A novel insurance plan is set to launch in Oklahoma, offering residents in Oklahoma, Cleveland, and Canadian counties a unique blend of traditional health coverage and direct primary care access. Taro Health, a New York-based health insurance company operating through Maine’s Affordable Care Act Marketplace, is expanding its services to Oklahoma in collaboration with over 40 local direct primary care providers.
Direct primary care is a healthcare model where patients make direct payments to their physicians or practices through monthly or annual fees in addition to their insurance. This approach enables patients to enjoy increased time with and easy access to physicians, reducing unnecessary visits to urgent care facilities and emergency rooms.
Taro Health’s co-founder, Jeff Yuan, is working to streamline this model by offering insurance plans through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace. These plans come with the added benefit of free and unlimited access to virtual or in-person direct primary care and mental health services.
Yuan explained, “People can continue to enjoy a personalized, high-access primary care experience while having the peace of mind that they are covered for specialized care, hospital visits, and emergencies, which is what insurance is designed for.”
This insurance plan is open to individuals who do not receive coverage through their employers or other sources, including self-employed individuals and employees of small businesses. Additional perks include rapid provider access, the option to communicate with healthcare providers via text, and longer appointment durations.
Yuan emphasized that Taro Health’s pricing falls in the middle of the market range, and Oklahomans may qualify for federal subsidies that significantly reduce their premiums.
Taro Health’s expansion comes at a critical time when hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans are losing their access to SoonerCare. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had temporarily eased certain Medicaid requirements in March 2020 to allow continued coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, states are now mandated to resume eligibility reviews and disenroll members who no longer meet the criteria.
Kyle Rickner, founder of Primary Health Partners, expressed optimism that the partnership with Taro Health will provide more Oklahomans with access to an affordable health insurance option that places direct primary care at its core.
Rickner stated, “We are excited to introduce the direct primary care model in collaboration with Primary Health Partners to Oklahomans who might not otherwise have had access to it.”
Oklahomans interested in Taro Health’s insurance plans can sign up on the company’s website or through the Affordable Care Act Marketplace during the open enrollment period, which runs from November 1 to January 15.