TULSA, Okla. — CommunityCare and Mending today announced a partnership to create Oklahoma ACA Marketplace health plans for individuals and families that include in-network Direct Primary Care providers beginning January 1, 2027.
The partnership brings together CommunityCare’s Oklahoma-based health plan experience with Mending’s technology platform built specifically for Direct Primary Care practices. Together, the companies aim to make DPC more accessible to Oklahomans looking for a more personal, relationship-based and preventive primary care experience.
CommunityCare has long wanted to support Direct Primary Care and offer it to more members. Through this partnership with Mending, CommunityCare will now be able to include DPC providers in ACA Marketplace plan options and help expand access to a model of care that many patients and physicians believe represents the best of primary care.
“CommunityCare has always believed healthcare should feel local, personal and connected to the people we serve,” said Josiah Sutton, President and CEO of CommunityCare. “We have wanted to support Direct Primary Care because we believe it is one of the best models for delivering primary care: more accessible, more relationship-based and more focused on keeping people healthy. Through our partnership with Mending and its technology built for DPC practices, we can now help bring that experience to more Oklahomans through ACA Marketplace plans.”
Direct Primary Care gives patients a closer relationship with their primary care doctor, often with more time, better access and a care experience that feels less rushed and more personal. The model supports earlier engagement, stronger communication and more preventive care, helping patients stay healthier over time.
Mending’s technology was built to support DPC practices and, over the past five years, has helped make it possible to extend the DPC model to broader patient populations. This partnership will help bring that model to more people in Oklahoma, including individuals and families who purchase coverage through the ACA Marketplace.
“Mending was built around the belief that better healthcare starts with a better relationship between patients and their doctors,” said Jeff Yuan, co-founder of Mending. “Our technology has been designed for DPC practices from the beginning, and this partnership with CommunityCare is an important step toward making Direct Primary Care accessible to more patient populations. Together, we can support the DPC community and help more Oklahomans experience better primary care.”
Current Mending Health Insurance policyholders who have a DPC plan and currently receive care from a DPC provider will be notified and guided to the appropriate CommunityCare plans that include DPC during the upcoming Open Enrollment period. The transition is intended to allow eligible members to move into coverage for Plan Year 2027 without interruption in their care with their DPC provider.
“This partnership is good for patients, good for physicians and good for the future of primary care in Oklahoma,” Sutton said. “By supporting the DPC community and making this model easier to access through health insurance, we can help more people build trusted relationships with their doctors and get the kind of care that keeps them healthier.”
More information about 2027 ACA Marketplace plan availability, Open Enrollment guidance and participating DPC providers will be shared before the start of the upcoming Open Enrollment period.
About CommunityCare
CommunityCare is Oklahoma’s largest local health plan, owned by Saint Francis Health System and Ascension St. John in Tulsa. Founded in 1993, CommunityCare is focused on providing local, personalized and compassionate service in pursuit of every member’s optimal health and wellbeing.
About Mending
Mending is a technology company focused on Direct Primary Care (DPC). They build the infrastructure that helps employers, health plans, TPAs, brokers and DPC practices work together at scale. Their data platform integrates DPC into health plans in ways that lower costs, improve access and deliver better outcomes for members. In doing so, they bring more patients into DPC practices while preserving what makes the model work.