Acupuncture Associates Office Policies: Integrative Medicine
Patient Appointments
Consultations for integrative medicine, or to determine the possible value of Japanese or Chinese acupuncture, moxabustion, tui-na massage, or dietary or herbal therapy must be scheduled by phone.
Before a first visit, we will provide you with forms that must be completed and returned at least a week before the consultation. Following the initial evaluation, exam, and discussion, Dr. Grotte will discuss the options he recommends with you. Should it be indicated, treatment appointments will then be scheduled.
Appointments and consultations are scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Afternoon and evening appointments are available on these three days. At this time, no morning appointments are possible.
Please try to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early for your appointment. We are very careful to keep on schedule, so that it is unusual for you to be seen more than a few minutes past your scheduled time. Arriving early allows you to rest a few minutes and allow your pulses to calm for the visit. When a patient rushes to make an appointment, it disturbs the qi and pulse.
We want to make sure that you benefit fully from a complete treatment session, and this is another reason to come a little early. In order to be fair to other patients, we do not extend the treatment into another patient's appointment if you arrive late.
Cancellation Policy
If you cannot make an appointment, please notify us as soon as possible. Recording machines are available 24 hours a day. Because we do not double-book patients, when you fail to arrive for an appointment a hole is created in our schedule. Patients who have acute problems or need to be seen the same day may be inconvenienced or denied treatment.
We ask that you provide 48 hours notice of a change or cancellation of an appointment. A charge applies to appointments that are not cancelled, or are cancelled less than 48 hours before the visit. We understand that there are unavoidable emergencies and inconveniences in everyone's life, but repeated problems keeping appointments will result in dismissal from the practice.
Fees: Oriental and Integrative Medicine
We recommend an 85 minute initial evaluation. This allows for a focused examination as well as a fairly complete review of the information that you sent in before the first visit.
You can communicate your concerns and priorities in an unhurried manner, and options for treatment can be examined and discussed.
Occasionally, a comprehensive plan for treatment cannot be established in this first visit, especially in complex or chronic disorders when medical records must be obtained or laboratory work ordered. Nonetheless, considerable progress can often be made to establish a strategy for workup or treatment during this first consultation.
The initial evaluation charge is $250.00
Treatment appointments for acupuncture, tui-na, moxabustion or pain neutralization are scheduled for 25 minutes or, occasionally, 55 minutes.
We also schedule 25 minute minute visits for acute problems and interval management of chronic disorders.
Extended visits are required when acupuncture, moxibustion or other procedures are to be applied, whereas regular visits will generally be scheduled for acute problems and interval management of chronic disorders.
Appointments may also involve advice on dietary or plant medicinal or pharmaceutical based treatments, exercise and rehabilitative guidance, as well as preventative medicine and management of many other types of disorders.
25 minute visits are $100.00.
Payment Policy
Payment is expected in full at the time of each visit by cash, check, or credit card. There is a discount for cash payment, in keeping with our fee-for-service philosophy. The prices listed above reflect this cash discount.
No billing or payment plans are accepted. We do not accept assignment from Government programs or insurance companies.
Presently, Medicare and Medicaid do not pay for acupuncture or traditional Oriental medicine. Participants in these programs must agree to be responsible for all fees in accordance with Federal regulations. Workman's compensation will sometimes reimburse patients for their treatments, with prior approval by the agency.
If you have a Medical Savings Account (MSA), Health Savings Account (HSA), or a Medicare Medical Savings Account, you will be able to use these funds for evaluations, office visits, acupuncture treatments, and prescribed dietary supplements.
First Responders Discount
If you are presently employed in civil law enforcement, firefighting, or rescue service, or are actively serving in the Military, ask about our discount for the initial consultation.
Coordination with Other Practitioners
Even though many conditions can be treated through a consulting practice such as the one at Acupuncture Associates, patients often have estatblished relationships with several different physicians and practitioners. We believe it is best for all medical care to be coordinated, so we encourage patients to communicate the plan of care between physicians.
We will be happy to discuss your treatment or our suggestions with any of your specialists.