BOZEMAN – A new medical provider, Bozeman Primary Care, is opening in Ferguson Farm on April 1.
BPC is a primary care provider that also will offer a new type of care called Direct Primary Care (DPC).
DPC is a membership program that will allow local citizens and businesses to buy monthly memberships in order to get 24/7 care. This type of membership typically is used for people who do not have or do not want to pay high insurance premiums.
“It’s been called concierge care but affordable,” said Nurse Practitioner and Co-founder of BPC Melissa Blixt.
Co-Founder Terry Edwards who is also an M.D. said the idea for this came from 15 years of comments from patients.
“Kinda commented on why is it three to four months to get a physical exam with you, Doctor Edwards? Or why is it a month out to get a blood pressure check, etc.,” said Edwards.
Bozeman Chamber of Commerce President Daryl Schliem said the new medical options coming to Bozeman directly relates to the increase in population.
“So I think our growing county,” said Schliem, “our growing business community being healthy is basically being attractive to all health-type industries being able to come out here.”
However, even with BPC and Billings Clinic moving to Bozeman, that doesn’t mean that healthcare costs will decrease.
“Unfortunately, healthcare costs have almost always exceeded the rate of inflation,” said Headwaters Economics Policy Director Chris Mehl. “It is true in Bozeman, it is true in New York and everywhere.”
Mehl credits this to the industry being something citizens need, not something they want.
Reporting by Mederios Babb for MTN News
