New Clients

Welcome! Here's everything you need to know as a new client. Your thorough review of this information and completion of the forms below helps minimize my fees to you.

Your First Visit

Before your first visit:

Please do not clean your tongue in the morning before acupuncture. It’s best to have neither an empty nor an overly full stomach during your treatment. Before your treatment, avoid excessive (more than is usual for you) caffeine. Also avoid foods, such as blueberries or red candies, that would color your tongue.

Your acupuncture treatment:

Acupuncture is a deeply relaxing experience for most people. On the first visit we’ll talk about your symptoms and concerns, much like you do with a doctor. I will perform Chinese medical diagnostic exam by looking at your tongue and feeling the pulses at your wrists. Only sterile, disposable acupuncture needles are used at this office. They are very thin and cause little or no pain on insertion. I may stimulate the needles in order to promote specific therapeutic effects. You’ll rest with the needles in place for 15 to 30 minutes. If you have questions about the treatment or how you’re feeling, don’t hesitate to ask me. I may recommend that we add auxiliary Chinese medical modalities like electroacupuncture, moxibustion or cupping. We’ll discuss any such therapy before it’s performed. Insurances often don’t reimburse for these other treatments.

After acupuncture:

If you feel lightheaded after your treatment, please sit in the waiting room or walk around outside for a few minutes before driving. Also, strenuous exercise after acupuncture may interfere with its benefits so plan accordingly. Don’t forget to take note of how you’re feeling between treatments and report back to me when I next see you.

About Chinese herbal medicine:

I often don’t suggest herbs on the first couple visits since I regard them as a higher level of intervention than acupuncture. If I feel herbal treatment would be beneficial, I will let you know. If you’re interested in pursuing such treatment, we begin by informing you about the process via an information sheet I’ll give you. I’ll also ask you to complete an herbal intake form. In complex cases, we’ll want to have an herbal consultation to discuss your condition in greater depth before prescribing herbs for you.

Clinic Policies and Fees

If you won’t be able to keep an appointment, please call the office as soon as you know. There’s no charge for cancellations or changes made at least 24 hours in advance, on the previous business day. For late cancellations and missed appointments, there’s a $50 fee. For Monday appointments, please call by Friday.

Unless prior arrangements have been made, payment by cash or check is expected at the time services are rendered. I do not accept credit cards or ATM cards. Here are the fees charged for services. A $25 fee is charged for checks returned due to insufficient funds.

If you find it difficult to afford ongoing treatments, please ask about the reduced fee schedule.

Health Insurance

If you have health insurance, I will call them to determine your coverage before we commence treatment. Unfortunately, Medicare and Medicare supplement policies do not cover acupuncture. Insurance companies caution that a verification of benefits does not guarantee payment. Ultimately, you are responsible for fees not covered by your insurance.

When I am an in-network provider for your insurance, I will bill them directly. If I am not in-network, I can give you an invoice (issued monthly) that you may submit for reimbursement. If you prefer, I will bill your insurance as an out-of-network provider for an additional fee of $5 per visit.

New clients are responsible for fees at the time of service until insurance has started reimbursing. At that point, we will issue a check to you for any credit on your account. Going forward, at each visit, you will pay the portion of fees that insurance is not expected to pay.

Most insurances reimburse acupuncturists only for acupuncture treatment. They are not likely to pay for other treatments such as herbal medicines, moxibustion, cupping or infrared light therapy. Nor do they reimburse for a detailed medical history-taking or lifestyle counseling. I’ll let you know when I feel such modalities would be especially beneficial for you. Please see the Fees page.

Forms

Please click on each form and print it out. Fill them out and bring them to your first appointment. With the insurance form you will have a total of 6 pages.

These forms are PDF files. If you have an older computer, you may need to install Adobe Acrobat Reader to view or print them.