Anti-Aging + Integrative Medicine
Payment & Insurance
For your convience we eccept
What is the initial Discovery Call?
Our initial Discovery Call is a complimentary 15-minute call with the provider. It is over video chat and it’s completely free.
What to expect from Discovery Call?
You’ll tell your story and be heard.
You’ll determine whether the AIM program is right for you.
In the final step of this process, I’ll walk you through the next steps of enrollment, and you’ll be one step closer to transforming your life.
Do you accept insurance?
We’re out of network providers, and do not participate in any insurance program. But, based on your insurance our program could be more cost-effective than your in-network providers. You should weigh your options before you make a final decision.
How does your in-office Initial Visit work? (During COVID, we are fully set up for tele-visits as well)
For initial in-office visits, you need to schedule your appointment beforehand with a $25 booking fee. This will be credited to your initial consultation fee. Generally, our in-office appointments run for about an hour. Our goal is your health and our focus is to do that in the most efficient and effective manner for you.
How do your Follow-Up Visits work?
We offer 2 options (please see benefits/details of each model on this page).
1. An affordable, simplified membership plan including necessary visits, tele-medicine, and many other benefits. You can cancel at any time on a month-to-month plan. Special rates may apply for semi-annual, biannual, and annual plans.
-or-
2. In the rare case more visits are desired than the current program, additional visit charges based on the time spent with your physician and is utilized for those seeking a comprehensive Integrative Medicine plan. Due to the unique approach to every individual, it is based on the time you require for your care. Initial visits are typically 60 minutes and follow-up visits are typically 30 minutes which are billed in 30-minute increments. We collect a $25 booking fee that is applied to your visit and is non-refundable if one misses or cancels appointments without 48 hrs notice.
Will my insurance reimburse for visits?
Many patients qualify for insurance reimbursement from their insurance company if they submit an itemized receipt, which we provide at every visit. This varies by the payer and we suggest you contact your insurance provider in advance in order to understand their reimbursement policy relative to our services. Our services normally qualify for HSA reimbursement, can be paid with an HSA debit card, and are often reimbursable by many health share plans. We do not maintain staff to process insurance claims, requests, or denials.
Do you accept Medicare Insurance
Medicare patients are also required to pay upfront and per government regulations may NOT be eligible for reimbursements.
Medicare is accepted for reimbursable care ONLY. Medicare will not cover non-reimbursable care and will be billed separately. If enrolled in the membership model above which covers non-reimbursable care, no additional provider service bills will be charged to you from AIM.
Will my insurance pay for labs and tests ordered by AIM
This will solely depend on your insurance provider, your plan and the testing you require.
We have contracts with many companies that accept commercial health insurance if you prefer. We prefer to use whatever means works best for you: insurance or non-insurance based.
We have negotiated self-pay discounts for Labcorp, Quest, and many other diagnostics for those with high deductible plans, health savings plans, or those without insurance. Coverage for specialty testing through functional medicine labs vary by provider and test.
Can Dr. Hetal Patel be my primary care physician?
Dr. Patel has considered the idea of taking on the role of a primary care physician but at this time, Dr. Patel’s clinic provides services in a specialty consultant role. This means we are only available for scheduled appointments during normal office hours.
Our office does not maintain an after-hours answering service and we do not guarantee same-day appointment availability. We suggest that you also have a primary health care provider for standard visits, urgent and after-hour needs.
Where are you located?
We are conveniently located in the San Diego, CA area and proudly serve the San Diego and surrounding area.
Still, have questions?
Ask us, and we’ll get back to you promptly!