Question 1

What is direct primary care?

Accepted Answer

The basics and our approach•What is direct primary care? Direct primary care is a membership for your everyday medical care. You pay one flat monthly fee directly to your clinicians, and in return you get longer visits, direct access between visits, and a care plan built by someone who knows you. Ursa does not bill insurance for membership-covered primary care, so there are no copays or facility fees for those services. Ursa membership is not health insurance. It covers the primary care services described in your membership agreement. Labs, prescriptions, imaging, specialist visits, hospital care, and emergency care have separate costs. •Is Ursa concierge medicine? No. Ursa is a direct primary care practice. Both models can offer smaller patient panels, longer visits, and a more personal relationship with your clinician. The main difference is how care is paid for and what the membership includes. Concierge membership fees vary widely and often run several thousand dollars per year. Many concierge practices also bill insurance for medical visits, so patients may have copays, deductibles, or other charges in addition to the membership fee. Other concierge practices use a fully self-pay model. At Ursa, your membership fee covers your included primary care services. We do not bill insurance for those services, and there are no additional copays or facility fees for membership-covered visits. Your monthly fee pays for your care, not just access to the practice. You can still use your insurance for labs, prescriptions, imaging, specialist visits, hospital care, and emergency care if you choose, subject to your plan’s coverage. Those services have costs separate from your Ursa membership. Ursa membership is not health insurance. •Who is Ursa for? Ursa is for adults who want a more thoughtful, connected relationship with primary care, whether you feel healthy today or are managing something ongoing. If you are focused on prevention, we help you stay well with screening, health planning, and a clinician who knows your baseline. If you are managing a long-term condition, we offer steady follow-up, longer visits, medication support, and care coordination. And if you are somewhere in between, we are here for the questions, changes, and everyday health concerns that do not fit neatly into a rushed appointment. People with preexisting conditions are welcome. Finding the right fit also means making sure your primary care needs are within our expertise and the services Ursa can provide. Some needs call for specialist care alongside primary care; others may be better served by a different practice or care setting. We will be honest about those limits and help you understand appropriate next steps. •Are you nurse practitioners or physicians? We are family nurse practitioners with more than a decade of primary care experience each. We diagnose, treat, and manage a wide range of primary care needs, and we collaborate with specialists and other clinicians when that helps you receive the right care. •Why did Ursa choose this practice model? We chose direct primary care because we want to build a practice around time, continuity, and a sustainable relationship with our patients. Traditional insurance payment is often tied to individual visits and billable services. It may not fully reflect the work of answering questions, following up between appointments, and coordinating care. Primary care reimbursement can also be low relative to the time and resources needed to provide comprehensive care, creating pressure to see more patients in less time. Billing insurance adds administrative work, including submitting claims, tracking payments, correcting billing issues, and appealing denials. That work can require dedicated staff or outside billing support, and delayed or disputed payments can make revenue less predictable. Membership gives us a more predictable way to support a smaller patient panel, longer visits, and ongoing care between appointments. It does not eliminate all administrative work or insurance requirements, but it allows us to provide included primary care without billing insurance for each visit. We will continue evaluating healthcare technology and payment approaches that could simplify administration, reduce costs, and improve access. Our goal is to keep care accessible and our practice sustainable while protecting patient privacy, clinical quality, and the time and attention we give each member.

Question 2

What does membership cover?

Accepted Answer

Membership and payment•What does membership cover? Membership includes unhurried visits, secure messaging between visits, acute care, chronic-condition care, preventive care, medication management, and care coordination. Secure messages can be used for routine questions, follow-up, medication questions, and support with your care plan. Phone and video follow-up are also available when clinically appropriate. Membership covers our clinical work: evaluating concerns, recommending and ordering testing, prescribing and managing medications, reviewing results, and helping coordinate next steps. Labs, the medications themselves, imaging, specialist visits, hospital care, and other services outside Ursa have separate costs. You can use your insurance for those services if you choose, subject to your plan’s coverage. We will help you consider the options, including negotiated lab pricing or cash-pay choices when they make sense. •What does membership cost? Membership is $150 per month for the first adult and $100 per month for each additional adult in the same household. The one-time $99 registration fee per household is waived for founding members. •Do you accept or bill insurance? We do not accept or bill insurance for Ursa membership-covered primary care. You pay your membership fee directly to Ursa, with no copays or facility fees for included services. That does not mean you have to stop using your insurance. You can continue using it for prescriptions, labs, imaging, specialist visits, hospital care, and emergency care, subject to your plan’s coverage and requirements. •How does Ursa work with a high-deductible health plan? Your Ursa membership gives you a clinician for everyday care without waiting to meet a deductible. This includes prevention, new concerns, chronic conditions, and the questions that come up between visits. Your health plan remains available for covered services outside Ursa, including labs, medications, imaging, specialists, emergency care, hospital care, and surgery. Those services remain subject to your plan’s deductible and other coverage rules. Membership fees are separate from your insurance premium and health-plan deductible. •Can I use my HSA or FSA for membership? You may be able to use HSA or FSA funds for membership, depending on the applicable rules and your individual circumstances. Using existing HSA funds and remaining eligible to make new HSA contributions are separate questions. Your health coverage, the membership arrangement, and the total monthly fee can affect eligibility, particularly for larger household memberships. FSA reimbursement depends on your specific plan and administrator. Confirm the details with your benefits administrator or tax adviser before using these funds or making HSA contributions.

Question 3

Where are Ursa’s offices, and which areas do you serve?

Accepted Answer

Visits and access•Where are Ursa’s offices, and which areas do you serve? Our Vienna, Virginia, and Georgetown, Washington, D.C., offices are being finalized. We serve members throughout Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. During our soft launch, we are welcoming members through video visits, with in-person visits available case by case when clinically appropriate. Routine in-person care will begin after the offices open. For video visits, you must be physically located in Virginia, D.C., or Maryland at the time of your visit. •Are visits in person or virtual? Both. During our soft launch, care is primarily virtual, with in-person visits available case by case as needed while the offices are being finalized. Routine in-person care will be available after our Vienna and Georgetown offices open. Video visits will remain an option when clinically appropriate. You must be physically located in Virginia, D.C., or Maryland during a video visit. •Do you see patients in Maryland? Yes. We are licensed in Virginia, D.C., and Maryland, so members physically located in any of those places can meet with us by video. Our planned in-person offices are in Vienna, Virginia, and Georgetown, Washington, D.C. •How quickly can I be seen? We aim to offer same-day or next-business-day appointments for most needs, based on clinical urgency and availability. Ursa does not provide emergency care. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. •How do I reach you between visits? You can message your clinician directly through the secure patient portal for routine questions and follow-up. We typically respond to routine messages the same or next business day during business hours: Monday through Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Phone and video follow-up are also available when clinically appropriate. Do not use portal messages for urgent or emergency concerns. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department.

Question 4

Do I still need health insurance?

Accepted Answer

Insurance and care outside Ursa•Do I still need health insurance? For most people, yes. Membership covers your everyday primary care, but it is not health insurance. We recommend keeping health insurance for care and costs outside Ursa, including hospital stays, surgery, emergency care, specialist visits, imaging, and medications. The right plan depends on your health needs, finances, and eligibility. •Can I use my insurance for labs, prescriptions, imaging, and specialists? Yes. We do not bill insurance for Ursa membership care, but you can still use your insurance for prescriptions, lab work, imaging, specialist visits, hospital care, and emergency care if you choose. These services have costs separate from your membership fee. We will help you consider the options, including negotiated lab pricing or cash-pay choices when they make sense. What you pay through insurance depends on your individual plan, including its network, deductible, copays, and coverage requirements. Some services may require a referral or prior authorization. We can help coordinate your care, but coverage decisions are made by your insurer. •Do you accept Medicare? No. Ursa does not accept or bill Medicare, just as we do not accept or bill commercial insurance. Shuchita and Casey have formally opted out of Medicare. This means Medicare does not pay for care provided by Ursa, and members cannot submit Ursa membership fees or Ursa visits to Medicare for reimbursement. Medicare beneficiaries may still choose to join Ursa and pay the membership fee directly. Before receiving care, they will sign a private contract confirming that Medicare will not be billed for Ursa’s services. You may continue using Medicare for covered care outside Ursa, such as hospital care, emergency care, specialists, imaging, laboratory services, and prescriptions, subject to your plan’s coverage and rules. •What if I need a specialist? When a referral makes sense, we consider your clinical needs, location, preferences, and insurance network when identifying options. We can send relevant records, review recommendations and results with you, and help keep the threads of your care connected. Specialist visits are not included in your membership. You can use your insurance if you choose, subject to your plan’s coverage and requirements. Specialist availability, network participation, and costs are determined separately. •What happens if I am hospitalized? Hospital and emergency care are outside your Ursa membership and are billed separately by the providers involved. You can use your insurance for those services, subject to your plan’s coverage. Your hospital team manages your care during an admission. When you are home, we can help you make sense of the discharge plan, review available records and medications, and support your follow-up care. You will not have to navigate the next steps alone.

Question 5

How do labs work?

Accepted Answer

Labs, medications, and other services•How do labs work? We will recommend testing when it is useful, not simply because it is available, and explain what we are looking for before you go. Labs are not included in your membership. You can use your insurance, or we can help you consider negotiated lab pricing and cash-pay options when they make sense. What you pay through insurance depends on your individual plan. We will help coordinate testing and explain where to go. Reviewing your results and helping you understand the next steps are part of your primary care membership. •Where do I get labs drawn? Ursa does not draw labs in the office. We place the order, and you can have your blood work done at a Labcorp location near you. We can help you compare insurance and negotiated cash-pay pricing before you go, and we will review your results with you when they come back. •Can you prescribe medications? Yes. We prescribe and manage medications when clinically appropriate as part of your primary care, including controlled substances, based on the clinician’s discretion. Prescribing, medication follow-up, and medication management are included in your membership. The medication itself is not. You can use your insurance at the pharmacy if you choose, and we can help you consider lower-cost options when available. Coverage, pharmacy costs, and any prior-authorization requirements depend on your individual plan. •Can you order imaging? Yes. When imaging is the right next step, we can order it and help you identify a location that works for your needs, preferences, and insurance plan. Imaging is not included in your membership. You can use insurance, subject to your plan’s coverage and requirements, or consider a cash-pay option when available. Reviewing the results with you and helping decide what comes next are part of your primary care membership. •Do you provide vaccines? We can help you stay current with recommended vaccines and talk through what is appropriate for your age, health history, and goals. Some vaccines may be available through Ursa as services and inventory allow; others may be given through a pharmacy, public-health clinic, or another provider. We will explain availability and any separate cost for vaccines provided through Ursa, and help you find the simplest path when vaccination is available elsewhere. •Can you help with forms, prior authorizations, or records? We can help with routine paperwork, prior authorizations, records requests, referrals, and care coordination when they are part of your primary care. Some requests may require additional time or involve outside organizations, such as insurers, specialists, employers, or schools. We will let you know what to expect and help you take the next step.

Question 6

Who are my clinicians, and can I choose one?

Accepted Answer

Getting started•Who are my clinicians, and can I choose one? Your clinicians are Shuchita Gorrell, FNP-C, and Casey O’Bryan, FNP-C. You can choose one of us as your primary clinician, the person who gets to know your health history, goals, and preferences most deeply. You also have the strength of a two-clinician practice. If your primary clinician is away, the other can step in with context and continuity. We collaborate closely when another perspective is useful and stay aligned on your care plan. •Do I need to be a former patient of Shuchita or Casey? Not at all. New and former patients are welcome. As with any prospective member, we will consider together whether your care needs and our practice are a good fit. •What is a meet and greet? It is a free 15-minute video or phone call with Shuchita or Casey. There is no obligation. It is a chance for us to get to know one another, discuss what you are looking for in primary care, and consider whether your needs and our approach are a good fit. You do not need to share a detailed medical history, but you are welcome to mention any care needs or expectations that are important to your decision. If something appears to fall outside our expertise or services, we will discuss that openly. A meet and greet is not a medical visit and does not include diagnosis or treatment. If we need more information to determine whether we can appropriately meet your needs, we will explain the next step. •Is there a long-term commitment? No. Membership is month to month, and you may cancel anytime. Your membership agreement explains the cancellation process and when cancellation takes effect. •How do I join? Start with a free meet and greet so we can explore whether we are a good fit for one another. You can also begin registration through our secure Hint patient portal. Before care begins, we will review your needs and confirm whether they are within our expertise and the services Ursa can provide. If another practice or care setting would be more appropriate, we will let you know and help you understand the next steps. During the soft launch, membership openings may be paced intentionally so every patient receives the attention and continuity Ursa is built to provide.

Healthcare with a North Star.

Welcome to a practice where you are known, heard, and valued.

How membership works

Start with a conversation

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Get unhurried care

A broad constellation of clinical care

Preventive care

Metabolic health

Mental health

Everyday illness

Labs and diagnostics

Women’s health

Chronic care

Procedures and referrals

Sexual and affirming care

Why “Ursa”?

What it means to be guided.

Connection

Stability

Vision

Inclusive care that honors who you are.

Here for the human connection

Casey O’Bryan, MSN, FNP-C

Shuchita Gorrell, MSN, FNP-C

In our patients’ words

Direct primary care and the fee-for-service model

Transparent care, uncomplicated pricing

Individual and household rates

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Common questions, answered clearly

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