Frequently Asked QuestionsHOW DO I GET STARTED?
Please review the FAQ listed below, the Rates/Insurance page, and our provider profiles to help determine which of us is the best fit to work with you. From there, you can request an appointment online. After you request a time, we will send you an email and hold the spot for up to 48 hours while you fill out the new patient paperwork. Having this information filled out up front helps us ensure you are scheduled with a nutritionist who can help you and allows us to catch most issues with insurance coverage. If you cannot complete the forms in 48 hours and we haven't heard back from you about when you can get to it, we will decline the appointment request to free up the spot for someone else. If you are interested In our MRT+LEAP food sensitivity program, please instead schedule a mini consult call here. |
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WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM AN INITIAL APPOINTMENT?
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.
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?
- Complete online intake forms through the patient portal and upload any additional information you want us to have, such as...
- reports from your recent doctor's visits
- pediatric growth charts
- last 1-2 years worth of lab results
- pictures of your nutrition supplement bottles (front label and the ingredients)
- reports from your recent doctor's visits
- Verify your insurance benefits. If your insurance requires a doctor's referral (mainly Kaiser HMO, Aetna, Medicare and any Medicare Advantage plan) or medical diagnosis code, ensure that we have received it prior to the appointment.
- We recommend using a computer for teleheatlh appointments, but if you plan to use your phone or tablet you'll need to download the Simple Practice app. The email appointment reminder includes a link for it.
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 us every 1-3 weeks initially. Nutrition counseling provides the support you need to keep on track with your goals and gradually adopt meaningful, sustainable change.
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 us every 1-3 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.
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.
WHAT IS YOUR CANCELLATION POLICY?
Your appointment time is reserved just for you and it is nearly impossible for us to fill a spot with less than 48 hours notice. Therefore, a $100 fee will be incurred for missed appointments without at least 48 hours notice. This fee is not covered by insurance. A payment card on file is required to schedule an appointment and will be automatically charged in case of late cancellation or no show.
Late cancellation fees may be waived if we are able to reschedule you for the same Mon-Sat week. This option is not always available depending upon your dietitian’s availability and your appointment day (i.e. if your appointment is on your clinician’s last working day of the week). This policy exception does not apply to no shows.
If you know you will be late to an appointment or will miss it altogether, please let us know as soon as possible. If you are more than 10-15 minutes late and we haven’t heard from you, we will consider it a no-show.
Your appointment time is reserved just for you and it is nearly impossible for us to fill a spot with less than 48 hours notice. Therefore, a $100 fee will be incurred for missed appointments without at least 48 hours notice. This fee is not covered by insurance. A payment card on file is required to schedule an appointment and will be automatically charged in case of late cancellation or no show.
Late cancellation fees may be waived if we are able to reschedule you for the same Mon-Sat week. This option is not always available depending upon your dietitian’s availability and your appointment day (i.e. if your appointment is on your clinician’s last working day of the week). This policy exception does not apply to no shows.
If you know you will be late to an appointment or will miss it altogether, please let us know as soon as possible. If you are more than 10-15 minutes late and we haven’t heard from you, we will consider it a no-show.
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, please contact us prior to scheduling your appointment to determine if we can work with you. Some states allow it, and some do not.
Telehealth sessions might not be covered across state lines so, as always, it's important for you to ask your insurance company.
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, please contact us prior to scheduling your appointment to determine if we can work with you. Some states allow it, and some do not.
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.
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 MY CHILD'S EATING/FEEDING... 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.
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, CNS, 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. RDN and 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.
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. RDN and 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.