Scheduling & Visits
What should I expect at my first visit?
Your first visit with Compassion Primary Care is a full clinical intake. Stasha-Gae Roberts, DNP, ARNP, AGPCNP-BC, BHRT Certified, will carefully review your medical history, listen to what you are experiencing, and perform any needed physical examination. Together, you will discuss the necessary lab work and outline your care plan going forward. First visits are longer than a typical primary care appointment because real investigation takes time.
Do I have to be in Florida to become a patient?
Yes, to become established. Compassion Primary Care can only accept new patients who are physically located in the state of Florida for their first visit. This is a Florida licensure requirement. Once you are established as a patient, virtual care visits can be conducted while you are outside Florida, including during travel or seasonal moves. Some patients live part of the year outside Florida and remain in continuous care
Can I have my visits virtually?
Yes, once you are established as a patient. Follow-up visits can be conducted through a secure video platform. Some patients prefer in-person or home visits, others prefer virtual, and some combine formats depending on what fits their life. The care model is designed to be flexible.
What is the cancellation and rescheduling policy?
Compassion Primary Care does not charge cancellation or no-show fees. As a matter of professional courtesy, please give at least 24 hours' notice if you need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Same-day cancellations happen; life happens. But when appointments are held for you and no notice is given, another patient loses the opportunity to be seen. A phone call, a Spruce message, or an update through the online scheduling tool all work.
How do I schedule an appointment?
Appointments can be scheduled through the online scheduling tool on the patient portal, which is available 24/7. You can also reach out through the Spruce app or by calling the office. Same-day appointments are usually available for members.
Communication & After-hours Access
How do I communicate with my nurse practitioner between visits?
Members have unlimited access to their nurse practitioner. The best channel depends on the type of question:
- For non-urgent questions: email or the Spruce app work well. Medication refills, scheduling changes, questions that can wait a business day.
- For urgent concerns: please use the Spruce app or call the office directly. Do not send urgent concerns by email. Email is not monitored in real time, and urgent issues need faster attention than email allows.
- For complex clinical questions: if a question is too involved to answer well in a message, a phone, video, or in-person visit may be more helpful. Compassion Primary Care will let you know when that is the case.
Is there after-hours access?
Compassion Primary Care is not a 24-hour service and does not have an after-hours answering service. For urgent issues after business hours, the clinician is available through the Spruce app. For true medical emergencies or urgent issues that cannot wait, please go to the emergency room or an urgent care center.
What happens if I need to be hospitalized?
Stasha-Gae Roberts does not treat patients while they are admitted to the hospital. However, she will stay in contact with you during your hospitalization and will resume your care immediately upon discharge, coordinating any follow-up needed.
What if I need care while I am traveling outside Florida?
Once you are established, virtual care visits can be conducted while you are outside Florida. This includes routine follow-ups, non-urgent illnesses, and continuity of care during travel or seasonal moves. For a true medical emergency, please go to the emergency room where you are located. Once you return to your home base, Stasha-Gae Roberts will resume in-person and home visit care as usual.
Biling & Insurance
Compassion Primary Care does not accept or bill any insurance plans, including HMO plans, Medicare, or Medicaid. This is a Direct Primary Care model, which means membership fees are paid directly to the practice and are not routed through insurance. Not billing insurance is part of what allows longer visits, unlimited access, and time to actually investigate what is happening in your body.
Do I still need health insurance?
Yes. While Compassion Primary Care does not accept or bill insurance directly, insurance is strongly encouraged. Many patients at Compassion Primary Care carry health insurance and use it for the things it works well for: covering lab work at Quest or LabCorp, paying for prescriptions at the pharmacy, and covering visits with specialists to whom Stasha-Gae Roberts refers. Insurance is also important for catastrophic care such as hospitalizations, surgeries, and emergency room visits. Some patients pair their Compassion Primary Care membership with a high-deductible health plan; others carry a medical cost-sharing plan.
Can my insurance reimburse me for my membership fee?
In some cases, yes. Some insurance plans will apply membership fees, medication costs, or lab costs to your deductible when you submit a receipt. Compassion Primary Care will provide a detailed billing summary that you can submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement. Compassion Primary Care does not submit claims on your behalf.
Can I use HSA or FSA funds to pay for my membership?
Direct Primary Care is an FSA-eligible expense. HSA use for DPC membership fees is currently unclear under federal tax law and is best confirmed with your tax professional. HSA money can be used for medications, imaging, labs, and similar medical expenses.
Are there additional fees beyond the monthly membership?
Membership covers unlimited access to your nurse practitioner and most in-office. Additional fees may apply for lab tests not included in your membership tier, specialty testing, prescription medications, and certain advanced procedures. Any additional fees are discussed with you in advance so you are not surprised.
Lab Testing
Where does Compassion Primary Care send lab work?
Lab work can be sent to any lab that fits your care and coverage. Large lab networks like Quest Diagnostics and LabCorp are commonly used because they have wide coverage across most insurance plans and locations throughout Florida, but other labs are used where clinically appropriate or when your insurance covers a specific lab only. If your insurance covers work only at a certain lab, please let the practice know before any blood work is drawn so labs can be ordered there.
Are lab tests included in my membership?
A limited number of lab tests are included in specific membership tiers.
- Gut & Hormone Reset membership includes one annual 4-point saliva cortisol test.
- Prime Health & Optimization membership includes annual standard labs per Compassion Primary Care protocols (thyroid panel, CMP, CBC, ferritin, iron, TIBC, vitamin B12, homocysteine, vitamin D, red blood cell magnesium, hs-CRP, uric acid, lipid panel, A1c, and insulin) plus the annual 4-point saliva cortisol test.
- Safe & Sound Care membership does not include lab work in the fee.
Beyond what your tier includes, standard labs are typically ordered through Quest, LabCorp, or another lab of your choice and billed to your insurance or paid out of pocket if you are uninsured.
Functional labs are almost always not covered by insurance. Specialty and functional testing (saliva hormone panels, comprehensive stool testing, food sensitivity panels, and similar) are generally paid out of pocket. When a functional lab is recommended, Compassion Primary Care will let you know the cost up front so you can decide whether to proceed. You are never obligated to purchase specialty testing; care continues either way.
If you are enrolled in the Finally Answered Program, some functional labs are included as part of the program itself. Which specific labs are included is discussed during your intake.
What kinds of specialty and functional lab tests might be recommended?
Beyond standard blood work, functional lab testing can include saliva, urine, and stool testing. The specific tests recommended are personalized to what your intake reveals and to what you and your nurse practitioner decide to investigate. You are never obligated to purchase specialty testing. If a test is recommended but you prefer not to pursue it, care continues either way.
What if I receive an at-home test kit in the mail?
When Compassion Primary Care mails a lab test kit to you, you are charged for that kit on the day it is shipped. This is because the lab bills for the kit at that point in the process.
What if my lab results suggest I need further care?
If your results indicate you need testing or care beyond what Compassion Primary Care offers, you will be referred to the appropriate specialist or, in some cases, guided back to your regular primary care provider. You may also choose to continue investigating further with Compassion Primary Care.
Medications & Prescriptions
What kinds of medications are prescribed at Compassion Primary Care?
Medications commonly used in primary care are prescribed as clinically appropriate. This includes acute care prescriptions (antibiotics for infections, short-term medications for common conditions), ongoing management for chronic conditions, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy where indicated.
Are there medications Compassion Primary Care does not prescribe?
Long-term controlled substances (narcotics for chronic pain, sedatives for chronic anxiety, and similar) are not prescribed at Compassion Primary Care. Patients who require these medications on an ongoing basis are best served by a provider who specializes in the appropriate area of care.
How are prescription refills handled?
Prescription refills can be requested through the Spruce app, through the patient portal, or by contacting the office directly during business hours. Please allow up to two business days for refills so they can be reviewed carefully
Specialized Care Questions
Are you a real doctor, or what exactly is a nurse practitioner?
Stasha-Gae Roberts is a nurse practitioner with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree (DNP), the highest clinical degree in the nursing profession.
She is also a licensed Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) in the state of Florida, board-certified in Adult-Gerontology Primary Care (AGPCNP-BC), and certified in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy. Nurse practitioners are licensed independent providers, which means she can diagnose conditions, order and interpret labs, prescribe medications, and manage complex care independently.
Nurse practitioners are not physicians; they are trained through a different pathway. Both nurse practitioners and physicians are qualified to provide primary care. What matters most is that the clinician has the training, experience, and time to actually investigate what is happening in your body. Stasha-Gae has 26 years of nursing experience and more than 12 years in advanced practice.
Do you provide prenatal or obstetric care?
No. Compassion Primary Care does not provide prenatal, obstetric, or pregnancy-related care. If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy, care will be coordinated with your OB/GYN.
Can I get referred to a specialist through Compassion Primary Care?
Yes. Referrals to specialists are coordinated as needed, and many specialists in the Tampa Bay area offer cash-based pricing for patients paying out of pocket.
