PERSONALIZED FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Effective date: January 1, 2023

 

INTENT OF THE PROGRAM

Please note that our programs and working with the doctor and/or staff does not constitute treatment of, or for, medical conditions. According to the FDA, the terms "treat", "cure" and "prevent" can only be used in the context of drugs/pharmaceuticals. While by standard medical definitions "disease" states might be identified during your Program, the doctor, staff and the recommended program process and content are not intended or designed to diagnose or treat such disease.

You agree that your participation in this program is predicated on this distinction and that your goal is not to treat disease, but to optimize wellness through changes to your diet, the use of nutritional supplementation, and the adoption of healthy lifestyle modifications.

Diet, lifestyle modification and nutritional supplementation strategies are offered to support healthy metabolism and are offered as adjunctive or supportive therapy and do not replace primary medical intervention as recommended by your medical team (MD, DO, ARNP, PA or other duly licensed medical professional).

The doctor and/or staff do not, and will not, make changes or additions to prescribed medications and will defer to you and your prescribing physician. However, the doctor can educate you about physiology, bodily systems and function to help you better communicate your desires and needs to your prescriber.

Diagnostic testing of various types (blood, saliva, stool, urine etc) are used to gain insights into the metabolic balance and functional capacity of various body systems. This data is combined with your complaints, answers on your intake forms and symptom surveys, as well as your progress reports during the program itself to determine the best strategies to support healthy metabolism and improve wellness.

Above all, this Program is about educating you to help yourself. Most of your results are based on your participation in learning, and compliance with recommendations.

 We can educate, guide and direct you, but you must do the work.

In the beginning, we expect progress, but not necessarily perfection - but throughout your program we expect at least 80% compliance and participation with all aspects of your program, including diet, lifestyle changes, nutritional supplementation, using relevant educational materials, as well as sending us requested forms and feedback in a timely manner.

In other words, you need to help us help you. We can give you the most perfectly crafted program, but you must execute it consistently to reap the rewards.

 

PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND FEE

All fees are quoted and billed in USD. Not that there is no single fee we can quote on our website for any given Program because each Program is personalized to you, and may include more or less time or consults, based on your situation and your goals.


After your Initial Consultation you will be presented with options for moving forward, including the Program Timeframe (in months) and number of consultations included during that time frame. Program fees do not include nutritional supplements or diagnostic testing.

Your program is designed around these key elements:

  • Personalized Diagnostic Strategy (ie Lab testing - not included in the Program Fee)
  • Personalized Diet and Lifestyle modification (included in the Program Fee)
  • Personalized Nutritional Supplementation (not included in the Program Fee)
  • Frequent and meaningful contact with the Doctor via one-on-one consult sessions using video conferencing or phone (included in the Program Fee)
  • Concierge style access to the Doctor between consult sessions via email and text - with your permission (included in the Program Fee)
    • Note that using your own email or text services to communicate with the Doctor/office constitutes your waiver of HIPAA requirements for electronic communication
  • Educational Resources: 140+ page PDF document plus 15+ hours of recorded video lectures that serve as a major component of your education.(included in the Program Fee). This may include exclusive access to online learning modules designed for self-guided care at the doctors discretion).
    • You agree that these materials represent a significant investment of expertise and time and have substantial value. This content contributes to your self-empowerment and ability to make your own quality wellness related decisions in the future. You agree to read the pdf document and watch the videos as part of your program and education.

UNLESS SPECIFICALLY INDICATED IN YOUR AGREEMENT LAB TESTING AND SUPPLEMENT COSTS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN YOUR PROGRAM FEE.

THE PROGRAM FEE INCLUDES ALL OF THE DOCTOR'S WORK, TIME AND ACCESSIBILITY DURING YOUR ENROLLMENT PERIOD, INCLUDING BUT NOT NECESSARILY LIMITED TO:

  • Program Planning and Design
  • Onboarding and New Client Setup Process
  • Program Administration
  • Clinical Coaching and Consult Sessions
  • Research and Lab Report Preparation
  • Nutritional reviews and dietary counseling
  • Lifestyle reviews and exercise/activity guidance
  • Conceierge-style email and phone access between coaching sessions (within reasonable limits).
  • Educational Resources as noted above

In most cases, lab testing (standard and specialty), as well as nutritional supplements, ARE NOT included, unless specifically noted in your proposal. Lab fees are typically either paid directly to the lab (as in the case of most, if not all, Specialty Labs such as saliva, stool and urine testing), or are submitted in whole, or in part, to your insurance company by you or the lab.

Most specialty labs can provide itemized invoices for you to submit out-of-pocket expenses to your insurance or medical savings account (we do not submit anything to insurance companies).

Nutritional supplements are typically paid on an as-needed basis and are available through our online store (account activation email will be sent to you).

 

PROGRAM TIME FRAME/ENROLLMENT PERIOD AND VISITS

The terms "Enrollment Period" and "Program Timeframe" are synonymous and define the maximum time during which the allotted consults/visits can be used. Your program ends whenever one of two conditions are met:

  1. Either the allotted months expire, regardless of whether or not all consults have been used, or
  2. The allotted consults are used regardless of whether or not the end of the timeframe has been reached.

The enrollment period/program timeframe is the time we estimate we will need to walk you through your coaching program, and to deal with the majority of issues identified in your intake forms and throughout your program. At the end of the Program Timeframe you will likely still have some issues that you will need to continue to work on as we have instructed you.

 

HOW CONSULTS ARE SCHEDULED:

Usage and scheduling patterns vary from program to program, but typically they are not scheduled uniformly across the program timeframe. There are typically more consult sessions in the first half of your Program as we ramp up activity, and fewer toward the end as we see you stabilize and improve.

Since we can't help you fix everything at once, most programs are divided into "phases" that each have their own focus and priorities. These will be communicated to you each time a new phase begins so that you know what we are focusing on during that period of time. Each phase is designed to build a solid foundation, but also to prepare you for success in later stages.

 

MISSED VISITS

We do understand that life sometimes “happens”, so a missed appointment can be rescheduled within the same week as long as we have at least 24-hour notice. Our scheduling system sends appointment confirmations at the time an appointment is scheduled, as well as 1-2 days prior to your next consult - so confirming or rescheduling is easy and convenient.

If a consult is missed or has to be rescheduled, the expectation is that we return to the normal schedule ASAP. Consistently missed/rescheduled appointments will not be rescheduled and do not represent rationale to extend the Program Timeframe to “use up” sessions missed within the Program Timeframe.Meaning that this program is about you, and you must be available to attend your sessions as scheduled.

We reserve the right to "count" any missed appointment or any appointment rescheduled with less than 24-hour notice as a session used/completed.

 

REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Regardless of program timeframe or number of consult session, our realistic expectation is that there will be noticeable progress made in your core issues, but that there may be some remaining issues that still require your attention and focus at the end of your official Program Timeframe.

Your program is designed to build a foundation of lifetime wellness, but we can not guarantee that all complaints will be 100% resolved at the end of your Program.

However, we should have a good idea of what you need to continue to work on and will make every reasonable effort to ensure you are equipped with strategies to do so.

Please recognize that there are factors that affect your health that are beyond our control, and that this might affect your progress. This included, but is not limited to, your compliance and execution of our recommendations and strategies. Furthermore, it is now widely accepted that when established/diagnosed diseases and states of "unwellness" without a diagnosis have been present for long periods of time, that there is often some degree of permanency that may not fully improve or resolve. In those cases the goal becomes wellness optimization and metabolic stability.

If at the end of your Program Timeframe we agree that there is more work to be done, then don’t worry - we can make mutually suitable arrangements to continue working together.

WE ARE A CASH BASED SERVICE ONLY AND DO NOT TAKE INSURANCE

Our services are strictly cash-based. We do not bill to, nor do we accept payment from, insurance companies. Neither do we have staff or time to dedicate to dealing with insurance issues or questions. Itemized receipts are available for you to submit on your own, but submission does not guarantee reimbursement, since Functional Medicine is usually not a covered service.

Additionally, the codes we use to document services may not be consistent with the "language" of medical coding, which is strictly used to communicate with insurance companies.

 

REFUNDS AND PENALTIES FOR CANCELLATION

Our refund policy is intended to discourage canceling or quitting your program because we firmly believe that it is in your best interest to finish what you start, and that your program will make a difference in your life. Therefore, any and all discounts, including but not limited to: program bundle discounts, family add-on discounts, professional courtesy discounts and prepayment discounts, are conditional upon program completion, which requires:

  • Attending no less than 80% of your allotted consults within the Program Timeframe
  • Timely completion and submission of any and all requested forms, questionnaires and feedback - including diet diaries and calorie counting/macronutrient profiles, progress and flare up journals or any other item requested by the doctor or the clinical/coaching staff
  • You are expected to begin working your way through reading the entire PDF document of articles and the online video recordings/classes that form the bulk of your self-education. The videos and articles are laid out in a sequence and should be consumed from start to end in order, however we may periodically direct you to specific items of interest that might be "out of order" - but you are expected to take initiative here.

Furthermore, the following penalties will be assessed

  • Early Termination Fee: $500 USD
  • Nonrefundable fees include: Onboarding fee and fees for Educational Materials (delivered in good faith up front (15+ hours recorded lectures, 140+ page PDF)
  • Program Oversight and Concierge Access Fee:
    • Since more work is expended before, during and after each consult in the first two months of your program, these fees  are not distributed equally across the program - meaning there is more "cost" to associated with the first two months than thereafter.
    • If cancellation occurs within the first month, then 30% of the Program Oversight and Concierge Access fee is non-refundable due to the time and costs associated with onboarding and the new client setup process.
    • If you cancel your program within the second month, 50% of the Program Oversight and Concierge Access fee is non-refundable.
    • If you cancel your program within the third month, 80% of the Program Oversight and Concierge Access fee is non-refundable. 
    • These fees are non-refundable beyond the third month.
  • Consult Sessions:  In the event of cancellation, any completed consults and administration time are tallied at full rates and not at the discounted rates as noted above.
  • Requests for refunds take 45 days to process to allow time for full case review and to determine refund eligibility.

 

CASE STUDIES AND ANONYMIZED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

Since Dr. Noseworthy is a Functional Medicine educator, you agree to allow use of anonymized elements of your history, lab findings and progress with seminar attendees, or the public, via seminars, videos, podcast audio, written course materials, and the spectrum of common promotional materials (including but not limited to web pages and social media outlets). Any personal Identification will limited to any combination of first name, initials, gender, age, and state or country. For example, a case study may be presented as follows: “This is Sheila, she is a 47 year old female from Florida and presented with the following complaints…”.

Furthermore, you agree that comments made by you during consultations (regarding your progress, opinions, challenges and results), made verbally or via other means of communication (text, email voicemail), may be quoted directly, or paraphrased appropriately, and used in anonymized social media posts (any form, any platform).

 

FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE IS NOT AN "IN KIND" REPLACEMENT FOR MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE CARE.

IF YOU HAVE ANY SERIOUS MEDICAL CONDITION MAKE SURE YOU ARE UNDER THE CARE OF A QUALIFIED MEDICAL PHYSICIAN.

NOTICE: WE DO NOT DIAGNOSE OR TREAT CANCER.

You understand and agree that by completing and signing the enrollment form that you have been sent under separate cover your certify that you have read and agree to/accept the terms and conditions noted above, and that you give us permission to charge your preferred payment method.

 

Contact

If you have any questions, concerns or complaints about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us: