FAQ

Yes!!!

We are huge believers in providing access to affordable, highly-specialized, person-centered, quality care. After all, we pay hundreds of dollars a month for health insurance premiums – shouldn’t we be able to use it?!

All of our providers (with the exception of Whitney, who is undergoing credentialing still) are currently IN-NETWORK with most plans with the following payers:

• BlueCross BlueShield (BCBS)
• Cigna
• United Healthcare
• Ambetter
• Sana

We are OUT-OF-NETWORK with the following insurance payers:

• Aetna (they will not allow us into their network stating there are already enough eating disorder RDs in DFW)
• Baylor Scott & White

Great question! Once we have scheduled your initial assessment appointment, you will automatically be sent our intake forms via our patient portal called IntakeQ.

I know, I know… I hear your collective groan when paperwork is mentioned and we are right there with you! As much as we wish we could condense down our paperwork, there are many consent forms that we are legally required to post separately on top of your usual demographic information, insurance information, etc. We recommend allowing ~30-45 minutes to complete the paperwork prior to your first visit.

Other things you may need to have ready before your first session (if applicable) are:

• Insurance referral (if you have an HMO plan, your family physician must provide an insurance referral in order for your insurance plan to cover our sessions)
• Insurance prior-authorization

Our office will verify your health insurance benefits prior to your first appointment, as well as at the beginning of each new year and if/when you notify us of a change in your health insurance coverage. Once we obtain your insurance benefits, we will notify you of your quoted benefits.

It’s important to note that any time we (or you) contact a health insurance provider to obtain benefits, they provide this disclaimer:

“A quote of benefits and/or authorization does not guarantee payment or verify eligibility.
Payment of benefits are subject to all terms, conditions, limitations, and exclusions of the member’s contract at the time of service.”

Yikes. Essentially, your insurance company isn’t responsible if they tell you that a service is covered and then it turns out that’s not actually the case. We know this can be frustrating for both you & us, so we promise to verify your benefits to the best of our abilities and file your claims correctly & on-time the first time around. If we file your claim timely & correctly but your insurance provider does not provide the benefits we were quoted, please contact your health insurance company directly to have them reprocess your claim correctly.

Amy W. & Nikki are currently seeing clients in-person in our Dallas office on Tuesdays.

However, due to COVID-19, we find that most of our patients prefer virtual visits. While getting used to telehealth was an adjustment at first, it seems to be the new “normal” for many healthcare providers. It often times means less time needed to take off from work, no sitting in Dallas traffic (wohoo!), and more convenient hours that fit your busy schedule.

We are currently offering a variety of days and times for telehealth appointments in an effort to try provide options for everyone’s busy schedules! We offer daytime and evening hours, but of course these tend to fill up very quickly! We are always happy to provide a note for school or work to document your absence if needed – just ask!

Your first appointment will last approximately 75-90 minutes and follow-up appointments typically last 45-60 minutes. Your initial session includes a comprehensive nutrition assessment including reviewing medical & family history, weight history, diet history, food allergies/intolerances, current nutrition-related concerns, and what goals you want to set for our work together. Based on your assessment, your dietitian will recommend a plan of care and set up your next session. Follow-up appointments will include exploring nutrition-related challenges and wins since the last session, additional nutrition education, nutrition recommendations, and support.

Most clients start off seeing their dietitian once per week, though this can vary depending upon each individual’s or family’s needs. As progress is made over time, sessions may be decreased to every-other-week, monthly, or even as-needed.

Nutrition therapy is similar to mental health therapy in the way that it generally takes many sessions over longer periods of time to improve and/or resolve nutrition-related concerns. When struggling with disordered eating or an eating disorder, we know these things didn’t occur overnight – they took many years to develop. The same can be said of unlearning some of these behaviors – it will take time, digging down deep to do the nitty gritty work of challenging distorted thoughts, and self-compassion. While no one could say how many sessions it will take to achieve your recovery goals, we can say that this work takes a more long-term time investment from you, not just a handful of 1-hour sessions.

If we are not in-network with your insurance but your insurance tells you that you do have out-of-network benefits for Medical Nutrition Therapy, we are more than happy to provide you with a Superbill (receipt with all the needed codes for insurance) for the session. While payment in full is due at the time of service, you can then submit the Superbill to your insurance coverage for possible reimbursement.

If your insurance does not offer any out-of-network benefits, you don’t have insurance, or you choose not to use your health insurance for any reason, we do offer a “prompt pay” discount (or what you may think of as a “cash pay discount”). Payment is due at the time of service, and we cannot provide a Superbill due to insurance laws (we are required to bill all insurance companies the same and cannot offer reduced rates to some).

For those with limited income or who hold marginalized identities, we offer a limited number of sliding scale spots as well. Please reach out if you have any questions!