FAQ
The options for scheduling an appointment can be found here.
- Good question. Dr. Tara has found successful people are ready to make changes to their diet and lifestyle. They are ready to dedicate resources to functional healing , which includes time, energy, money. This approach requires commitment and ability to think outside the box. Another clue that functional healing is right for you- you have been to multiple providers and still have little to no answers about what is going on. You know something is wrong and simply want answers. Check out the blog section for more information.
Unfortunately, most of this approach will not be covered by typical insurances. Regular labs (not specialty labs) are usually covered by your insurance. However, the office visit fees, supplements and specialty labs are typically not covered. You can submit superbills to go toward your out-of-network deductible. There are healthcare sharing plans that may cover functional medicine services. This coverage must be obtained prior to getting any new diagnoses, as previous conditions are excluded from coverage. This might be a money-saving option! Some examples are Medi-Share and Samaritan Ministries. You would have to thoroughly vet any option to ensure they would cover your needs.
While this question is understandable, it is hard to answer accurately per person. Visits costs are outlined in the pricing section. Other expenses can include supplements, prescriptions, labs and items to support a healthy lifestyle (for example, healthy food, exercise equipment, water purifiers, air purifiers). Please let Dr. Tara know if you are experiencing financial hardship and she will do what she can to offset costs.
- Labs are ordered through Rupa Health. They will be able to walk you through the collection process. See your email or reach out to them here https://support.rupahealth.com/
- Dr. Tara will thoroughly discuss your medical history. This is essential to get to the underlying cause(s). Dr. Tara will listen to your story and believe what you say. That might sound like a given, but she has heard too many stories to the contrary. You will discuss a list of possible causes or contributing factors. Together you will devise a plan of action, including further work up and a treatment program. You will have a discharge summary outlining the plan, follow up recommendations and information on how to contact me in between visits.
- Functional medicine is root cause medicine. Dr. Tara obtained outside training and certifications to be able to identify the underlying causes of symptoms and conditions. She did not get this training via conventional schooling. If you have been to your primary care or specialty care provider it is possible you did not hear anything about the things you discuss at your appointment. One explanation- functional medicine training is different from conventional medicine training.
- This can vary greatly depending on the underlying causes and the length of illness. In general, you can expect to have some degree of improvement in 1-3 months. These may be small/subtle improvement. Full healing from chronic conditions can be 6+ months to years. Depending on your situation, there may be future considerations for full expression of health.
- Yes! Dr. Tara was looking for a way to express her mission in a simplistic, soothing manner. The three petals of the lotus inspired image stand for body, mind and spirit. She does believe we need to focus on all of these to achieve health and healing. The purple color signifies treating the nervous and emotional aspects. The three circles with the arch over the top represent “spirits above” in Ojibwe pictographs (she has a Native American background). The green signals harmony and the blue represents soothing.