A no-obligation 30-minute call to answer your questions and map out your options.
Tuesdays | 7:00–8:30 PM EST | 30 minutes
You know the drill. You put the appointment off. You stretch the prescription an extra week. You end up at urgent care when it finally gets bad enough, pay whatever they ask at the desk, and hope that’s the last you hear about it.
You’re in a lot of company. Florida has the fourth-highest uninsured rate in the country for people under 65, sitting around 13.9% against a national figure closer to 9.5%. A great many Floridians land in the gap: earning too much for Medicaid, not enough to comfortably buy a plan.
Direct primary care was built for people in exactly that spot. You pay a flat membership fee and get a real doctor who knows your name, with no claims, no copays, and no bill turning up later. At SustainMD it all happens by video and phone with Dr. Allison Barbee, a board-certified family medicine physician licensed in Florida.
Dr. Barbee is licensed in Florida and every visit is virtual, so members join us from Miami and South Florida, Tampa and St. Pete, Orlando, Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, and all along the Gulf Coast and the Panhandle. Nobody drives across town just for a fifteen-minute appointment.
The things that go untreated when you’re uninsured are almost never exotic. They’re the boring ones that get expensive later:
None of that needs a hospital. All of it needs somebody keeping an eye on it. Without a regular doctor it just runs on unsupervised until it turns into the thing that does need a hospital, which is the single most expensive way this could possibly go for someone who couldn’t afford the appointment in the first place.
There’s a version of this problem that only Floridians deal with, and it turns up every summer.
Florida law lets a pharmacist hand you up to a 30-day emergency supply of medication that keeps you alive or keeps a chronic condition treated, once a state of emergency is declared and the pharmacist can’t get hold of whoever wrote your prescription. It’s a sensible law and it has helped a lot of people.
Read it again though, and notice the assumption baked into it. Your doctor can’t be reached. In a system where your physician has a couple of thousand patients and a packed calendar, that’s just Tuesday. It doesn’t have to be your situation. With a membership you message your own doctor while the storm is still a forecast and get your medication sorted early, rather than standing at a pharmacy counter during an evacuation hoping a stranger can help.
Nearly all of it, as it turns out. Over video and phone your doctor can look after:
Blood pressure, using an inexpensive cuff you keep at home
Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, cholesterol, and thyroid conditions
Weight and metabolic health, including keeping medications on track
Prescriptions and refills, including getting ahead of hurricane season
Everyday illnesses, plus anxiety, low mood, and sleep
Telling you what your lab results actually mean without the jargon
Blood work is the one part you leave home for. The order goes in electronically through Fullscript, you get drawn at whichever lab is closest, and you review the results together on a call. Professional-grade supplements can come through the same system when they suit you.
That matters more than it sounds. For most uninsured Floridians the barrier to getting blood pressure under control was never the medicine. It was the appointment, the cost, and having no idea what the bill would say. Take those away and it becomes very manageable, because blood pressure and blood sugar both respond well to someone checking in and adjusting as they go.
Dr. Allison Barbee is a board-certified family medicine physician with over 20 years of clinical experience and additional training in obesity medicine. She is licensed to practice in Maine and provides direct primary care entirely by video and phone — from Portland and the south to Bangor, Lewiston and Auburn, Augusta, and the rural, coastal, and Downeast towns where finding a local doctor has become genuinely hard.
Her approach is simple: know your full history, take the time a ten-minute visit never allows, and be reachable the Saturday you find the tick — not three weeks later.
Patient12
Dr. Barbee listens to your concerns, is empathetic and knowledgable. Not once has she made me feel ashamed or less than. She gives practical, reasonable and most importantly, doable recommendations. She uses lifestyle interventions instead of immediately jumping to medications, but will also use medications if you and she believe
Patient11
Dr. Barbee has been a remarkable weight loss physician for me. She distinguished herself by customizing her approach to suit my individual needs. Throughout our sessions, she was incredibly attentive, understanding my specific health concerns and weight loss goals. Dr. Barbee excelled in explaining the details of the medications she
Patient10
Dr. Barbee is an extremely knowledgeable physician who I rely on with all my medical needs. Her bedside manner is impeccable and very friendly. She listens to all of my issues and gets to the bottom of any problem you may have. I honestly cannot say enough good things about
Patient9
Dr Barbee actually listened to me and was able to diagnose my symptoms and actually treat and control the issue. I can not thank her enough! She was super patient and kind. Something you don’t really see now a days.
A.M.
Dr. Barbee understands that health is not one-size-fits-all. She takes the time to listen, remembers details, and works collaboratively with me as things evolve. The most meaningful part of working with her is feeling truly heard and supported, not just during appointments but overall in my care.
Andrea
The best! I have been a patient of Dr. Barbee’s for years! She has guided and treated me in my worst and best days. Her professionalism is top notch, along with her knowledge of health. You cannot ask for any better care than Dr. Barbee!
Suzanne Layser
Truly a compassionate Doctor- I can’t say enough good things about Dr. Barbee. I felt truly cared for. Dr. Barbee was incredibly compassionate, took the time to really listen, and never made me feel rushed. She asked thoughtful questions and genuinely wanted to understand what I was experiencing. What impressed
Patient8
Dr. Barbee is an extremely knowledgeable physician who I rely on with all my medical needs. Her bedside manner is impeccable and very friendly. She listens to all of my issues and gets to the bottom of any problem you may have. I honestly cannot say enough good things about
Patient7
Great doctor- Dr. Barbee is a kind and caring doctor. She is the type of person you can talk to and really will listen. She understands your problems and will work with you to solve them. She is very thorough and make sure everything is looked at does not miss
Patient6
Thoughtful, caring and truly helpful-I have been a patient of Dr. Barbee for many years. I have always found her honest and helpful. She works hard to look at root causes, which can take a while to figure out. She is persistent, yet kind. As we age, our bodies change.
SustainMD’s membership is called the SimplyWell DPC Plan. If you’re uninsured, the value is easy enough to explain: for one predictable fee, you have a family doctor again.
Nothing to weigh up before you mention a symptom. No claim anybody can deny. No envelope arriving three weeks later with a number nobody warned you about. You stop rationing your own care, which is a habit almost everyone without insurance picks up and almost nobody manages to drop, even once it starts costing them.
Being straight with you: direct primary care isn’t health insurance and won’t stand in for it. It doesn’t pay for a hospital stay, an operation, or a specialist. Some members pair the membership with a plan that covers those bigger events, and some use it as the only regular care they have. We don’t bill any insurance, including Medicare.
You pay your doctor a flat membership fee for direct, unhurried access to everyday care, rather than billing each visit to insurance.
Yes, and a lot of our members are in exactly that position.
Yes, Florida law specifically recognizes direct primary care agreements.
No, we don’t bill any insurance, so your membership covers your everyday care directly.
Yes, message your doctor ahead of the storm instead of waiting on a pharmacist who can’t reach anyone.
The order goes in electronically, you get drawn at a lab near you, and you go over the results together.
Both give you closer access, though direct primary care is usually simpler and cheaper, and it sticks to everyday care.
Physician Credentials
Care is provided by Dr. Allison Pope Barbee, MD, a board certified family medicine physician with advanced training in obesity medicine and metabolic health.
Educational Disclaimer
Information on this page is provided for educational purposes and should not replace medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional.
Not Emergency Care
SustainMD telehealth services are not intended for emergency medical situations.
Privacy and Security
All virtual visits are conducted using secure, HIPAA compliant telehealth platforms to protect patient privacy.
Take the first step towards a healthier, happier you. Whether you’re interested in our comprehensive medical weight loss program, our dedicated obesity management services, or our revolutionary direct primary care model, SustainMD is here to help.
