What happens during a visit?
All visits are Telemedicine.
Visits include a detailed history of all health concerns and multiple systems, review of prior treatments and testing, referral for any necessary lab work or imaging, and formulation of a personalized, step-by-step treatment plan.
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I tell my patients at their first visit – “Pretend we have a magic wand and we’re going to fix every single thing you would like fixed. Obviously we may or may not actually be able to do that, but that is always going to be our goal. So if we had a magic wand, what are all the health things – big, small, and even just mildly annoying, that you would fix?”
The benefit of this “magic wand list” is that every one of those problems is a piece of the puzzle that is your health, and just like with any puzzle, the more pieces you put together, the easier it is to see what the picture is. That picture is the foundation of our approach to your treatment.
How should I prepare for my appointment?
- Set up your Elation patient portal and complete your intake forms.
- Ensure that you will be in the state of Washington for your visit, and that you have a private space where you can talk without interruption for your appointment.
- Please send a list of all medications and supplements (with brands) that you are currently taking. You can send this through your Elation patient portal.
- Previous and current medical records or lab work results are always helpful to establish patterns. If you have them, please send PDF copies through your Elation patient portal.
Can you be my primary care doctor?
I no longer do primary care medicine. After 20 years as a primary care physician, I am now focusing solely on my specialization of treating people with chronic disease. I am happy to provide you with the names of some primary care doctors.
Do you do take insurance?
I no longer take insurance. I can provide you with a receipt that has all the necessary codes for you to submit to your insurance for any potential out of network reimbursement.
The amount of any potential reimbursement is entirely dependent upon your individual health insurance policy.
What are your rates?
- First office call – 2 hours ($480)
- Follow up visits – 1 hour ($240)
Visits are prorated by time and payment is due at the time of service.
How often will I be coming in?
Most patients who are actively working on a health concern, come in about every 6-8 weeks initially, and then less & less frequently as things improve. Some patients come in more or less depending on what they are working on.
Can I use my HSA / FSA Card for the visit?
Nearly always, yes. Check with your individual plan to be sure.
Are labs and imaging covered by my insurance?
If you have health insurance, any necessary bloodwork and imaging is still typically covered (within the limits of your plan), since the facilities themselves are generally contracted with insurance. Of course check with your insurance carrier to be sure.
If any Out of Network labs are recommended, I will let you know the potential cost up front. I never mark up labs.
Generally HSA and FSA accounts can be used for Out of Network labs. Check with your individual plan to be sure.
Can I stop taking my medications?
*Please do not stop taking your medications* without first discussing it with your prescribing physician.
My goal for people is that they are able to reduce or eliminate their need for most or all of their prescription medications (& supplements). However, until you have fixed whatever imbalance is throwing off the system in the first place, prescription medications can be very useful to keep you safe, so you can do the things you need to do to not need the medication anymore.
The goal of my work is not to replace one kind of medicine for another, but to utilize whatever is best for a person’s overall health and well being at any given time.
Will I have to take a million supplements?
There are two or three supplements that I have found useful for most people to take long term for general health, but I’m not typically a fan of people taking a ton of supplements forever.
That being said, supplements can be an extremely useful tool, and there are a few that I use pretty regularly in my work.
Very generally speaking – supplements will vary in type, dose, and duration, depending on: health condition(s), severity, length of illness, current medications, and numerous other factors.
I have also worked with patients who because of medication or medical condition, could not do any supplements at all. Although they can often speed the process, it is not necessary to take supplements to do this work.
Do you recommend one particular brand of supplements?
No. Over the years, I have picked out a few specific supplements from various companies, that I have found work well, and generally if I specify a product/brand, I prefer people try that specific thing because I have seen it work.
Otherwise if I don’t specify a brand, there are a number of good physician and retail brands I can suggest, that you can find locally and online.
Where can I buy the supplements?
In addition to supplement stores near you (Shop Local when you can!), Seattle Natural Medicine has an online dispensary that is discounted for patients, and there are of course many other reputable online sources as well.
Generally HSA and FSA accounts can be used for prescribed supplements.