same billing address.
Patient’s membership is bound by additional terms outlined in Section 2 of the Direct Primary Care Patient Membership Agreement
If member is not a resident of the State of Michigan, an additional $400 charge is applied per year to the membership fee. This is the same fee that has been and is currently being applied to all out of state PFM patients which offsets the cost of Dr. Powers to maintain medical licensure in nearly every state of the USA.
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The Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership provides expanded access to Dr. Powers and select services without copays, deductibles and without billing or using insurance.
You can view the complete list of included services. Our services are subject to change annually.
Key features include:
Direct Primary Care members get 12 appointments annually (with additional appointments costing $40) with no copay.
Members are able to message Dr. Powers anytime to get primary care services like physicals, preventive care, urgent care, managing chronic diseases, and mental healthcare, without worrying about hidden costs.
Members can still use their Meridian insurance or Commercial (Private) insurance for lab visits, imaging and other diagnostics, specialists, medication, and other services that Dr. Powers might recommend or refer.
Without having to deal with insurance for core services, arbitrary, intrusive decisions that inevitably follow with third-party payors telling us what is best for Dr. Powers’ patients will be reduced.
Should federally funded health programs change in the future, the Direct Primary Care Membership enables Dr. Powers to provide uninterrupted care to patients.
Additional benefits, including two 15-minute laser sessions and discounted hormonal pellet implantation, among other complimentary or discounted services, are included.
-
Use the sign-up button below to let our team know you want to join the Powers Family Medicine Direct Primary Care Membership. A member of our team will be in touch with the Membership Agreement and billing details.
There are limited spaces. Should the Membership roster become full, we will have a wait list. -
Dr. Powers does not accept insurance in combination with the Direct Primary Care Membership for visit co-pays or other services included in the Direct Primary Care Membership. Please note:
You can still use your Meridian insurance or Commercial (Private) insurance for lab visits, imaging and other diagnostics, specialists, medication, and other services that Dr. Powers might recommend or refer.
If you see another Provider at Powers Family Medicine, they accept Michigan Meridian Medicaid, Michigan MeridianComplete Medicare-Medicaid, Commercial (Private) insurance, and Self-Pay (Uninsured) patients.
