Following are a list of common questions we receive at The Institute of Natural Health.
Following are a list of common questions we receive at The Institute of Natural Health.
No, the doctors of The Institute of Natural Health are not participating providers of any health insurance plan. The Institute of Natural Health is a cash-based practice. We accept Cash, Check, Debit, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express as well as Care Credit. You may apply for Care Credit by clicking the link at the bottom of each page.
This means that payment is due at the time of service. From our perspective, our patients benefit from us not being participating providers with insurance companies. We believe that insurance companies tend to dictate care available to a patient by denying services that may be the most beneficial for the patient. We personally believe that you should be able to determine which services are best for you, and which services you would like to receive. Our patients solidify our beliefs because they continue to seek out the services and care we provide at The Institute of Natural Health. They are seeking a different philosophy and treatment from that which allopathic medicine provides and are instead choosing a more health-promoting model of care.
With that being said, we do help our patients by using standard medical coding on our invoices so that you may submit the forms to your insurance provider for potential reimbursement. We have no involvement in, nor guarantee any manner or amount you may be reimbursed. This is entirely between you and your insurance company and the plan you have chosen.
To get started on your healing journey, you can simply call our office at (314) 293-8123 and speak to one of our staff members. You can also leave us a message at the above phone number, send us an email at info@inhstl.com, and a patient care coordinator will be in touch with you within a few days.
The benefit of a collaborative approach is that rarely does a person walk into our office that we are unable to help. In the event that does happen with you, rest assured we will refer you, as quickly as possible, to the correct type of practitioner who can best address your situation.
That is a great question that we wish had a simple answer. We pride ourselves in offering an affordable solution to your healthcare needs. The costs will truly be dependent upon the complexity of your case and your desire to become well.
For example, we see some people who come in with many different issues and they choose to only address one issue even though other health issues were found. Yet we have other clients that come in and want to do absolutely everything they can to be the healthiest most vibrant expression of wellness they can.
The choice is truly up to you. We are here to listen to your concerns, answer your questions, and provide you answers where others may have found none. Your health will always be your decision at The Institute of Natural Health.
Yes and no. For most of our patients, the answer is no and we require that you have your own primary care physician. Our practitioners will work with you closely as consultants and coaches in preventative, nutritional, and functional medicine to help you address the roots of chronic health problems. They can confer with your primary care doctor if required.
Please fill out the intake forms that pertain to your appointment type and submit this paperwork at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled appointment. (link coming soon)
As you begin your journey to health at The Institute of Natural Health, we begin a relationship together that will take course over the months and/or years to come.
As inherent in the Functional Medicine Model, we will want to understand the complexity of who you are, your story, the triggers and precipitating factors that have impacted your health, and where this has brought you to date. This discovery process is part of us getting to know you, your history, and your needs and helps us formulate a treatment plan that is specifically catered to you.
There are many facets to this initial discovery process. You will be asked to complete and submit an intake form prior to your initial appointment. In addition, we ask that you provide us with pertinent medical records that may be important for us to better understand your medical situation.
In order to better help you understand what medical records are useful, please check out our Guidelines for Submitting Medical Records.
Absolutely. Functional Medicine requires a collaborative effort between the practitioner and the patient. If you are not ready to put in some time and effort to heal your body, we recommend you stick with conventional medicine. On your road to optimal wellness, we provide you with the information necessary to return to your optimal health, but it is up to you to do the necessary work.
Our functional medicine practitioners treat patients with the following health concerns (including, but not limited to):
We have A LOT of cancer patients in our clinic. Our practitioners work with patients to help create an environment in their body where cancer is less likely to grow. For those who are in treatment, we work with the oncologist team and focus on nutrition and lifestyle modifications to strengthen the immune system, enhance detoxification, and support the patient through their treatment to lessen the side effects of the cancer treatment and support the healing process. Post treatment, we work to build the body back up to hopefully decrease the risk of recurrence.
Yes, we work with patients who have autoimmunity and have seen great improvements using our functional medicine approach.
Yes, we work with children and find that when it comes to the best time for treating a health concern, the earlier the better. Not only do children usually heal much faster than adults, but getting a baseline look at your child’s health enables us to prevent health problems that would have otherwise occurred later in life.
Our team has put together a step-by-step guide to assist you with the lab kits we offer. Should you require lab tests that are performed at home you will be provided with the necessary instructions to complete those tests.
The first six weeks of your partnership with us are extremely important. This is the time when you start to rebalance your system (through targeted therapies, diet, supplements, and in some cases medications) and our team starts gathering important data to help us hone in on what’s really going on in your body.
We understand that there are times when you must miss an appointment due to emergencies or obligations for work or family. However, when you do not call to cancel an appointment, you may be preventing another patient from getting much needed treatment. Conversely, the situation may arise where another patient fails to cancel and we are unable to schedule you for a visit due to a seemingly “full” appointment schedule.
For all functional medicine initial consultations canceled within 48 hours of the appointment date, you will forfeit your initial deposit. For all follow-up consultations, we require 24 hours notice. If you cancel a follow-up appointment within 24 hours of your appointment, you will be required to pre-pay your next appointment prior to scheduling.
We appreciate your understanding.
Functional Medicine doctors have taken additional coursework after receiving their doctorate, typically two or three years depending on the program, to receive a certification in Functional Medicine.
There are many practitioners who claim to be “Functional Medicine” practitioners, but have not put in the time or had the training to use that title or receive a certification.
Before seeing a Functional Medicine practitioner, make sure you check on their actual certification and how long they have been practicing.
Like with all specialties, not all Functional Medicine doctors are created equal.
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The Institute of Natural Health
1034 South Brentwood Boulevard, Suite 415
Saint Louis, MO 63117
(Inside the University Tower)
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