Financial Policy
I am passionate about the kind of medicine I practice, and it is my mission in life to help others. Some of my patients have asked why I do not bill insurance directly. While I fully appreciate the financial challenge this presents to some patients, I have chosen to do things a different way in order to meaningfully impact the lives of others.
I am committed to the functional medicine model that addresses the underlying causes of your symptoms with specific nutritional and lifestyle recommendations. This model of personalized medicine takes time. Unfortunately the conventional medical model supports 10-15 minute visits and requires an army of support staff working behind the scenes (office manager, managed care specialist, billing office, collections, secretary, receptionist, medical records, etc). In general, doctors are not reimbursed for time spent with patients.
Insurance companies require that ‘participating providers’ sign a contract which allows them to determine which services they will and will not provide, and how much they can charge for those services. In general, their motive is not prevention or wellness. Insurance companies are heavily invested in a conventional model that relies on prescription drugs and surgery, and does not always meet the needs of patients.