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. Its similar to Skype but we use a more secure platform for healthcare. Beginning in January 2017, a Washington state law requires that insurance companies to provide coverage of telehealth services when the plan would cover the same service provided in-person. Unfortunately, we have found that a few plans are somehow exempt from this law so be sure to check your benefits if you are interested in telehealth services. If you live outside of Washington State, please contact us to discuss if we're able to work with you. 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. 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. Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RD or RDN) is a nationally recognized credential and offers some guarantees. You know the individual has fulfilled specific requirements, including having earned at least a bachelor's degree in nutrition, completed a 1200+ hour supervised practice program and passed a national registration examination — in addition to maintaining extensive continuing education requirements for re-licensure. In Washington, RDNs are also required to obtain state certification (CD) to practice. Those with extensive experience and demonstrated skills in a specialty area are able to pursue board certification in that area. Both Marlene and Kristine hold board certifications. Certified Nutritionist (CN) is a credential offered by some states to those with a Master's degree in nutrition. Although supervised practice is generally not required for the CN, Erica has gone above and beyond by completing over 500 hours of supervised clinical practice, making her eligible for the highly thought of CNS credential. 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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