FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Answer: If you believe you are ready to begin Functional Medicine treatment, follow the steps outlined below. If however, you are simply curious about how a Functional Medicine approach may be different from the conventional medicine treatments you have received, proceed to the FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE CASE REVIEW OPTION for more information about how to schedule a CASE REVIEW with Dr. Williams.
To become a Functional Medicine Patient phone the office with a complete list of your current medications (be sure to have correct spelling for each medication and the dosage amounts) as well as any supplements you are currently taking with dosage amounts. Dr. Williams will review the medications to be certain they are compatible with the Functional Medicine approach. Someone from the office will phone you either way, and if the medications are compatible, a date and time will be scheduled to pick up a new patient packet and meet with Susan, Dr. Williams Functional Medicine Assistant, who will go over how to complete the extensive Functional Medicine Questionnaire and 7 day food diary, (there is no charge for this appointment which will last approximately 45-60 minutes).
Call the office again once you have completed the questionnaire and 7 day food diary to set up a time to drop off the paperwork. Susan will briefly review it to make certain the Doctor has all the information he needs and you will sign the medical release/request forms so that we may begin collecting all your past medical history and lab results from all practitioners you have seen in the past 10 years (practitioners in Tennessee are required to keep all records for 10 years from their last encounter with a patient). At this time you will pay the non-refundable compilation fee of $250.00 ( we accept cash only for this visit, a receipt will be given) and we will begin requesting your medical records going back 10 years.
Please note that we allow 2 weeks for your medical records to arrive from the date that we request them, if a physician or facility does not respond to our request by then, our office will phone you to give you a chance to call that physician's office or facility and go pick up your records yourself. However, we will not make a second request-it is ultimately the patient's responsibility to ensure all necessary records are provided to Dr. Williams so he can make a complete and comprehensive evaluation of your case. This step is incredibly important as it shows how your health has been trending over the past 10 years.
Once we have received all the requested records, our office will phone you to schedule your first visit with Dr. Williams which will consists of an in-depth consultation and Functional Medicine examination. This visit will last anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes depending upon the conditions you present with and the amount of questions you may have for the Doctor(this visit is limited to 90 minutes maximum). The additional Functional Medicine Examination fee of $250.00 will be paid at this visit(again we accept cash only for this payment/no checks or credit cards, a receipt will be given).
\
Answer: Dr. Williams will look at many factors in your health history as outlined in your new patient questionnaire to determine if your condition, expectations, current medications, and level of commitment to regaining your health makes you a good candidate for Functional Medicine.
Answer: Yes, the functional medicine approach requires the patient to take charge of their health by modifying certain aspects of their diet and/or lifestyle. It requires having extensive lab tests performed to assess how the systems within the patient’s body are functioning alone and in conjunction with each other. A high level of commitment is required by functional medicine patients both financially and in terms of time and effort. Your body did not become susceptible to whatever disease process you are dealing with overnight and it will take time to improve your health too. Below are factors that will prevent someone from being accepted as a Functional Medicine patient with Dr. Williams.
1. A lack of commitment on the part of the patient is one factor that greatly affects if a patient is accepted as a functional medicine patient or not.
2. Certain medications are not compatible with the functional medicine approach.
3. Dr. Williams currently treats patients who are over the age of 21 and below the age of 64. This may change at some future date, but these are currently
our age parameters.
4. Patients who smoke/vape or believe they must consume some form of alcohol or other non-prescription substances and cannot abstain from this practice
for the duration of their Functional Medicine treatment will not be accepted as patients. Trying to heal the systems of the body while the body is being
constantly subjected to toxic substances is counterproductive.
5. Patients who do not have a primary care physician that they have seen at least once in the last 12 months will not be accepted as a Functional Medicine patient. You must have a current primary care physician in order to be accepted as a Functional Medicine patient by Dr. Williams
other non-prescription substances and cannot abstain from this practice for the
duration of their Functional Medicine treatment will not be accepted as patients.
Trying to heal the systems of the body while the body is being constantly subjected to
toxic substances is counterproductive.
5. Patients who do not have a primary care physician that they have seen at least once in
the last 12 months. You must have a current primary care physician in order to be accepted as a Functional Medicine patient by Dr. Williams
Yes,the Functional Medicine approach requires the patient to take charge of their health by modifying certain aspects of their diet and/or lifestyle. It requires having extensive lab tests performed to assess how the systems within the patient's body are functioning alone and in conjunction with each other. A high level of commitment is required by Functional Medicine patients both financially and in terms of time and effort. Your body did not become susceptible to whatever disease process you are currently dealing with overnight and it will take time to improve your health too. A lack of commitment on the part of the patient is one factor that greatly affects if a patient is accepted as a Functional Medicine patient or not.
Another reason for non-acceptance would be that certain medications are not compatible with the Functional Medicine approach.
Still another reason for non-acceptance would be the perspective patient being under the age of 21 or over the age of 63. This may change at some future date but this is our current age parameters.
Yet another reason for non-acceptance would be a prospective patient who smokes or believes that they must consume some form of alcohol or other non-prescriptive substances and cannot abstain from this practice for the duration of their Functional Medicine treatment. Trying to heal the systems of the body while the body is being constantly subjected to toxic substances is counterproductive.
And the final reason for non-acceptance would be the patient not having a primary care physician that they have seen at least once in the last 12 months. You must have a primary care physician in order to be accepted as a Functional Medicine patient by Dr. Williams.
Answer: No. The patient cannot "pick and choose"which labs they want to have run. You have consulted Dr. Williams for his expertise in Functional Medicine and the labs he requires are for specific reasons that give him insights into which systems are malfunctioning and how they are effecting the function of other systems in your body. In order for Dr. Williams to have a complete picture of the patient's complex health issues, all labs required must be run during the same timeframe. If there is a financial concern regarding labs that need to be run for cash patients or those who have high deductibles, one option may be to wait and save up the funds because all labs have to be run during the same timeframe. In this case, the patient would be given an estimate of the necessary labs based upon the pricing as of that day(we have no control over the fees laboratories charge for tests so the fees could be higher in a few months) but the actual orders for the lab tests will not be given to the patient until the patient notifies our office that they are ready to proceed with all laboratory testing because the Doctor's orders are only valid for 30 days
Answer: Some of the Traditional Labs such as CBC, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel, Complete Thyroid Panel, Lipid Panel, Hormone Panel, Heavy Metals Panel, and H-Pylori Testing etc… may be covered by insurance but will be subject to your deductible and co-pay/coinsurance, plan limitations, and the hospital lab’s participation in your insurance plan. We make every effort to order any traditional panels through Blount Memorial Hospital for patients who want to use insurance. However, coverage and payment to these laboratories will be based upon the hospitals’ participation in your insurance plan/network and will be between you and that hospital lab. Other than ordering privileges at the hospital, Dr. Williams has no affiliation and receives no payment or benefit for any labs ordered at the hospital. We strongly encourage you to call your insurance carrier and the hospital lab to confirm the hospital lab’s participation in your insurance network and to check your deductible status and any co-pay or coinsurance amounts that may be due for these labs before having them performed. Your lab amounts due are between you and the lab that performs them. Other than issuing orders, our office is not involved in any way and will not enter into any disputes regarding insurance coverage or pricing.
Specialty Labs such as Comprehensive Paracytology x3, Intestinal Permeability Testing, Micro/Macro Nutrient Testing, Food Allergens, Celiac and Gluten Sensitivity, COMT/MTHFR, SIBO Testing, Weight Management SNP’s, Lyme Disease Testing/Lyme Genetics Testing(however, some insurance companies may cover the Lyme Disease Genetic Testing), Mold Toxicity Testing, and Environmental Toxicity Testing, etc…are not covered by insurance and will require the patient to direct pay to the lab performing the test either by personal check or credit card depending upon that lab’s protocols . Kits to be used for these specialty labs will be given to you by our office at no charge, except for all genetic testing where the lab requires a $3.00 fee to supply our office with the test kits(this fee will be paid in cash by the patient to our office on the day the genetic test kit is picked up) or some laboratory kits may be sent to you directly by the lab itself through the mail. (Again, other than ordering privileges, Dr.Williams has no affiliation with the laboratories and receives no payment or benefit from these laboratories for any tests ordered there, and our office will not enter into any disputes with them regarding payment and/or pricing.)
Answer: Once we have received all of your past medical records and have performed your Initial Functional Medicine Examination, Dr. Williams will have a better idea of what labs you have recently had run and those that still need to be ordered. These tests will be a combination of traditional and specialty labs. All lab fees are set by the laboratories themselves and all payments/copayments will be made directly to the labs performing the tests. Other than ordering privileges, Dr. Williams has no affiliation with any laboratories and receives no payment or benefit from any labs ordered. Our office will not enter into any disputes over billing or payments to any laboratories.
Once the lab tests needed have been determined by Dr. Williams, we will be happy to give you the codes associated with any traditional labs so that you may contact your insurance company and they can advise you as to the amounts allowed and payable by you for any deductible or copay or coinsurance. Your insurance company can be reached by calling the number on the back of your insurance card. All traditional labs are ordered through Blount Memorial Hospital for those patients wanting to use their insurance. If you are a cash patient, or if you have a very high deductible, and you do not wish to use your insurance, Dr. Williams can also order your basic traditional labs through one of the specialty laboratories, which in some instances, can result in even less out of pocket expense than if you were to use some insurances.
Another option for basic traditional lab tests may be available to patients who have not yet had their yearly physical and laboratory testing done for the current year, some insurances cover basic labs at 100% for this visit. To use this option for some of your basic traditional lab tests, the patient will need to first discuss with their Primary Care Physician the labs that will be required and determine which of these labs may be ordered as a part of their yearly physical. Then the patient will need to confirm with their insurance carrier that the labs ordered as a part of their yearly physical are indeed covered at 100%.
For specialty labs, these are rarely covered by any insurance companies and almost all specialty laboratories are out of network with all insurance companies. However, you may call your insurance carrier to ask if they will cover any specific specialty labs and how you can file a claim to them for possible reimbursement once the test has been performed. Fees for specialty labs can range from $1,000.00 to $3,700.00 depending upon the patient's conditions, we will be happy to provide you with specific fees for specialty tests once they have been determined. All payments for specialty labs are made directly to the laboratory performing the test using their protocols of either check or credit card payment.
Answer: Labs recently ordered by other physicians may be used if the labs have been performed in the last 90 days(3months) prior to your First New Patient Functional Medicine Examination Visit and are the exact same labs Dr. Williams would have ordered. For example: if the labs you had run were only a partial thyroid panel, or only a TSH and Dr. Williams is concerned about the functionality of your thyroid, a complete thyroid panel will have to be ordered to make a Functional Medicine assessment.
Answer: There is currently not an additional charge for your follow-up visit to review your lab findings and to receive Dr. Williams' recommended plan of care. The total cost for your first visit with Dr. Williams is $500.00(broken into 2 payments: a $250.00 Non -refundable Compilation Fee paid when you come in to sign the release forms so we can begin gathering all your past medical records going back 10 years(at this time your First New Patient Functional Medicine Examination appointment is scheduled), then an additional $250.00 examination/lab orders fee is paid on the day of your First New Patient Functional Medicine Examination visit with Dr. Williams. We accept cash only for these payments (no checks or credit cards) a receipt will be given.
Answer: Yes. Once treatment protocols have begun, it will be necessary to retest those labs that were out of range or positive to assure that progress is being made and the ranges are moving in the right direction. This will not be a repeat of all the labs run at the beginning of your Functional Medicine treatment, only those labs necessary to show progress is being made. Typically, these retests are done every three to six months depending upon the treatment protocol, but some retests specific to bacterial/fungal overgrowths, bacterial or viral infections, SIBO/SIFO, or parasitic infections may have to be run as soon as two to eight weeks after treatment protocols have begun.
Answer: Functional Medicine office visits/examinations/re-examinations/weekly visits and monthly visits are not covered by any insurance company and there are currently no billable CPT codes established by the insurance industry to bill for Functional Medicine visits, therefore, we do not accept any type of insurance. Our office is a cash only practice. You will be given a receipt for either a New Patient Functional Medicine Visit or an Established Patient Functional Medicine Visit but we are unable to provide any coding for these visits as none has yet been established by the insurance industry. Our office will not communicate with or supply any documentation for any insurance carrier or HSA/FSA plans. You may choose to submit the receipt given to you to your HSA/FSA plan but whether or not they choose to accept our receipt or to allow reimbursement for monies paid to us is completely up to their protocols.
Answer
Answer:
No. Functional Medicine is not covered by Medicare, Tenncare, or Medicaid. Dr. Williams is not a provider for Medicare, Tenncare, or Medicaid, and due to the specific guidelines of these policies we do not currently treat any patients who have these insurances, even on a cash basis.
Answer: After your initial visit, follow-up visits that do not require any orders for additional lab testing and/or retesting are $50.00 per visit,(these visits are limited to 30 minutes maximum) We only accept cash for all patient visit appointments-no checks or credit cards-a receipt will be given.
Visits that require any orders for lab tests are $150.00 per visit. We only accept cash for all patient visit appointments-no checks or credit cards-a receipt will be given. There is currently no additional charge for the return visit to go over these lab results and any modifications that Dr. Williams may make to your recommended plan of care.(These visits are limited to 45 minutes maximum).
Answer: After your initial visit, you will return to see Dr. Williams once all lab results are in from all the laboratories from which they were ordered. Our office will call you and an appointment will be set for Dr. Williams to go over the lab results and to give you his recommended plan of care. There is currently no additional charge for this visit. This initial lab result visit will last a maximum of 60 minutes.
Once you begin whichever nutraceutical(pronounced new-tra-suit-ical) protocol Dr. Williams prescribes for you, you will be seen once a week to answer any questions you may have, chart your progress, modify any nutraceutical dosage amounts, and check your vitals. The fee for these weekly visits with Dr. Williams is $50.00(we accept cash only for these visits-no checks or credit cards), a receipt will be given. As always, should you have any concerns or questions about your health, dosage amounts, possible side effects, etc...you are to call the office immediately to speak with Dr. Williams and not wait until your next scheduled visit. If the office is closed and you feel you are having a medical emergency, proceed to the nearest emergency room immediately or dial 911 for assistance.
Once you have reached a level of health that only requires you to be on supportive nutraceuticals, you can choose to remain a maintenance Functional Medicine patient and you will only be seen one time per month, unless a change or addition is made to your dosage and/or nutraceutical product(s) which will then require weekly visits until you are back on only supportive doses. However, maintenance is totally optional.
Please note: your weekly and/or monthly visits are very important, missing or repeatedly rescheduling these appointments will result in Dr. Williams withdrawing from your care and no additional nutraceuticals will be ordered and/or prescribed on your behalf.
Answer: No. However, the recommendations made by Dr. Williams are for very specific nutraceuticals that are typically only available with a Doctor's recommendation or from a holistic pharmacy. Whichever nutraceuticals Dr. Williams recommended must be the brand he recommends and at the dosage he recommends, No Exceptions. We carry most of the products our patients may need as a courtesy and we are under contract with the nutraceutical pharmacies to charge the amount they dictate for these products(we have absolutely no say in the prices). If you decide to buy from one of our local holistic pharmacies instead, we require you to bring the product into us for verification before the dosage recommendations will be given to you. Any products not carried in our office that must be ordered elsewhere by the patient will also require the patient to bring them into the office for verification. Dosage recommendations will only be given once all products recommended have been either obtained through our office or obtained elsewhere and verified by our office.
Answer: Most insurance companies do not reimburse for oral nutraceutical supplements even with a Doctor's recommendation. The patient must pay our office in full, a receipt with the code for nutraceutical supplements will be on the receipt, and the patient can then chose to submit this receipt with their insurance company's claim form to their insurance company. However, we are a cash only practice and we do not supply information or communicate with any insurance companies in any way and we make no guarantees that any insurance company will reimburse for nutraceuticals. If this reimbursement is a determining factor for you utilizing Functional Medicine, we strongly urge you to contact your insurance company before making an appointment with Dr. Williams to ask them if they will reimburse for oral vitamin/mineral nutraceuticals. You can obtain the codes used for vitamin/mineral nutraceuticals reimbursement by calling our office at (865) 984-9000, ask for Susan.
Answer: Some HSA/FSA's may reimburse for nutraceutical supplements because there is a code that can be used. For those not supplied with a HSA/FSA credit card,the patient must pay our office in full, a receipt with the code for nutraceutical supplements will be on the receipt and the patient can then chose to submit this receipt to their HSA/FSA for possible reimbursement using their HSA/FSA procedures. However, all sales are final.
If your company provides a VISA/MC HSA/FSA card, this card can be used to purchase your nutraceutical supplements and a receipt with the code for these nutraceutical supplements will be given to the patient should the HSA.FSA ask for proof of purchase. This receipt will also contain the diagnosis code linked to each nutraceutical that will serve as meeting the medical necessity documentation guidelines for the IRS. However, other than supplying the receipt, we do not supply information or communicate with any HSA/FSA companies in any way and we make no guarantees that any HSA/FSA company will reimburse or allow for nutraceutical supplements. If this reimbursement is a determining factor for you utilizing Functional Medicine, we strongly urge you to contact your HSA/FSA company before making an appointment with Dr. Williams to ask them if they will reimburse for oral vitamin/mineral nutraceuticals. You can obtain the codes used for vitamin/mineral nutraceuticals reimbursement by calling our office at (865) 984-9000, ask for Susan.
Answer: Yes. Tennessee law requires that tax be charged on all vitamin/mineral/nutraceutical supplements.
Answer: No. Once the nutraceutical leaves our office we cannot accept them back or issue a refund.
Answer: All communication is handled via the telephone. If the office is closed, you may leave a detailed message on the machine stating whether you believe an urgent call back is needed, or if you prefer a call back the next business day, and someone from the office will call you back. However, if you believe you are having a medical emergency, you should proceed to the nearest emergency room or call 911 for assistance.
Answer: Our office requires 72 hours(3 business days) notice for the First New Patient Functional Medicine Examination Appointment that is canceled/rescheduled because we have to block off so much time with the Doctor(90 minutes). Any First New Patient Functional Medicine Examination Appointment not canceled with 72 hours(3 business days) notice but canceled at least 24 hours prior to the appointment will be rescheduled but with an additional $125.00 fee that will bring the amount due for the First New Patient Functional Medicine Examination Appointment to $375.00(we accept cash only-no checks or credit cards for any office visits). Rescheduled First New Patient Functional Medicine Examination Appointments that give 72 hours(3 business days) notice will be rescheduled for the first available timeslot at no charge. However, canceling and/or rescheduling more than 2 First New Patient Functional Medicine Examination Appointments(even with 72 hours notice) will prevent our office from rescheduling any further visits. Missing your First New Patient Functional Medicine Examination Appointment with no cancellation/rescheduling phone call will result in the appointment not being rescheduled with the Doctor.
For Established Patient Functional Medicine Visits, we require 24 hours notice and the appointment must be rescheduled for the first available timeslot so as to not disrupt the treatment plan. If you are scheduled for a product or dosage update on the canceled /rescheduled visit, none will be provided or updated until the rescheduled Established Functional Medicine Visit has been completed. Any appointments not canceled/rescheduled with 24 hours notice will be charged an additional $50.00 fee in addition to whatever the normal fee would be for that day's visit. All appointments canceled/rescheduled with 24 hours notice will be rescheduled at no charge. Not showing for a scheduled Established Patient Functional Medicine Appointment with no phone call to cancel/reschedule will be construed as the patient dismissing themselves from Dr. Williams care and no further visits will be scheduled and no further nutraceuticals will be prescribed.
Answer: No. As part of your Functional Medicine First Visit Examination, Dr. Williams will examine your spine to see if any misalignments are present. These misalignments, especially in the thoracic(mid back region) can play a very important role for those with gastric problems(digestion, stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, gas, etc...) because the nerves that exit from the spine in the mid back region help to control the organs in the abdomen. Misalignments can diminish correct nerve supply and impede healing. If the patient already has or has seen a Chiropractor they like, they can continue seeing that Chiropractor, however, we would request weekly updated notes as to the treatment and progress from that office.
If you do not have a Chiropractic Physician and you would like to see Dr. Williams to address any misalignments or joint pain you might be having, a separate Chiropractic New Patient Visit will have to be scheduled on a day when you are not being see as a Functional Medicine patient.(see the Chiropractic section of our website for more details). Please note: if you become a Chiropractic patient your visits must be on days where you are not being see as a Functional Medicine patient because we are a Chiropractic provider for some of the major insurance companies and your Chiropractic treatments may be covered under that insurance. For example: when you first begin Chiropractic Care you would be seen 3 times per week(Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) and as your condition improves, you would be dropped down to 2 times per week (Monday and Friday) then one time per week and so on, which means your weekly Functional Medicine appointments would have to be on Tuesdays.
Answer; No. The patient can choose to not have any misalignments addressed. However, this will affect the healing process and level of success that may be achieved because as mentioned above, especially in the thoracic(mid back region) any misalignment(even without pain and/or symptoms) can affect the nerve flow to the abdominal organs.
Answer: Functional Medicine is specialized individualized patient care. While questionnaires can give you some clues(that is why ours is so extensive) they do not in any way provide the answers, only indicators of what may possibly be contributing factors. For example: Five different patients may present with the exact same symptoms, but further testing will reveal that although the symptoms may be the same, the root cause is not. That is why we do not GUESS...we TEST!
A cookie cutter approach of giving supplements based upon brief questionnaires is to assume that each patient is not unique and everyone with similar symptoms must have the same deficiency or cause. This approach rarely yields long term results because it never looks for the underlying problems.
Our bodies are complex and all of our systems are interconnected. A problem in one system can easily spill over into another system and the patient's symptoms may be coming from problems in that secondary system, but it is still not the root cause. Conventional medicine typically addresses your symptoms but rarely goes looking beyond that to the root of the problem. True Functional Medicine Practitioners are the detectives of the healthcare world. They utilize comprehensive testing to identify which systems have malfunctioned and then set out to systematically correct these imbalances to the highest level achievable for each patient.
Answer: That question is impossible to answer because it will depend on how long your systems have been malfunctioning, genetic factors, and how dedicated the patient is to the protocols Dr. Williams recommends. However, most patients state that they see improvements within 3 to 6 months after beginning Functional Medicine care. It is important to remember that your body did not reach a state of disease overnight and it will take time to improve your health as well. Functional Medicine works to correct each system in stages, stabilizing one system before moving on to another, building health.
Answer: That is a decision each patient must make. Once a patient has reached a maximum level of improvement in their health, most choose to keep their healthier diet and lifestyle in place because they feel so much better. If the patient chooses this option they can stay on a maintenance protocol designed by Dr. Williams specifically for their needs. This will require the patient to be seen one time per month to continue to monitor their vitals and answer any questions that may arise, but maintenance is totally optional. If the patient chooses to not stay under Functional Medicine Care once they have reached their maximum improvement level, they are free to return to see Dr. Williams if they ever have problems in the future, however, they would have to begin again as a new patient and reapply to become a Functional Medicine patient at the clinic.
Answer: As stated before, typically conventional medicine doctors will address your symptoms, giving medications to either suppress the symptoms or at least reduce the symptoms you are having. A common complaint with conventional medicine is that the patient feels rushed after waiting for long periods in the waiting room. Low insurance reimbursements and limitations have caused conventional medicine providers to have to see more and more patients quickly, allowing them only a few moments with each patient. A 15 minute visit does not allow enough time to explore underlying causes.
Functional Medicine Practitioners spend much more time with their patients. They will concern themselves with what has malfunctioned in which of your body's systems that has allowed a disease to manifest in the first place. Functional Medicine's main focus is always WHY.
The second tenant of Functional Medicine is that every patient is unique. This is personalized healthcare to the highest degree. We truly get to know our patients, their medical histories, their environments, their genetics, what stressors they may be dealing with, as these are all factors that can be contributing to your current health condition(s). As a Functional Medicine patient you will not be going through this journey alone. You will know you have someone who truly listens to you, cares about your health, and is striving to help you reach whatever level of recovery your body is capable of achieving. Functional Medicine Practitioners and their staff enter into a partnership with every patient, working along side you to make positive changes in your health. You will never be treated like a name and number or a condition at our office. Communication will be of paramount importance, you will never feel like you are a "bother" because you have a question, in fact, you will be encouraged to communicate with us. A part of your treatment will be educating you to better understand your body and how it works so that you can make informed choices about your health, diet, and lifestyle. This is another way Functional Medicine is different than conventional medicine. We will see you weekly, not only to check your vitals and chart your progress, but also to answer any questions you may have or to offer support or suggestions as you go through the process of improving your health.
Answer: No. Dr. Williams' original degree was as a Chiropractic Physician, with a Board Certification in Sports Injuries. He then went back to train in Functional Medicine in 2019 and received his certification as a Functional Medicine Practitioner in 2022. He is currently continuing his education even further by studying for another national board certification in clinical nutrition(the highest level achievable in this field).
However, your primary care doctor will still be the one to manage your medications. The goal is for Dr. Williams and your Primary Care Doctor to work in conjunction with each other to improve your health. As your systems improve, your Primary Care Doctor may need to adjust the dosages of some of your medications. The traditional lab tests Dr. Williams runs are the exact same labs your Primary Care Doctor uses, so it is important to keep him/her informed of these results too. For some patients(example: those who are diabetic) your Primary Care Doctor may have to order/monitor you while certain tests are performed and make adjustments to your medications. You will always be given copies of your lab results so you can take them to your next appointment with your Primary Care Doctor as well as a form with the dosage amounts of all the nutraceuticals you are taking.
Answer: The answer to this question is different for every patient because the protocols are completely individualized as to what the underlying causes are and which system is being address at that time. However, with that being said, nutraceutical supplements can range from $300.00 to $800.00 and up per month.
Once all of the test results are in, Dr. Williams will recommend a precise treatment protocol and our office will be able to give you a more exact amount. At this time, you can decide if you want to proceed past the examination and testing phase and enter into the treatment phase of Functional Medicine. Even if you do not opt to begin the treatment phase at this time, you will have received valuable information about how your systems are functioning/malfunctioning and what diet and lifestyle changes you can begin making now to improve your future outlook. However, if you do not opt to enter the treatment phase, no recommendations regarding nutrceuticals or dosages will be given.
Answer: No, if all you are wanting is a single test run to check one specific level, this would be better served by your Primary Care Physician ordering this single test. Functional Medicine Practitioners are concerned with how multiple systems are functioning alone and in conjunction with each other in order to get a complete picture as to WHY a patient's testosterone is too low or too high.
Answer: We are happy to provide our patients with copies of their lab test results ordered by Dr. Williams. However, any of the past history paperwork we have received from your other providers will have to be obtained directly by the patient from that provider's office. We do not copy other providers records that have been sent to us as a part of Dr. Williams review of a patient's case.