We will run the most detailed labs we can through Traditional Labs, with an eye to insurance coverage and cost in order to get you the most comprehensive analysis to support your wellness.
Sometimes, with some chronic health issues, we need to go deeper and there are many valuable Functional Medicine specialty labs available that can play a critical role in getting you well faster. When we need to use them, we will carefully guide you as to the ones that will aid you the most to run and the reasons why.
When the results are in, we will help you to understand the information and make it actionable for you as to what are the best steps for you to take in “food as medicine”, lifestyle changes, supplementation and botanical medicine.
Here are some of the general categories that these functional labs fall into:
- Detailed Cardiovascular Panels
- Genetic and Nutritional Genomic Testing
- Nutrient Analysis
- Female Hormone Testing (assessing all enzyme pathways)
- Environmental Toxin Analysis
- Heavy Metal Analysis
- Neurotransmitter Balance
- Deep-Dives on digestive health (stool testing)
- GI Map/GI Effects
- Metabolic Markers
- Autoimmune Panels
- Microbiome Analysis
- Hair Mineral and Toxicology Analysis
- Food sensitivity panels
- Organic Acid Testing (shows key biochemical pathways in the body)
Cost:
Although, I do not accept insurance directly in my practice, you will still be able to submit your insurance to the lab or testing facility to cover all conventional labs, such as through Quest Diagnostics and radiological studies as well, as I am a licensed naturopathic physician in the State of CT.
Any additional more detailed labs, such as DUTCH Hormone Testing, Doctor’s Data Hair analysis, Food sensitivity panels, Great Plains Organic Acid Testing, GI Map stool analysis, or 3 X 4 genetics (to name some of the most valuable tests) are paid for out-of-pocket or via HSA or FSA. Your insurance company may or may not reimburse you. Check the details of your plan. We will always discuss with you the exact additional costs of these tests and the potential value to you in achieving wellness. And, I will always try to move you in the direction of wellness without unnecessary testing.
I am committed to providing individualized integrative Naturopathic and Functional medical care to my patients. In order to best do so, I have made the difficult decision to be an out-of-network provider for insurance during my first year in practice. This means I do not contract with insurance companies, and thus, I cannot bill insurance directly. You, however, can submit your receipt (or superbill) given to you at the end of your appointment and see if they will reimburse you or if your payment can be applied to your deductible. The “superbill” will speak the language of the insurance company and include the appropriate diagnostic codes (ICD-10) and the amount of time spent in the appointment that meet the insurance criteria (CPT codes). As a Naturopathic Physician, the amount of time will always be more than the current “drive-thru” medical model that the insurance companies utilize. In the insurance model of care, a 15-minute visit pays more than a thirty minute visit and an hour visit is often not possible. Thus, doctors have a huge incentive to fit more patients into a day. Instead, I will take time to listen deeply, to understand you, get to the root cause of your imbalance and develop a comprehensive plan, tailored to you.
This superbill receipt will have the billing and diagnosis codes that you can submit to your insurance company for reimbursement directly from them. The amount you will receive depends upon your out-of-network benefits and your deductible. You can also use your HSA or FSA to pay for services. You pay a lot for insurance and this allows you to be proactive in the kind of care you will receive.
