Here’s some helpful information about my practice.
What is Functional Medicine?
Functional Medicine is also called “root cause medicine”. The goal of Functional Medicine is to find the root cause, and then fix the problem.
How is Functional Medicine different from conventional medicine?
Functional Medicine takes into account the whole person – from beliefs to biochemistry. The goal is to restore the body’s normal function – not mask its symptoms. Functional Medicine is an individualized approach and does not have a “one size fits all” method for anything.
Why would someone come see me?
People come to see me for a variety of reasons. Many people come to functional medicine after trying a variety of other options, and often it’s their last resort. I have worked with people with autoimmune disorders (like Celiac, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus), Diabetes, Traumatic Brain Injury, Dementia, Depression/Anxiety, Arthritis, Hypertension, Male/Female health concerns, and a number of other issues. I’ve also worked people that just wanted to get a little bit better and function optimally.
Where do you see patients?
The majority of my patient visits are home visits. I am also available to see patients through telemedicine (via phone/internet). Office visits are coming soon.
Why house calls?
I use house calls for several reasons.
- People are more comfortable being seen in their own homes.
- At home, people have access to their pantries, supplements, and personal care products. These products need to be evaluated individually. Home visits make this easier, and bypasses the need for patients to bring their products with them.
- Home visits allow more insight into people’s lives. Many factors regarding a person’s environment are important to consider.
- Home visits keep overhead costs low. That savings gets passed on to patients in lower visit fees.
What type of testing do you perform?
I use a variety of testing methods with my patients. Testing may include any of the following:
- blood work through LabCorp, Labrix, Doctor’s Data, and several others.
- Urinalysis
- IgG food hypersensitivity testing
- Salivary hormone and neurotransmitter testing
- Genetic testing
- Stool testing
- Others if warranted.
How much do tests cost?
Test costs vary widely. I do NOT mark up test fees. Patients pay exactly what the cost of the tests are – nothing more. Testing through LabCorp is extremely inexpensive – often less expensive than going through standard insurance and applying deductibles or co-pays. If you need testing done, even if it’s routine bloodwork, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll be happy to give you what my costs are so you can make the best, most informed decision. For more information on test pricing
Do you sell supplements?
Yes, I do! All of my supplements are shipped directly to each client’s home. I’m currently using a service called Fullscript for ordering/dispensing supplements. I do have access to other supplements companies not on Fullscript.
What supplement companies do you work with?
I work with a variety of supplement companies, including Designs for Health, Xymogen, Pure Encapsulations, Orthomolecular, Biotics, Apex, DaVinci Laboratories, and Integrative Therapeutics. I am ALWAYS evaluating new companies and products for the best fit for what each person needs.
Where should I buy my supplements?
Well, of course they can be purchased through my Fullscript store. But frankly, it doesn’t matter to me where you buy them. If you find a better deal, go right ahead and buy them there. I want people to get the supplies that they need. What I absolutely do recommend though, is that they purchase only lab-tested supplements from reputable companies. If you’re not sure, check out for a listing of GMP tested supplement companies. This is not a complete listing of all companies, all verified, lab tested, or reputable companies – but enough to get you started.
Do you bill for or accept health insurance?
No. Most functional medicine testing is considered investigative rather than “monitoring” (testing where practitioners are monitoring the response to a medication or following progress of a known diagnosis), and frequently is not covered by insurance companies. However, some insurance companies will reimburse. I do not bill insurance companies for services rendered. On rare occasions, an insurance company will reimburse for nutritional counseling, office visits, etc. I’m happy to provide a superbill in those situations.
Can you provide a superbill for my insurance?
Yes. Absolutely. If you decide you want to submit your bill to your healthcare insurance, I can provide a superbill with the appropriate diagnostic and procedure codes.
Can you provide a statement for my HSA?
Absolutely. I am more than happy to give you an itemized statement and/or a superbill that can be sent to your HSA.
What’s involved in a consult?
Consults are brief appointments where we meet and discuss what your goals are, what your basic history has been, and what types of testing or approaches we might consider. Ideally, prior to your appointment, a comprehensive history form will be made available. Consult appointments are much more productive if a history has been filled out. At the end of the appointment, an order for diagnostic testing may be provided.
What is the fee for a consult?
There is no fee for a consult. Consults are designed to be brief appointments where questions are answered and information is shared. This is not to take the place of a regular appointment. A consult is designed to figure out if we’re a good fit to work together.
What happens after I have diagnostic testing performed?
After diagnostic testing is complete and all results have been returned, we will meet and discuss what each of the results mean, whether action needs to be taken, and perhaps what we might do to correct any issues. We’ll also discuss possible therapies, approaches, and treatments (if correction isn’t available). If you’ve had testing performed elsewhere, you’re welcome to schedule an appointment to meet.
What is involved when I see you?
This varies from person to person. There is no standard protocol. In very general terms, each person receives testing, a customized nutrition plan, supplementation, and therapies. People are ideally seen every 2-4 weeks in order to make sure there’s progress. Re-testing of bloodwork can occur as often as every 6 weeks, but more frequently every ~3 months. If there’s something we need to monitor closely, we will evaluate more frequently.
What options do I have for payment?
There are TONS of options for payment. I currently accept credit/debit card and PayPal. Some clients pay per appointment, some pay per month, some pay for their care in full. Supplements are almost always paid for at time of order unless special arrangements are made or unless they are following an all-inclusive protocol. I do not currently accept CareCredit.
What does care look like and what does it cost?
I offer a variety of options. Because healthcare shouldn’t be ridiculously expensive, I offer ‘fee for service’ appointments (make an appointment when you need it, be seen, pay for that appointment: $150), a membership plan (2-3 visits per month at a cost of $250-$350/mo), or a protocol plan which covers all appointments, testing, supplements, etc and generally runs for 6 months. The cost for this varies as each person’s protocol is different. But it can range from $3,000-5,000. Supplements are typically done on a fee for service basis – meaning they’re paid for at the time of purchase. If something outside of Fullscript needs to be ordered, that is handled the same way.
Why is functional medicine so expensive? Is there any way to make it affordable?
There are so many options to get the help that’s needed. One of my biggest pet peeves is when professionals promise the moon and then ask for a tidy sum of cash in order to receive it. The following are options that I’m working on as services for patients, or people seeking more information. As these become available, they will be publicized here on the site, and on Facebook. Also check the events section for community class dates/locations.
- community classes (free)
- online/focused classes
- YouTube videos
- group appointments
Of course, consults are always available, membership, partner/friend, and individual appointments as well.
In addition, I am happy to provide test codes to patients who want to bill lab testing through insurance (their regular doctor would order the tests and then the test result would be brought to me for evaluation). I find that unless the coverage for those tests is better than 90-95%, it’s cheaper to have me run them for you and then submit to insurance for reimbursement based on that coverage. I’m happy to explain how this works.
I have a friend who also wants to be seen. Can you do this?
I have seen couples on a number of occasions: friends, partners, spouses. This does decrease the per appointment cost for patients – because both are seen in one appointment. If you have another person that can be seen at the same time, we can discuss whether that’s an option that would work for both of you. Their health issue does not have to be the same as your health issue. For example, if the one person is a diabetic and the other has an autoimmune disorder, they can both be seen at the same time.
I am also currently working on a group visit module that allows costs to be further reduced.
How do I book an appointment?
Call, Text, or email. (Email always gets the fastest response). Online Scheduling is coming VERY soon.