Frequently Asked Questions
What does Functional Medicine care cost? Will my insurance cover it?
Private medical insurance may cover some labs, and in some cases may partially reimburse you for visits.
FM care will not be considered preventive by your insurance and therefore will be susceptible to deductible. I am happy to give you a super-bill that you can submit to insurance.
I do not work with private insurance companies. Your health savings account, of course, can be used. I do take credit and HSA cards within the secure electronic health record.
Medicaid functions differently from private insurance. Most of your care and labs should fall under Medicaid guidelines. Colorado Medicaid claims will be filed for you. Colorado Medicare enrollment is in process. I can pursue Wyoming Medicaid and Medicare enrollment if interest is voiced.
Hopefully, our country will shift from our current illness oriented model to a more wellness oriented model in the future, probably only if some sort of universal care in enacted. At that point functional medicine will be a focus instead of a luxury.
For now, functional medicine care will largely be self-pay. Visits are structured to be as cost efficient as possible.
If finances are limited we can do quite a lot just based on symptoms, without labs or supplements. If finances allow some testing, and supplements when indicated, we will be able to do even more.
Compared to time off for surgery and recovery, or years on medications that don’t make you feel good and don’t make you better, functional medicine can be considered pretty reasonable, and certainly worth it.
Why use a nurse-midwife rather than a physician?
A nurse midwife is a specialist in normal, primarily focusing on health promotion, using mostly natural means to encourage the body to heal and optimize well-being.
Conventional medicine physicians specialize in abnormal. They diagnose disease, treat symptoms and manage chronic conditions primarily using procedures, medications and surgery that can have significant risks and side effects.
A functional medicine physician on the other hand may be a reasonable referral in some cases, or even a conventional physician, if your condition warrants it. But 80-90% of health problems will improve or even resolve with diligent, targeted natural methods.
But, aren’t you a midwife?
Yes, I am, and always will be, a midwife. “Midwife” means “with woman”.
I would like to be “with you” on your journey to vitality and a joyful life!
My Colorado and Wyoming APRN (Advance Practice Registered Nurse) licenses both refer back to my professional organization’s standards of care. This includes primary care.
Practicing functional medicine will come under that umbrella of primary care. I will not be a primary care provider in the sense of being the gate keeper or coordinator of all of your health and medical care. You may still want to have a PCP but come to me when you want to get to the root of a health issue, or optimize your over all well-being.
A certified nurse-midwife (CNM) is a type of nurse practitioner, or APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse). She/he is educated in the two disciplines of nursing and midwifery, and possesses evidence of certification according to the requirements of American College of Nurse-Midwives.
CNM’s are licensed/independent health care providers with prescriptive privileges in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.