General Office Procedures
How much does a visit cost? It varies depending on type and length of appointments, e.g. new patient office visit with acupuncture, established patient office visit with acupuncture, herbal or nutritional consult, pediatric treatments, etc. Please call for pricing.
Are products extra? The cost of herbs and supplements are in addition to the treatment cost. Depending on your needs, it can range anywhere from a few dollars per week upwards, typically not exceeding $50 per week, unless you need very high doses of herbs (required for some dermatological conditions), which can cost $15-20 per day for a limited amount of time.
How often will I be expected to come to the office? It depends on the individual and the condition being treated. Our treatments are very thorough and we rarely need to see a patient more than once per week. At the start of treatment, you may need to be seen for 2-4 sessions at weekly or 2 week intervals, at which point we will expect you to have made clear and significant progress. After that, most people are seen monthly, while some are seen more or less often, as needed.
How long do I need to take herbs or supplements for? Herbs and supplements are typically not taken indefinitely. They are dispensed to correct an imbalance; after the body physiology returns to a healthy state, herbs and supplements can be decreased or stopped.
Can my insurance pay for Acupuncture? Currently, there is very little insurance coverage for acupuncture in North Carolina and almost all patients need to pay out of pocket. However, acupuncture is an allowed expense in many HSA/Wage Works/Flex spending accounts. We do not process insurance claims, but can provide you a superbill or service receipt to file for reimbursement if allowable. Please let us know at your first appointment whether you want the receipt to reflect the service only or the service plus herbs/supplements. If you need a superbill for insurance filing, please let us know if you need the CPT and ICD-10 diagnosis codes. If you have an insurance policy issued in a different state, you may want to check whether your insurance company covers acupuncture when performed by a licensed acupuncturist.
Can I have an appointment this afternoon? If one of our practitioners has an opening, absolutely! However, our practitioners are often fully booked up to 4-8 weeks in advance. You can ask to be on our waiting list to be notified if an opening comes up. If you need to be seen regularly, we encourage you to have two follow-up visits on the schedule to ensure you get the care you need at the time interval that is appropriate for you.
I am afraid of needles. Can you still help me? Yes, we have many patients who come in for nutritional, herbal, homeopathic, or functional medicine assessments only. We can do a lot of constructive work without acupuncture. Also, even for the needle-phobic, many people are pleasantly surprised by how tiny the acupuncture needles are. And if they venture to try it, they are delighted to experience a pleasant experience.
What do I do if I’m sick on the day of my appointment? If you have signs of an acute respiratory illness such as fever or cough, please let us know ASAP. We may be able to see you in person, or can convert to a Telehealth visit, and still help you by giving herbs or supplements. If you are able to get to the practice safely, acupuncture can be very beneficial for addressing a common cold, flu, acute GI distress or other conditions. Chinese medicine has a long history of addressing such conditions and we do not mind seeing you in a sick state.
Why do you give me so many reminders? It drives me nuts. You will receive two reminder emails and one text prior to your upcoming appointment. Our practitioners are fully booked, often with long waiting lists. We do everything we can to ensure that you show up for your scheduled appointment or, if you need to cancel, offer that spot to people on the waiting list.
I need to pick up my supplement or herbal formula for my wife and I don’t know what it is. It has a green label and the pills are black. Our supplements and herbs often have unusual names. Please come to the office prepared with the exact name and brand of the products you need. Ideally, you should call ahead to ensure we currently have it in stock. It's helpful if you can have a picture of the herb or supplement on your phone, or bring the bottle with you so we help you get the right product.
Can I have my appointment receipts for this year by tomorrow please? We can generate these receipts. Please allow a few days to a week to get your receipt processed.
Can I pick up herbs or supplements on Saturdays or after hours? If you are unable to collect your herbs/supplements within office hours, we do have a lockbox. On prepayment, we are happy to leave your products in the lockbox where you can retrieve them after hours.
