Things to know prior to your appointment

YOUR FIRST CONSULTATION

Your initial consultation will focus on getting a clear picture of what your current health ailments are, what your health goals are and devising an individualized treatment plan for you to help you achieve these health goals.

Initial consultations are typically 75-90 minutes in-office or through telehealth and include:

  • One-on-one consultation and personalized care with Dr. Tighe
  • Review of your chief complaints and other ailments
  • In-depth conversation about organ systems and indicators of health such as energy, sleep, appetite, mood and menstruation (if applicable)
  • Reviewing nutrition, stress management, movement and community
  • Tongue and Pulse Physical Exam – a focused exam for Chinese Medical Diagnosis and Treatment
  • An individualized treatment plan for you with action steps which may include nutritional recommendations and meal planning, herbal medicine, homeopathic prescription, hydrotherapy routines, Lifestyle modifications and mind-Body approaches to healing
  • Access to further work-up if needed including Functional medicine lab testing that may include hormone testing, mold and mycotoxin testing, food sensitivity testing, micronutrient testing and/or comprehensive stool and microbiome analysis.
  • Options for follow-up care which may include one-on-one in-office or virtual telehealth consults, acupuncture treatments or return consults with acupuncture treatments included.
  • The investment for the initial consult is $350 and does not include product orders or lab fees.

FOLLOW-UP CONSULTATIONS

Once we have met for the first consult and you have begun your preliminary treatment, we meet for follow-up visits to assess your progress and make changes to the plan or add additional steps, treatments or labs if needed.

Follow-up consultations fees are based on Dr. Tighe’s hourly rate. Return visits typically last 45 minutes but they will be pro-rated based on the time spent. Returns consults may include:

  • One-on-one consult to check in on your health issues and go over changes
  • Discuss any challenges or pitfalls
  • Review any lab results if applicable
  • Repeat tongue and pulse physical exams if needed
  • Revise treatment plan with changes or additional therapeutics if needed
  • Please allow 3 business days for any new labs that you are bringing to your appointment that were ordered elsewhere for Dr. Tighe to go prior to your visit

FOLLOW-UP CONSULTATIONS WITH ACUPUNCTURE

When meeting for the follow-up consult with the goals found above, Dr. Tighe will sometimes add Acupuncture as a treatment modality when indicated. Time is allotted for both the return consult and the Acupuncture treatment.

  • Acupuncture treatments involve insertion of very fine, sterile needles. Dr. Tighe has a gentle approach and follows the patient’s lead as far as what their comfort level with needles is.
  • We may optionally use moxibustion, AKA “moxa”, which is an herb stick that helps promote the flow of qi and blood, enhancing the acupuncture treatment
  • Review of Chinese medicine Pulse and Tongue diagnosis and individual point selection
  • Review of lab results if applicable and revision of treatment plan (allow 3 business days if bringing in your own labs)

The investment for a return consult with acupuncture is $250 and does not include product orders or lab fees.

Many health plans now cover acupuncture and various natural therapies, however, we do not participate in insurance plans and payment is due at time of services.  If your insurance covers out-of-network providers for naturopathic medicine or acupuncture, you may have part or full coverage. We can provide you with a superbill that has all the necessary procedure and diagnostic codes that pertain to your visit in order to submit a claim for reimbursement from your insurance company. We can help you with these forms if needed. Many patients use Health Savings Accounts to pay for services and medicinary and you are welcome to do so as well.

Herbal medicine, supplements and other therapeutic support that we may recommend to you are not included in the cost of the office visit. We will create an individualized treatment plan for you to match your needs and finances – straightforward, convenient and affordable. We offer discounted prices on medicines  and tools for healthy living through our online virtual store and also carry products in the office for your convenience.

Please be prepared to pay for the amount of the visit in full (minus any deposit made prior) at the time of your appointment. We accept cash, checks, credit cards and Health Savings Accounts.

We require 2 business days notice for canceling/rescheduling return visits and 1 week notice for initial visits so that we can offer your spot to another patient who is waiting. Late cancellation fees are 50% of the initial visit and return visits. No shows will be charged 100% of the cost of the visit.  Note that you may be considered a no-show if you are more than 15 minutes late for your scheduled appointment, and it is up to the practice to decide whether the fee is applied. Thank you for your understanding.

FURTHER INFORMATION

  • Please arrive five minutes early for your appointment so that we can begin on time.
  • Please call the office if you are feeling ill to convert your office visit to telehealth or to reschedule you.
  • Please send any labs that you would like to have reviewed at least 3 business days prior to the appointment
  • Dr. Tighe’s virtual waiting room for telehealth can be found at: https://doxy.me/doctormaureen and also at the bottom of this page.
  • A note on Billing:
    Provider time is billed in 15-minute increments which round up. Billed time includes time spent with you in-person or over the phone as well as the time it takes before or after meeting with you to review previous chart notes, labs and documents, write labs, order prescriptions, complete charting, treatment/protocol write-up, write letters, fill out forms, and conduct any necessary research for your case.