What is Functional Medicine?
Functional medicine is an exciting paradigm shift that brings hope to patients suffering with complex, chronic diseases. It’s what revived my passion for being a doctor after years of working in the traditional model and becoming disillusioned with the “sweep the problem under the drug” philosophy of conventional medicine. Functional medicine involves deep listening to the patient’s story, considering the biochemical individuality of each person, searching for and addressing root causes of imbalances in the body, teaching about lifestyle medicine and personalizing the treatment for each patient. Here’s a video from from my peers at the Institute for Functional Medicine that you may enjoy:
How do I find High Quality Nutritional Supplements?
I recommend nutritional supplements as an adjunct to dietary and lifestyle modification. This approach is central to the well-researched and science-based practice of functional medicine. I offer an on-line nutraceutical dispensary as a service to my patients. You can, of course, buy your supplements anywhere you choose. However, just as I expect a standard of excellence out of diagnostic testing and laboratories, I expect the same from nutritional supplements. This is not always easy to find as the supplement industry is not well regulated, and there are many adulterated and unsafe products on the market. In order to ensure the best therapeutic outcomes for my patients, I choose to work only with companies who undergo rigorous outside testing and quality control and meet the highest industry standards. If you choose to shop elsewhere, I encourage you to be very careful and use due diligence in your research when you buy from other companies.
How much can I expect to spend on laboratory fees?
The laboratory fees are variable and depend on the nature and severity of your symptoms and health concerns. The cost can range from under $100 to several thousand dollars in complex cases. I will help you prioritize the labs and can order them in a stepwise fashion if you need to minimize your upfront costs.
Will medical insurance pay for physician office visits and telemedicine?
I do not bill insurance on your behalf and do not accept any form of medical insurance. However, if you are a non-Medicare patient, you can submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement or possibly utilize your HSA or FSA account. If requested, after each visit, I can provide you with a superbill with CPT codes for you to bill your own insurance company. Please understand that I do not routinely write letters to insurance companies or communicate with your insurance company directly. If you specifically request that I do so, there will be a charge for the time to complete this task.
What is your Return/Refund Policy?
I want all of my patients to be completely satisfied with their care, however, I cannot guarantee that you will get better and do not offer a refund on clinical services already rendered. If you are dissatisfied and would like to discontinue your care during an evaluation and treatment program, please inform me as soon as possible and I will work to make things right with you. Prepaid tests can be returned for a full refund minus shipping and handling within 1 month of purchase.
Will Dr. Libert be my primary care physician?
Dr. Libert works as a functional medicine consultant, in conjunction with your current health care team, and does not replace your primary care physician. She requires all new patients to have a primary care physician to cover emergencies and routine medical care.
What if I have a Medical Emergency or need After-Hours Care?
In the event that you are experiencing a life-threatening medical or psychiatric emergency please call 911 immediately. Due to the nature of my consultative practice, I do not provide in-office emergency services. If you are admitted to a hospital it is highly recommended that a loved one who has your permission (such as family member or close friend) notifies my office of your admission as soon as possible. I will do my best to co-ordinate your care with the hospital providers/staff.
You may also find this contact numbers helpful:
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255) provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones.
- Mobile Crisis Hotline for Asheville and surrounding regions: 1-888-573-1006
Can you guarantee that I will get better?
I believe that your involvement in your treatment is essential to achieving your goals and see this relationship as a partnership. I promise to do my best to help you accomplish your health care and wellness goals, however, I make no representations, claims or guarantees that you will be helped with your physical or mental health, neurological problems or other conditions by working with me.
How do I get started?
If our treatment philosophy resonates with you, we invite you to schedule your free strategy session with our patient care coordinator and learn more about working with us.