Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to Your Most Common Questions
Your Top Inquiries Addressed
Direct Care is a practice model that promotes the Physician-Patient relationship by removing third-party care (like insurance companies) from the equation. This model is changing how medicine is delivered across the nation; there is a large movement of Primary Care Physicians as well as Specialist Physicians leaving corporate (usually hospital-owned and insurance-based) healthcare practices to have autonomy in how they care for patients. This is the way to truly address each unique patient’s needs.
When you become a patient at SustainMD, you receive customized, accessible, and high-quality care directly from Dr. Barbee. You will be able to spend more time developing a personal relationship with your doctor so you can be successful with a plan tailored to your specific needs, and you can reach out any time with questions and know that Dr. Barbee will be responding directly and in a timely manner. Think of it as your old-fashioned country doctor who makes house calls, but using modern technology.
Not entirely. Dr. Barbee will provide a comprehensive, compassionate approach to addressing multiple chronic illnesses and overall wellness. She will also see patients for one-time visits for acute issues. Long-term members will receive acute and chronic care that is appropriate to a telemedicine-only practice.
We feel is helpful to have an in-network PCP through your health insurance to keep up with your recommended health maintenance screenings like Pap smears, preventative immunizations, and for an annual in-person physical examination since this is a telemedicine-only practice. Dr. Barbee will gladly communicate with your PCP to optimize your healthcare.
If you are a former patient of Dr. Barbee and do not have any metabolic conditions but would like to know how SustainMD can help you, please feel free to reach out!
No, we are not contracted with your insurance company so that we can spend our time and energy on serving you and not them. You may choose to submit your invoice to your health insurance plan for out-of-network benefits.
Accepted forms of payment:
- HSA/FSA
- Credit card
- ACH
- Zelle
Labs will be performed at a convenient location to you using LabCorp, Quest Diagnostics, or your local outpatient lab. These will be billed by the lab directly to your insurance company.
If you do not have insurance coverage or would prefer to order labs directly through us, we have negotiated cash pricing with Quest Diagnostics. Our initial Complete Obesity Panel is $150.
Medications are subject to insurance plan coverage through your employer. We try to obtain covered medications or generic medications if possible, and we can help you find lower cost cash pay prices for brand name medications.
All medications we prescribe are FDA-approved. We utilize all medications that have shown evidence of weight loss in evidence-based studies. These medications include:
- Ozempic (semaglutide for Diabetes)
- Wegovy (semaglutide for Obesity)- via insurance or direct through NovoCare Pharmacy for $499/month for cash pay patients
- Mounjaro (tirzepatide for Diabetes)
- Zepbound (tirzepatide for Obesity)- via insurance or direct through LillyDirect Self Pay Pharmacy for $349-499/month for cash pay patients
- Saxenda (liraglutide- now generic)
- Contrave (bupropion and naltrexone)
- Qsymia (phentermine-requires in person visits and is dependent on state licensing rules- and topiramate)
- Metformin
- California
- Florida
- Maine
- North Carolina
