Elevated Community Health, a nonprofit health center serving mountain communities, launched a direct primary care membership program called Elevated Essentials. The program marks the first-of-its-kind offering at a Federally Qualified Health Center in Colorado, allowing members to pay a flat rate for access to primary care, dental, and behavioral health services.
Elevated Essentials, which launched on Dec. 15, offers four membership options within individual and small business plans: primary care, a baby plan, dental, and behavioral health, with a bundled option combining primary care and dental benefits. Enrollment is open year-round to anyone with no income restrictions. Those with existing health insurance cannot enroll in the primary care plan but can complement their coverage with dental or behavioral health plans. Each plan includes most services with limited exclusions.
The program addresses gaps in coverage for mountain community residents who fall between traditional insurance and Medicaid eligibility. According to CEO Josh Cogdill, the program was created to make healthcare “more accessible and predictable for Summit and neighboring county workers and families,” particularly important given seasonal work patterns and high costs of living in mountain communities. The nonprofit cited loss of federal health care subsidies, skyrocketing insurance premiums, and expected cuts to Medicaid coming in 2027 as reasons for expanding affordable care options.
Dr. Kathleen Cowie, medical director at Elevated Community Health, emphasized that lack of access to consistent primary care leads many residents to rely on emergency rooms for preventable conditions. Without regular providers to address concerns early through wellness visits and routine check-ups, manageable conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes can become medical emergencies requiring more intensive and costly intervention. Elevated Community Health, founded in 1993 as a volunteer-run clinic, now operates across Summit, Lake, and Park counties, providing primary care, pharmacy, dental, vision, and mental health services regardless of insurance status.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.summitdaily.com/news/local-nonprofit-health-center-launches-flat-rate-membership-program/