Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ

Do you take insurance?

We do not take insurance and are meant to supplement an existing primary care physician.

We specialize in the treatment of: Chronic infection, diabetes, joint and tissue degeneration, Obesity, and hormone imbalances.

Root cause medicine is highly dependent on honesty, commitment, and patience. Although most patients experience positive results with root cause medicine, no guarantees can be assured regarding the outcomes of nutritional protocols, dietary changes, or lifestyle modifications.

  • At this time we are unable to provide consultation services across state lines without an initial in-person visit.  
  • After an initial in-person visit, I will be able to provide telemedicine visits if a minimum of one in person visit occurs per year.
  • Virtual visits are for individuals who cannot or choose not to be seen in the office at least once per year. In such a case, a legally binding doctor/patient relationship is not established. Thus, virtual consultation is for educational and health coaching purposes only. Recommendations are not intended to serve as a medical diagnosis or treatment. These consultations are for advice and guidance, but please note that we will be unable to treat you “medically” and will be unable to include this communication as part of your official medical record.
  • To give you the full concierge experience, we meet online as if you were in person at the clinic. Test kits can be shipped directly to you to be collected. Since we am unable to do a physical exam, there are certain instances where a virtual visit would not be appropriate. In most cases, however, we can walk you through the process without you having to travel.

Medical records can only be released with your authorization. It is your responsibility to obtain previous medical records from other physicians or health care providers that you want me to review. Please contact your physician or other health care provider to obtain these records and make sure that I have received them at least 14 days prior to your initial appointment. Your medical records can be mailed or faxed to my office at 954-417-6105 or uploaded directly to your patient portal if you are a registered patient.

We strive to provide patients with superb care and hope to prevent or reduce hospitalizations and specialty referrals. In those circumstances, we will certainly continue to serve you, however, we do not have hospital privileges and do not act as an emergency physician or primary care physician.

We use specialty laboratories for most testing, but we also use Quest or Labcorp for more conventional testing (only for patients with PPO plans). For patients without insurance or HMO plans, several fee for service lab options are available.

During your consultation, we will determine which tests are needed and then review the testing recommendations, the instructions and cost. Some testing can be performed at home with test kits to collect urine, saliva or stool samples. Others may require a blood draw at a specific time of day.

We can draw blood at the office. There is a lab processing fee of $45.

  • Panacea Biomedical Institute does not participate with any insurance carrier. We cannot submit medical claims on your behalf, nor assist you with claim resolution. You are responsible for submitting any claims to your insurance company.
  • All services are strictly on a self-pay basis; we will NOT provide you with an insurance billing invoice. We only provide service receipts.
  • It is important to note that the Functional Medicine model of care is not a conventional model of care and often not covered by insurance. The conventional model is based on using and labeling patients with reimbursable diagnostic codes. These conventional reimbursable codes are not always consistent with the functional medicine assessment and may not be covered. Unfortunately, we cannot change any medical codes nor communicate with your insurance company.
  • Services are limited to that of consultation only. We require that you maintain a working relationship with a primary care doctor for routine screening exams such as physical exams, EKGs, pap smears, prostate exams, and acute illness care or emergency situations requiring immediate attention or hospitalization.  If you have a team of specialists, I respectfully ask you continue to see them as needed. Our services are an enhancement to – not instead of – your standard medical care.
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Here is a list of what you should bring to your initial visit:

    • Completed Integrative Health History
    • List of all medications and supplements that you are currently taking (please bring all bottles with you if possible)
    • Bring any recent labs or imaging that you have had done in the past 2-3 years
    • Feel free to bring a friend or family member with you if you would find that helpful.