Guardian Direct Care in Cape Girardeau
Accessible. High quality. Transparent. Guardian Direct Care offers predictable pricing, easy access, and care from a provider who knows you, without hidden fees or surprise bills. It is an option alongside insurance, and the choice is always yours.
What is Guardian Direct Care?
Guardian Direct Care is our direct care option. Instead of routing routine primary care through insurance, you pay a simple, published monthly rate that covers your primary care. Insurance comes first here: Guardian Primary Care is in network with most major commercial insurances, Medicare and Medicaid. Guardian Direct Care exists for the people who would rather not use insurance for primary care, who want to know the price before they walk in, or who carry a high deductible plan and want their everyday care to be predictable.
The appeal is simple. Pricing is published rather than estimated. There are no visit limits, so you come in when something is wrong instead of deciding whether it is worth a copay. Sick visits are same day or next day. You have direct access to your provider and your medical records. And because the price is the price, there is no surprise bill waiting in the mailbox three weeks later.
Guardian Direct Care is not health insurance and does not replace it. It covers primary care. We recommend keeping a health plan for hospital stays, surgery, imaging, specialists and emergencies. If you are weighing whether it fits alongside your current coverage, call us and we will walk through it honestly, including telling you when using your insurance is simply the better deal.
What Guardian Direct Care Includes:
- Office visits when you need care, with no visit limits
- Same day or next day sick visits
- Direct access to your provider and your medical records
- Annual wellness and sports physicals
- Ongoing care for chronic conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma and more
- Basic in office procedures, including wound care, abscess drainage, cryotherapy and skin lesion removal
- Telehealth visits when coming in is not practical
What to Expect
- Published monthly pricing starting as low as $40 per month, with no hidden fees
- No visit limits and no copays for covered primary care services
- Same day or next day sick visits, and unhurried appointments
- Direct access to your provider and your medical records
- Annual prepaid plans that save you more than paying month to month
- HSA, FSA and CareCredit accepted, and fair upfront self-pay pricing available on request
Our Approach to Guardian Direct Care
Getting Started
Enrollment begins with an extended first visit covering your complete medical history, current medications, health goals and lifestyle. We complete a thorough exam and baseline screening so we know where you stand, then build your care plan together.
Care Built Around You
Your plan reflects your actual needs, whether that is managing a chronic condition, simplifying your medications, staying on top of prevention, or working toward a specific goal. It changes as your life changes, and it is written so you can follow it.
Access When You Need It
Direct access to your provider and your records, plus same day or next day sick visits, keeps small problems from turning into big ones. Regular follow up, preventive reminders and coordination with your specialists round it out.
Guardian Direct Care Pricing
Plans start as low as $40 per month. Prepay for the year and save more. Enrollment is $25 per member, waived with a licensed provider referral.
Adults, 18 to 64
$85 per month, or $925 prepaid for the year, a savings of $95.
Seniors, 65 and older
$70 per month, or $760 prepaid for the year, a savings of $80.
Children, 0 to 17
$40 per month, or $430 prepaid for the year, a savings of $50. A parent or guardian must be enrolled. Includes annual and sports physicals.
Couple, two adults
$150 per month, or $1,620 prepaid for the year, a savings of $180.
Family, two adults and up to two children
$210 per month, or $2,250 prepaid for the year, a savings of $270.
Each additional child
Add $30 per month, or $320 per year on a prepaid annual plan.
Employers and contracted businesses
An additional 10% discount, on both monthly and annual plans. Ask us about covering your team.
Benefits
No Visit Limits
There is no per visit charge for covered primary care, so you come in when something is wrong instead of waiting to see if it passes.
Unhurried Appointments
Visits leave room for a real conversation, so you understand what is happening and what to do next before you leave.
Same Day And Next Day Sick Visits
When you are unwell, you are seen quickly by a provider who already knows your history.
Direct Access To Your Provider
You can reach your provider and your medical records directly, which is the real benefit of direct care, and it keeps questions from going unanswered.
Steady Chronic Disease Care
Regular monitoring, medication adjustments and early intervention for conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and asthma.
Transparent, Predictable Cost
A published monthly rate covering your primary care, with no surprise bills and no claim paperwork to chase.
What to Expect
Enrollment and Your First Visit
Once you enroll, you schedule your first visit. We review your complete medical history, complete a thorough exam, order baseline testing, and start building your care plan. You leave knowing how to reach your provider and how to get the most out of your plan.
Getting Your Plan Set
We review lab results, adjust medications if needed, and refine your goals. This is usually when the access starts to feel different, because the small questions you would once have ignored or waited weeks on get answered right away.
Ongoing Care
If you are managing a chronic condition, we schedule regular follow up to keep treatment optimized and track progress. If you are here mainly for prevention, you schedule around your life instead of around the calendar. Urgent problems are handled same day.
Over The Long Run
The real value shows up over years: conditions managed well, problems caught early, fewer trips to urgent care, and a provider who knows you, your family and what you are aiming for.
Enrollment, Fees and Payment
Enrollment is $25 per member. That fee is waived when you come to us through a licensed provider referral.
If you cancel and later choose to come back, re-enrollment is $200 per member.
We accept HSA and FSA funds, and we accept CareCredit.
Prefer to pay per visit instead? Fair, upfront pricing is available on request, so you can know the cost before you decide.
Employers and contracted businesses receive an additional 10% discount on monthly and annual plans. For a business, that means predictable costs through a flat monthly fee per employee, a focus on prevention and chronic care, accessible visits with telehealth included, and optional wellness programs and screenings for your team.
What Your Plan Covers
Preventive care and wellness: annual comprehensive exams, age appropriate screenings, immunizations, cardiovascular risk assessment, cancer screening coordination, nutrition counseling and lifestyle guidance. The emphasis is on keeping you well, not only on treating illness.
Chronic disease management: ongoing care for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid disorders, asthma, COPD, arthritis and other long term conditions, with regular monitoring, medication adjustment and coordination of your overall care.
Same day care: prompt treatment for infections, injuries, respiratory illness, skin problems and other urgent issues. Many things that would send you to urgent care can be handled here, by a provider who already knows your history.
Care coordination: when you need a specialist, we make the referral, share your records, review what comes back and fold it into your plan. We stay your advocate through the rest of the healthcare system.
Common Questions About Guardian Direct Care
How much does Guardian Direct Care cost?
Pricing is published, not estimated. Adults 18 to 64 are $85 per month, or $925 prepaid for the year, a savings of $95. Seniors 65 and older are $70 per month, or $760 per year, a savings of $80. Children 0 to 17 are $40 per month, or $430 per year, a savings of $50, and a parent or guardian must be enrolled. A couple, meaning two adults, is $150 per month or $1,620 per year, a savings of $180. A family of two adults and up to two children is $210 per month or $2,250 per year, a savings of $270. Each additional child is $30 per month, or $320 per year. Employers and contracted businesses receive an additional 10% discount.
Are there any other fees?
Enrollment is $25 per member, and it is waived when you come to us through a licensed provider referral. If you cancel and later re-enroll, re-enrollment is $200 per member. There are no copays or surprise bills for covered primary care services. We accept HSA and FSA funds, and we accept CareCredit.
Do I still need health insurance?
Guardian Direct Care is not health insurance and does not replace it. It covers your primary care. We recommend keeping a health plan for hospital stays, surgery, imaging, specialist visits and emergencies. If you already have insurance, remember that Guardian Primary Care is also in network with most major commercial insurances, Medicare and Medicaid, so direct care is an option rather than a requirement. Call us and we will help you compare honestly, including telling you when using your coverage makes more sense.
How quickly can I be seen?
Same day or next day sick visits are part of the plan, and there are no visit limits, so there is no reason to wait and see whether something is worth a visit. Routine follow up is scheduled around your life. Some questions can be handled by phone or telehealth without a trip to the office. We see patients by appointment, and the office is closed on US major holidays.
Can I join if I already have chronic conditions?
Yes, and those are often the patients who benefit most. Diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, COPD, thyroid disorders and autoimmune conditions all do better with regular monitoring and quick access when something changes. Ongoing care for chronic conditions is included in your plan. We will review your current treatment, coordinate with your specialists, and work with you toward the best control we can get.
Related Services
Related
Insurance & Care Access
The commercial insurances, Medicare and Medicaid plans we are in network with, and how to check your coverage.
Related
Family Primary Care
The everyday primary care your plan covers, for patients of every age.
Related
Wellness & Prevention
Annual wellness visits and preventive screening, included in your Guardian Direct Care plan.
Ready to Learn More About Guardian Direct Care?
Call (573) 200-6143 or request an appointment online. We will walk you through the plans and help you decide whether direct care or your insurance is the better fit.
Book an Appointment