What is a functional nutritionist?
See our detailed explanation here.
Do you just see clients who are sick?
No, we see clients concerned with prevention as well as clients with chronic health conditions.
If I have a physical disease, can I still see you for nutritional advice?
Definitely! Your personal plan will be tailored to your health status and personal circumstances. This is one of the best times to see a nutritionist.
Will you work with my primary care physician?
Absolutely! We all have a common goal and that is to make you feel better! We will be happy to work with any of your other practitioners as long as you give us written consent.
How do you determine what my nutritional needs are?
We look at all angles to assess your nutritional needs. Our methods include an anthropometric assessment, biochemical analysis/labs, clinical assessment (physical cues of nutritional deficiencies), dietary assessment, and stress/lifestyle assessment. We take a functional medicine approach which looks at all aspects of the individual and addresses root cause, not just symptoms.
How long should I see you?
It really depends on your needs. Most clients have good results with at least 3 appointments, which consists of the initial longer appointment and two follow-up appointments over a two-month period. Dietary and lifestyle interventions are not a quick fix so we want to make sure you have all the support you need to be successful. Many clients choose a six-month plan with bi-weekly check-ins to really solidify their success with their particular program.
How do I order supplements or herbs?
Our practice uses Fullscript, which is an online dispensary for professional grade supplements. We ask that all clients use the recommended brand of supplement for the best possible outcomes. When using Fullscript, shipping is free for orders over $50. You will also get refill reminders from Fullscript so that you don’t miss any important doses! However, you are not under obligation to purchase supplements through Fullscript.
What is telehealth?
Telehealth is an efficient and cost-effective way to meet with a health care provider. According to the Health Resources and Service Administration, “Telehealth is the use of electronic information and telecommunication technologies to support long-distance clinical health care, patient and professional health-related education, public health and health administration.”
You will be required to have a laptop, computer, smart phone or a tablet as well as internet access in order to participate in telehealth consultations.
What is the patient portal?
The patient portal is a HIPAA compliant online platform where we will conduct our virtual telehealth sessions and file sharing (reports, labs, educational materials, recipes, etc.). This is also where you will complete all intake forms, consent forms, a diet diary, and lifestyle journal.
Do you do lab testing?
Based on your unique health status, lab work may be recommended to determine the best nutrition recommendations for you. Depending on the complexity of your health conditions and your budget, we will decide together if lab testing should be ordered. Lab tests will never be a required part of your program since Dawn is trained in using clinical signs and symptoms for nutrition assessment. However, labs can often provide very useful information for complex cases. See a list of some of the lab testing I may recommend here.
Are lab tests covered by insurance?
Dawn uses functional lab tests that are not generally available at standard labs. Some tests may be reimbursed by insurance, and some may allow payment from your HSA or FSA account.
Do you recommend supplements?
Yes, nutritional supplements are almost always part of the plan. Since the average person is nutritionally deficient, these deficiencies must be addressed in order to achieve optimal health and diet alone is often times not enough to accomplish this task.
Which supplements do you use?
Dawn has carefully selected only professional grade supplements to ensure your success in the program. Dawn’s criteria for a good supplement and/or supplement manufacturer include:
- GMP certified (Good Manufacturing Practices)
- The company manufactures the majority of their products (vs. being contract manufactured)
- The supplement does not contain additives, fillers, colors or allergens
- The company performs double blind placebo controlled human studies
- The company performs safety reviews
- The company have a credentialed scientific advisory board
- The company performs third party independent assays on the raw materials
What is Your Financial Policy?
Full payment is due at time of booking. As a functional nutritionist, I’m very passionate about helping others optimize their health through nutrition while providing the highest quality and most up to date research based services as possible. The financial policies of The Functional Nutritionist, LLC are somewhat different than main stream medical services. I have listed a few commonly asked questions below.
Do you accept insurance?
If your health insurance covers Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), we can provide you with a detailed receipt for you to submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement. Many insurance companies now allow a certain number of visits to a nutritionist per year. Always check with your insurance company prior to your first visit since some may require a referral from a physician or a specific diagnosis. However, we cannot guarantee that our services will be covered by your health insurance.
Why do I have to pay for my initial consultation in advance?
Dawn will be spending a significant amount of time reviewing labs, the intake forms, and medical records prior to your first visit. This insures that you are committed to the consultation and value the time required to develop your custom plan which begins prior to your first consultation.
What is your cancellation policy?
Please see our policies and procedure page here.
Questions to ask your insurance provider regarding coverage of nutritional services:
- Do I qualify for coverage for nutritional coaching?
- What screenings and tests might be required to qualify me for nutritional care? With many companies, nutritional care is provided as a treatment for obesity or diabetes which is confirmed with a screening test.
- To what extent will my sessions with a nutrition coach be covered? Make sure to ask about the specific wording of the coverage to fully understand the extent of it, such as how many minutes per session are allowed.
- Does coverage vary by the credentials of my nutrition coach?
- My nutritionist has given me a super bill, where can I submit that to receive reimbursement?
