Frequently Asked Questions

We’d love to be your partner along your journey towards vibrant health! Please review frequently asked questions listed below and feel free to contact our staff for any other questions via email or phone.

Scheduling & Visits

What should I expect at my initial consultation?

During your initial consultation, Dr. Shea will carefully review and discuss your medical history as well as perform any needed physical exams. If you are a good candidate for our services, Dr. Shea will discuss the necessary lab tests and schedule your follow-up appointments.

What's the cost for the initial consultation?

The initial consultation is US$275.

What Are The Restrictions On Virtual Doctor's Visits?

If you are NOT an in-state resident, your initial visit at The Gut Doc must be in person. After the first visit, all follow up visits can be conducted by phone or virtually using our secure video channel if you choose.

Email Etiquette

Patients in Programs have unlimited email access with our The Gut Doc provider team. However, if an email question or request is deemed by one of our staff to be too complicated or involved for a response via email they may, at their discretion, require that the patient schedule a phone, telemedicine or in person visit instead of responding via email.

Scheduling & Cancellations

There is a 24-hour cancellation policy for all appointments with The Gut Doc (doctor, health coach, or team member). Canceling within 24 hours will result in a charge of 50% of the office visit fee to the credit card on file. This is to encourage our patients to take their appointments as seriously as we do.

No-shows: If you do not show up to a phone, video/telemedicine or in person appointment without notifying the specific person you have an appointment with either via email or by changing the appointment using the online scheduling tool on the patient portal, you will be charged the full visit charge to the card on file.

Billing & Insurance

We Are Not A Conventional Primary Care Physician

For many of our patients, we can take the place of a primary care physician. Because you can message us online during business hours, we are often able to take care of acute requests. For example, recommending a treatment for a minor infection such as a sinus infection.

It is important to note the following however:

We do not fulfill an insurance company’s requirement for an in network primary care physician as we are not in-network with any insurance plan.
We will make every effort to make you fully aware of any additional lab fees that may be incurred and to give you the opportunity to choose which lab tests you feel comfortable paying for.
We do not have a 24-hour answering service and do not take calls on weekends. If you need to be seen urgently or have a medical emergency you would need to visit an ER or urgent care center.

We Do Not Bill Insurance Companies

The cost of any services provided by The Gut Doc which are not included in the episode of care fee will be billed to you directly.

Lab tests and supplements may be covered by a member’s health insurance plan or HSA per that plan’s rules.

The Gut Doc will not submit a medical claim to insurance on your behalf. We cannot assist you with claim resolution for our services.

We will provide you with a detailed billing summary that you may submit to your insurance for reimbursement. There may be procedures or lab tests that are not covered depending on your plan’s rules.

About Lab Tests

Most lab tests ordered by a The Gut Doc physician will be billed directly to your insurance by the lab.
Some lab tests we offer as part of our functional medicine testing program may not be covered by insurance and in these cases you will be charged a fee for a particular test by the lab or through The Gut Doc.
The specific tests ordered will be personalized to you based on your initial evaluation with an The Gut Doc doctor and may include blood saliva urine or stool testing.
We will make every effort to make you fully aware of any additional lab fees that may be incurred and to give you the opportunity to choose which lab tests you feel comfortable paying for.
You are under no obligation to purchase any specialty testing.
Should any lab results indicate you may need further testing you will be directed to continue your care with your primary care physician or a relevant specialist, or should you choose you may continue to work with your The Gut Doc physician.
At home test kits: If a lab test kit is mailed to you by The Gut Doc, you will be charged the day the kit is mailed.
If your particular insurance company only pays for blood work done at a particular lab facility like LabCorp, you must inform us of this in advance of having blood work done. Most insurance plans cover labs done by major national labs – however, including Quest, which is a lab often used by The Gut Doc Health because of their favorable pricing policies for patients.

Take The First Step Today On Your

Journey Back To Health

Do you have questions about starting your path back to health? Our patient coordinator is standing by, happy to answer any questions you have to determine if our approach is right for you.

Take the first step