Our Philosophy
Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the healthcare needs of the 21st century.
We are excited to start this journey to better health with you!
Below, we have provided some important information for you to review before your upcoming appointment. Links are provided for the patient portal, as well as forms you can print and fill out to bring with you.
Be sure to also check out our FAQ Page.
We welcome your call if you have additional questions.
Thank you for trusting us with your care.
Family Practice With a Functional Medicine Approach
Whether healthy or your goal is better health, employing a therapeutic Functional Medicine based partnership can improve overall health and reduce symptoms. Our practice uses a combination of traditional Family Medicine and Functional Medicine treatment approaches.
What to Expect at Your Initial Appointment
Be prepared to spend at least 1 to 1.5 hours at your initial Functional Medicine appointment-initial primary care appointments generally last 30-45 minutes. Note that we charge by time, and the time spent getting to know the details of your health is based on your time/billing constraints as well as the complexity of your case.
Please complete your consent forms ahead of time (available online), and please bring a valid driver’s license or other form of photo ID along with your insurance card if applicable. Note that we do not accept insurance; we keep your information on file in the event your insurance company will reimburse for any services.
We ask that you arrive 15 minutes early to your initial appointment, as we really do work hard to honor appointment times and as such will be ready to begin your appointment at the pre-arranged time. Your time is valuable, and so is ours!
Cerbo
Cerbo allows our practice to securely communicate with you, in a HIPAA compliant manner. This patient portal is where you will send/view your secure emails, do patient questionnaires, health records, care plans, labs, visit notes, and appointment reminders/requests.
You will receive an “invitation” to register with our practice in the email you provide us when you make your first appointment with Health Partners. Follow the instructions in this email to create a username (your email) and password. Write down and save your login information in a safe location so that you can access this portal in the future. After every appointment, you will check your portal for your updated care plan.
Insurance and Medicare
Health Partners does not accept insurance or Medicare. We believe accepting insurance and Medicare reduces the effectiveness of the care we provide as it distracts from our focus and increases our costs. We do not have a billing person on staff. We will provide you with a statement at the end of your visit upon request that can be filed with your insurance. Your insurance may reimburse you for some or all of the care you have received. We will not file insurance claims for you.
Time
We value your time and your privacy. At Health Partners, you will never be "double booked" with other patients. We keep the number of patients in our practice small compared to other practices so that we can spend time with you building a partnership for optimal health.
Notice of Good Faith Estimate of Charges for Appointments
We offer both in-person and virtual appointments. Our preference is to see new patients in person to get to know you on a direct level, but we recognize this is not possible in all cases. We offer remote/telehealth appointments for those who are unable to leave home or live a significant distance away from our Northeast Florida office.
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining your medical care costs in advance under the law and under The No Surprises Act. Our medical practice does not participate in filing for insurance or Medicare. Medicare patients are required to sign paperwork stating they agree they will not file for reimbursement of charges incurred through a non-participating provider. Our appointments are charged by time and are out of pocket. We do not guarantee that insurance or Health Savings accounts will reimburse you for the cost of our appointments or for diagnostics ordered through our practice.
Appointments are charged by time and based on our current hourly rate of $350.
Minimum appointment charge is 30 minutes ($175).
Additional time in excess of 30 minutes is charged in 15 minute increments ($87.50).
Acute appointments: less than 15 minutes and covering one acute symptom only (examples include UTI, respiratory virus, rash, etc.) are charged at an acute rate ($110).
On-site care: we offer a limited number of on-site patient visits to individuals and small businesses on a case-by-case basis. Note that travel fees will be assessed and patients advised of cost prior to booking appointment. Travel fee will be collected prior to appointment time.
One time setup fee of $100 is added to all initial patient appointments.
DOCUMENT REVIEW/ADMINISTRATIVE
Additional charges may be applied for review of previous records based on number of pages/documents provided.
Additional charges may apply for insurance forms, communications, letters, as well as other items requiring additional provider/administrative time.
- Note that patient will be advised prior to any additional charges and charges will not be applied without patient approval
*Note that patients are asked to keep track of the time if they wish to stay within a certain cost.
Diagnostic Pricing:Patients who choose to order diagnostics through insurance are encouraged to speak to their insurance carrier, as well as their chosen laboratory, for any costs or copays for diagnostics not covered by insurance. Our practice is partnered with a number of specialty diagnostic companies who allow our patients to complete diagnostics through private pay. Patients are always notified of the estimated cost of private pay diagnostics before making the decision to move forward with them. The decision to move forward with private pay diagnostics is at the sole discretion of the patient.
Our mailing address:
90 Ft Wade Rd, STE 100
Ponte Vedra, FL 32081
Phone: (904) 373-0942
Fax: (904) 395-9018
Contact us today to discuss your specific concerns or conditions!