Frequently Asked Questions

Expect to have a partner and advocate as you determine what optimal health looks like for you. Jessica's goal is to help you reconnect with and trust your body, discover underlying causes of disease, and learn how to best care for your body in a way that supports your own personal version of vitality. 

In the beginning, appointments will be scheduled at least every 3-8 weeks, as a root-cause diagnosis is established and you receive the support and guidance needed to make true physiologic shifts. 

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New patient appointments generally take 75-80 minutes to gather all information and create a concrete plan. In general, reserve 45-50 minutes for all return-patient appointments. 

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A typical cadence of appointments might look like:

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New Patient Appointment: History is discussed, including prior labs and treatments tried. We come together in creating the next steps. This almost always include ordering standard labs (to Quest or Labcorp so you can use your insurance for these labs, or to an affordable cash lab). It may also include functional medicine lab panels (which are not covered by insurance- for these, the pros/cons are discussed in detail prior to ordering so you can decide if it is an excellent fit). We will also likely get started with dietary and lifestyle changes, and possibly a supplement or two to begin foundational healing.

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Return Patient Appointment: Scheduled 3-4 weeks after your new patient appointment. At this time, we formulate a solid plan using the evidence we've gathered from labs. This plan will include dietary and lifestyle changes, supplements to support your body in rebalancing, and in some cases, medications or hormone replacement therapy.

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Appointments Moving Forward: At this point, the appointments are typically spaced out to every 6-12 weeks depending on what we your health goals are, and how long you have been struggling with imbalances. 

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A patient may work with Jessica for an expedited course of 3-4 appointments to better understand root causes of current symptoms. For symptoms that have persisted for more than 1 year before your first appointment with Jessica, it will likely take more time to help the body rebalance. Some patients also choose Jessica as a touchpoint on their ongoing journey for their version of optimal wellbeing and graceful aging.

Women in menopause specifically seeking hormone replacement therapy typically start with an initial 2-3 appointments to test hormones and initiate a treatment plan. After that point, most patients choose to continue monitoring hormones every 6 months

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Women seeking support with fertility will typically be recommended to return for a visit every 4-8 weeks until successful conception and through the first trimester of pregnancy.

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All appointments are conveniently held via telemedicine, which Jessica offers for patients in the state of California.

Superbills are available for you to submit to your own insurance if you have out-of-network benefits, but Jessica does not directly bill insurance companies.  Jessica has chosen to offer direct patient care with transparent fees to allow for extended visits (60-90 minute appointment times). 

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• New Patient Appointments, up to 80 minutes in length: $425

• Return Patient Appointments, up to 50 minutes in length: $300

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Labs may or may not be covered by insurance (see paragraphs below for more information). In general, a patient will work with me a minimum of 3 appointments to get started over the first 6 months. If we've reached our wellness goals at that time, we may transition to yearly or twice yearly appointments.  More complex cases may choose to continue working with me more frequently (with visits every 6-12 weeks) until we've found a new optimal baseline for your symptoms. Supplements are an additional expense, but I'm very cost conscious around supplements, and strive to find a plan that works for your budget.

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Labs and insurance: If labs are ordered to Quest or Labcorp, they will bill your insurance, and coverage is determined by your insurance benefits. If you have an HMO insurance plan, I have access to cash labs through Evexia. A typical individual lab ordered through Evexia and prepayed is about $12, so a full panel is often <$150. Labs commonly ordered to a standard lab company include:

• Micronutrients (iron, B vitamins, magnesium, vitamin D...)

• Serum Hormones (estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA...)

• Inflammatory and Autoimmune Markers (CRP, ESR, ANA, RF...)

• Fasting Insulin, Blood Sugar labs, Lipids, Comprehensive Metabolic Panel...

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Functional medicine labs are ordered through Rupa Health. Labs are never marked up, and are sold at wholesale cost. Comprehensive functional lab panels typically cost between $150 and $325 depending on the lab. Very rarely does insurance cover functional labs. Common functional medicine lab panels include:

• DUTCH Testing for Comprehensive Sex and Stress Hormone Investigation 

• Salivary Cortisol Panels

• GI Map or GI Effects Stool Microbiome Testing

• Food Sensitivity Testing

• Organic Acid Testing (OAT)

• Heavy Metals, Toxin, and Mycotoxin Panels

• Comprehensive Micronutrient Testing

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Jessica believes in quality over quantity. New patients should be advised to reserve up to 90 minutes for an appointment. Please bring all prior medical records, labs, imaging, and medications, herbs, and supplements to this appointment. It is also helpful if you keep a food journal the week before your first appointment. Jessica will take the time to thoroughly review your medical history, discover your personal health goals, and come up with a plan for you to step into your own healing, with education to help you understand why she has made these recommendations. This plan often involves initial dietary and lifestyle interventions, a panel of basic labs, 1 or 2 functional medicine labs, adjustments to current supplement or medication regimen, and sometimes Chinese herbal therapy.