Frequently Asked Questions

“We value you and your health”

We understand that there are many options and choices when it comes to health care, and we want to make sure we do everything in our power to make your healing journey as efficient and seamless as possible.  We truly appreciate you trusting our office with your health or that of a family member.  Below are some frequently asked questions, and this information may help you make informed decisions on those topics.

What is covered in the new patient appointment?

On your first visit, the doctor will spend up to 90 minutes with you. This fee does not include any nutraceutical medicines, diagnostics, other therapies or labs. (A nutraceutical is a pharmaceutical-grade and standardized nutrient). Depending on your case, requested lab work and any prescribed nutraceuticals will be an additional cost (anywhere from $20 up to $600, on average). These fees are highly variable due to our unique approach and NO ‘one size fits all’ model. Every patient’s care is tailored specifically to them. These fees will be discussed with you in advanced.

Do you take insurance?

We are a fee-for-service office and are not contracted with any insurance providers. We have chosen this route of service for many reasons, including:

We have a “patient-centered” approach. We spend as much time as necessary with each patient and do not allow insurance companies to dictate how YOU should be treated. You will get the doctor’s undivided attention and the exact care he/she feels you need every visit. If you need a 15-minute appointment or a 90-minute appointment, it doesn’t matter what an insurance company says they will pay for—you will get what the doctor feels you need, not what your policy covers.
In today’s healthcare climate, many offices that take insurance have a waiting list of patients. That means if you were treated poorly and you leave that office, there is very little effect on that practice. In essence, you no longer have a vote. If you leave that practice, there is a long of other folks trying to get in simply because of their insurance coverage.

We do not have that luxury. We must do our very best for every single patient EVERY TIME. We rely on you and your great results so that you will refer your loved ones and friends to our office to share in the same great experience you had. Without you, we would not be able to do what we love to do—help people get well! In a fee for service office, you ALWAYS have a voice, and we would like to keep it that way.

Something you may not have thought as a benefit to a fee-for-service office is your privacy. We work for you, not for a third-party company. Our conversations, notes, your lab tests–everything stays between us. The ONLY time anything is ever released from our office to another is if YOU request it.

Can I use my insurance for labs or other testing that the doctor wants?

You sure can! We understand that you may have insurance and would like to utilize your benefits, however please understand that we cannot guarantee nor are we responsible for any future billings from your insurance provider. That contractual agreement is between you and your insurance company. We recommend you call your insurance company BEFORE your labs are drawn and processed to ensure they will be covered. There are some labs that do not participate in any insurance, and, in those instances, you would have to go through our office to get the best pricing possible. We also have contracted cash pricing with some of the larger blood labs to provide you with outstanding prices—you may want to check with us on our prices and see if we can save you money—we do provide national codes that you can take and attempt to submit to your insurance company. Real world example (patients’ names removed for privacy): Patient 1: Our cost for a prescribed blood work — $90.10 This patient decided to go through her insurance and was back billed nearly $1,100.00! This was for the SAME EXACT test. Since she had already processed it through the system, there was no turning back. She had to pay the amount. Patient 2: Our cost for recommended blood work — $385.00 This patient, thankfully, called her insurance company and was able to get a quote before the blood draw. Below is a screen shot showing the estimate was over $2,000.00. The kicker was that this wasn’t even everything we recommended, and it included a discount! Now, there are those times where insurance is very cooperative and patients do get coverage. This is rare and, normally, takes a lot of legwork on the patient’s part. All of our services are properly coded for submission to your insurance company in hopes for some coverage or that the charges can be applied to your deductible. That being said, we do encourage our patients to utilize our office to benefit from specialty pricing that we have negotiated with the labs. We appreciate your business and also work towards getting you the best prices possible. Running labs through our office also allows us to closely monitor the processing of your chemistries and to fix any bumps in the road BEFORE you come to your next appointment. It also ensures the particular tests that are needed will be run and helps prevent further delays in your care.

What is the cancellation policy at Gateway Natural Medicine? (subject to change without notice)

Your appointment time is reserved just for you. A late cancellation or missed visit leaves a hole in the practitioner’s day that could have been filled by another patient. As such, we require 24 hours notice for any cancellations or changes to your appointment. Patients who provide less than 24 hours notice or miss their appointment will be charged a cancellation fee. This cancellation fee can be found in your new intake paperwork, or you can call our office for the most up-to-date information. A credit card will be required to schedule all future appointments and will be charged the full cost if the appointment is not cancelled/rescheduled within the 24 business hours notice policy. Please see the new patient paperwork for a full explanation of our cancellation policy.

Can I buy some of the doctor’s recommended nutraceuticals online?

We do have many convenient options to shop online directly from our manufacturers and suppliers. This ensures you are getting the exact products and compounds your clinician is recommending. Check out our online partners (link to the store) We do not recommend purchasing from other third parties for the following reasons: The recommendations that have been prescribed by your doctor are very specific. Any change to this could alter your care and the results that were expected. This could, ultimately, prolong your care, cause unforeseen reactions and cost you more money in the long run. We have contracted DIRECTLY with the manufactures or their authorized distributors to source these nutraceuticals and natural medicine compounds. That means if anything happens (broken seal, damaged product etc.), WE will take care of it for you. You are not held responsible, and we will replace the product at no extra charge. This also ensures that the natural medicine compounds we carry are the “freshest” they have to offer, with the longest shelf life and highest potency possible. There are fraudulent nutrients, believe it or not, and counterfeit products sold on Amazon, eBay, etc. The counterfeit companies have researched the most sought-after brands and created copies with suboptimal levels or even harmful additives. Some companies will even acquire expired products and sell them as “new”, once again lowering their potency or potentially causing a harmful effect. We want to concentrate on you and make sure you get the absolute best healthcare we have to offer. Healthcare should be a relationship between you and your doctor — no one or nothing else. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions. Our friendly staff is here to help. We understand that there are many options and choices when it comes to health care, and we want to make sure we do everything in our power to make your healing journey as efficient and seamless as possible. We truly appreciate you trusting our office with your health or that of a family member. Below are some questions we get often, and this sheet may help you make an informed decision on those topics.