Frequently Asked Questions
What is Functional Medicine? How does this all work? What's the process like? What does it cost? Here are answers to those questions, but you can also contact us anytime via e-mail at info@5280functionalmed.com.
Our practice does not process insurance claims. 5280 Functional Medicine in Englewood, Colorado is a fee-for-service practice, which means payment is due at the time of service. We accept cash, check, and all major credit/debit cards (including health savings accounts). As a courtesy we can provide patients with an itemized receipt called a superbill, which patients may submit to their insurance carrier for possible reimbursement. The amount of reimbursement received will be dependent on your specific plan. If insurance reimbursement is a concern, we recommend you check with your carrier prior to any laboratory testing. We can provide you with the specific billing codes that correspond to the laboratory testing we plan to run, and your carrier can give you a better idea of what they cover.
Unfortunately, the current nature of our healthcare system is to wait until there is a problem before we fix it. Therefore, your insurance will pay for drugs and surgeries for those who suffer from chronic disease, but insurance won’t pay for nutritional and lifestyle counseling in order to prevent chronic disease in the first place! The scary truth is that insurance companies deem any form of care that seeks to be proactive or preventative as "not medically necessary.” This means that our current healthcare system does not seek to promote wellness, but to "manage disease." We can do better! Think of their health insurance like car insurance. It only kicks in when you suffer a catastrophic event. Car insurance was not designed to cover the day to day maintenance like gas, oil changes, tire rotations and everything needed to keep you vehicle running smoothly day to day. Similarly, in order to obtain the best healthcare, patients are faced with paying out of pocket. If you ask us, the investment in your health is worth every penny!
Doctor Riggs and Dr. Spencer are both licensed Doctors of Chiropractic Medicine and Board Certified Chiropractic Internists. A Board Certified Chiropractic Internist, or DABCI, is a doctor of Chiropractic Medicine with an additional post-doctoral degree in diagnosis and internal disorders. They are modern day health detectives trained in the current medical diagnostic tools as well as specialized functional diagnostics. DABCI stands for Diplomate of the American board of Chiropractic internists, and they are specialists trained to employ and interpret methods such as blood chemistry studies, urinalysis, electrocardiogram, vascular Doppler ultrasound, spirometry, DEXA bone density testing, urine hormone testing, IgG and IgA food sensitivity testing, diagnostic imaging including x-ray, CT, and MRI, comprehensive gastrointestinal stool analyses, and many other diagnostic tools. A DABCI doctor also uses therapeutic methods that emphasize conservative and minimally invasive approaches and minimize risk to the patient such as clinical nutrition, dietetics, exercise, stress management, vitamin and mineral supplementation, botanical medicine, acupuncture, natural hormone replacement, and pharmacologic counseling. Many chronic conditions can be resolved by utilizing natural methods, and DABCI doctors are uniquely qualified to provide this type of comprehensive natural medical care.
After achieving a 4-year professional doctorate and passing 4 national board examiantions, a DABCI doctor undergoes completion of a 2-year 300-hour post doctorate program, 3 national board certification examinations, and continuing education in advanced coursework each year.
At 5280 Functional Medicine in Englewood, Colorado, we have achieved remarkable results reversing chronic disease by teaching our patients how to embrace a vegetable-based paleolithic diet. Books like The Paleo Cure, The Whals Protocol, How to Prevent and Treat Diabetes with Natural Medicine, The Paleo Cardiologist, and Hoshimoto's Protocol are all resources we recommend to our patients regarding how the paleo diet is the most congruent with our evolutionary biology. In fact, it is this severe mismatch between our genetics and our modern refined/processed diet that has led to such a massive rise in chronic disease in recent years. Alternatively, when we fuel the body with the right types of foods we begin the process of reversing many chronic lifestyle-induced diseases!
Information regarding the price of the initial consultation can be found on the "For New Patients" tab on our homepage. Also, an overview of our process during the first visit can be found at the bottom of the "Our Approach" tab on the homepage. An initial visit for a functional medicine patient is $175. Any necessary lab testing that we agree to proceed with will be in addition to the initial visit fee. The initial visit typically lasts about 75 minutes and includes reviewing your comprehensive health history, a problem-focused physical examination, a report of findings and an agreed upon treatment plan.