Appointment Menu & FAQ
start with a DISCOVERY CALL
Free, up to 20 minutes, to talk to client manager Meghan to discuss your concerns and learn about what is involved in becoming a patient.
$67, up to 20 minutes, to talk to Laura on the phone for up to 20 minutes before becoming a new patient. No medical advice during this “meet-and-greet” call, however you can discuss lab orders.
Functional Medicine DEEP DIVE
$350, up to 60 minutes, plus includes Laura’s time to review your case prior to the meeting, a written personalized health plan afterward, and brief questions on the patient portal between visits.
$250, up to 60 minutes in person, and includes a written update to your health plan afterward, and brief questions on the patient portal between visits.
ACUPUNCTURE
$145, up to 75 minutes, for intake and acupuncture treatment, and added modalities such as e-stim.
$95, up to 60 minutes, for acupuncture treatment and modalities.
$225 / 90 minutes initial and $145 / 75 minutes return visit. For ongoing acupuncture patients to blend in Functional Medicine care: order and review labs and discuss dietary, herb, and supplement recommendations. This is not the same as a Functional Medicine deep dive track, however, it works well as a way to blend in the Functional Medicine aspect of Laura’s care, over time.
These provide savings for those who desire a weekly acupuncture treatment
$425 for 5 visits in 6 weeks
$750 for 10 visits in 12 weeks
FAQs
We do not bill insurance for Functional Medicine, however, we can give you a superbill with appropriate codes that you can submit to your insurance plan for potential reimbursement. Many people do get reimbursement! For acupuncture visits, we do bill Aspire plans as an in-network provider, and we also bill PPO plans that have coverage for acupuncture. You need to verify your coverage if we are not familiar with your plan.
We keep our Functional Medicine fees as low as possible in order to provide services to people from a variety of economic backgrounds. Laura is also very judicial about lab orders, and you can use your insurance for labs whenever possible. For acupuncture visits, we do offer a sliding scale fee, as well as packages for people who need frequent treatments. Please inquire about a sliding scale fee application for acupuncture.
This is very individual and depends on how long your health concerns have existed, and how many systems there are to investigate. You can discuss this at your first new patient visit. In general, Functional Medicine consults take place every 4 – 12 weeks until goals are met, and Acupuncture treatments take place 1-2 times a week until concerns are resolved. At that time we can discuss a maintenance plan.
Laura does not prescribe medications. She only prescribes botanicals and supplements. However, she can advise you about your hormone replacement options and can help you with how to talk to your doctor about your medications. This includes medications that you may need to wean from, because as you get better with holistic medicine, you may need fewer prescription medications or the dose may need to change.
Functional Medicine applies a root-cause approach to health and wellness. We investigate underlying body systems that are disrupted as the source of many common ailments. Our concern lies with the whole person, including their background story, environmental triggers, lifestyle, emotional and spiritual well-being, and nutrition. We use lifestyle medicine first and foremost, then natural agents like herbs and supplements, and medication comes last. Any licensed medical provider can take continuing education to become certified in Functional Medicine. To learn more, please visit the Institute for Functional Medicine.
Naturopaths use holistic and “natural” treatments, and there may be overlap with Functional Medicine protocols. Many Naturopaths practice “Green Pharmacy” which is the use of an herb, supplement, or hormone to help a symptom. Functional Medicine is systems-based and seeks to discover root causes that underlie symptoms. We shy away from a “use this supplement for that symptom” approach. If we use herbs and supplements, typically they are therapeutic and time-limited. Laura typically does not prescribe herbs or supplements to patients on a protocol from a Naturopath, to avoid overlap and confusion within a treatment plan.
This is an important distinction. Functional MDs are amazing – but few and far between. This is in part because the Functional model is time-heavy, and typically outside of insurance coverage. For these reasons and more, Functional MDs tend to charge a high fee for their services, and many only work through “memberships” or “concierge” services, which makes them accessible to a narrow affluent population. When you work with a Functional MD they can provide an integrative approach, and combine conventional “Western” medical care with Functional care. This means they can prescribe your medications and hormone prescription, which is a huge bonus! They can also do physical exams and provide primary care, however, some choose to opt out of primary care. Laura is a DACM and not an MD. This means she does not provide primary care nor prescribe medications or hormones. However, she is trained and licensed in herbal medicine, acupuncture, and nutrition so she brings a wealth of knowledge to the table that most MDs do not receive in their training. Her medical school has always been holistic, she never “made a break” from being a conventional provider. She can order your labs, however, her treatments are 100% holistic and do not include pharmaceuticals. She works respectfully with your conventional doctors as part of your health care team.
Appointments take place at two Monterey Bay Paris Healing Arts clinic locations: 820 Bay Ave in Capitola (Santa Cruz County) and 700 Cass St in downtown Monterey.
