Appointment Info (FAQ)
WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM AN INITIAL CONSULTATION?
Much of our first session will be spent getting to know your health status, eating habits and nutrition concerns. We'll discuss what you hope to achieve through nutrition counseling and together come up with personalized goals, as well as discus our recommendations for getting you to them. Depending on what you need and how much time we have, we may provide meal planning strategies, food suggestions, nutrition education, supplement and/or lab testing recommendations. Lastly, we'll make a plan for follow-up appointments. HOW DO I PREPARE FOR MY INITIAL APPOINTMENT?
HOW OFTEN WILL I SEE YOU?
The frequency of our visits is individual and depends upon your current nutrition status and goals. It is common to meet more frequently in the beginning to build momentum and then less frequently as time goes by. Most clients see me every 1-4 weeks initially. Nutrition counseling provides the support you need to keep on track with your goals and gradually adopt meaningful, sustainable change. WILL HEALTH INSURANCE COVER MY APPOINTMENTS?
Most health insurance plans do cover nutrition counseling, either as treatment of a health problem or as part of your preventative health benefits, and often at no cost to you. Click here to see which plans we accept. We do not check insurance benefits on your behalf, so it is your responsibility to verify what your plan does or does not cover, and what your portion of the cost will be. I'M NOT IN SEATTLE... CAN I STILL WORK WITH YOU?
Yes! We offer virtual appointments (also called telehealth) where me meet online for a video call. It's similar to Skype but we use a more secure platform for healthcare. Most insurance companies we accept cover these type of visits for clients in Washington State. See our Rates / Insurance page for more details on coverage. If you live outside of Washington State, we have to follow the laws of your state. As long as your state isn't red on this map, we should be able to work with you. As of 4/10/20, the non-red states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Telehealth sessions might not be covered across state lines so, as always, it's important for you to ask your insurance company. HOW DO I MEET WITH YOU FOR A VIRTUAL/ TELEHEALTH APPOINTMENT?
Your email appointment reminder will contain a link to join the video call. If you have opted to not receive email appointment reminders, you can login to our patient portal and under the appointments tab there will be a button to join the video call. This link has more great info and tips for preparing for your telehealth appointment. I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT FEEDING MY KID... DOES HE/SHE NEED TO COME?
Insurance billing requires that we meet "face-to-face with the patient". That means that if you want to use your insurance benefits to discuss your child's nutrition, your child must be present for at least part of the session. Additionally, we need to physically see and interact with your child in order to assess nutrition status, monitor weight/growth, and make individualized recommendations. We are able to meet with parents and caregivers separately for consultation regarding general pediatric and adolescent nutrition and feeding, though this will need to be paid for out-of-pocket. WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A RDN, CN, AND OTHER "NUTRITIONISTS"?
The short answer is that all Registered Dietitians (RD or RDN) are nutritionists but not all nutritionists are Registered Dietitian Nutritionists. Virtually anyone can call themselves a nutritionist, which makes it really tough to differentiate those with extensive nutrition education (i.e. CN or CNS) from those who took a weekend class or read a book. Other nutritionists (health coaches, holistic nutritionists, nutrition therapy practitioner, etc.) may have little no formal training in nutrition and their services are not eligible for insurance reimbursement anywhere in the US. |
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