Frequently Asked Questions
Is Integrative medicine safe for children?
Yes, Integrative medicine is safe for children. Integrative pediatrics is a blend of conventional medicine with safe evidence-based holistic therapies. These therapies have been proven safe and effective for children.
How does integrative pediatrics differ from conventional care?
Integrative pediatric medicine considers the whole child. It evaluates both internal (emotional, mental and metabolic) and external (environmental) factors affecting health. It focuses on optimizing health through lifestyle modifications such as nutrition, physical activity, and sleep. It may also include dietary supplementation. Integrative medicine welcomes a collaborative relationship between the parent/child and the practitioner. The conventional medicine model focuses mainly on symptoms and symptomatic treatment.
Can natural approaches support my child's immune system?
Absolutely, your child's body was awesomely created to identify what doesn't belong and eliminate it. However, the body must receive what it needs to do its job effectively. Lifestyle modifications such as diet, sleep and supplementation can all give a child's immune system the boost it needs.
When should parents consider holistic pediatric care?
Any time a parent wants to optimize their child's health with natural and safe holistic therapies. It can be used along side conventional therapies or as a preventative measure.
What do treatments entail?
Our treatment focuses on lifestyle intervention such as nutrition, exercise, sleep, detoxification and optimization of relationships. Herbals and nutraceuticals/supplements may be prescribed to help support your child's health, based on personalized needs. Prescription medication may be prescribed as well, depending on disease and symptom severity. This truly holistic approach incorporates both conventional and natural options. Care is overall directed by the parent's goals and preferences, within the context of safety and efficacy for the health concerns being addressed. A trusting relationship between parent/child and practitioner is paramount and extremely important in optimizing outcome. Time is spent cultivating this relationship to build mutual trust and respect.
Who is a typical Mission Pediatric Total Wellness patient?
Any child that needs better health! Patients vary in complexity and health goals. We help children with chronic issues such as autism, ADHD, asthma, allergies, chronic gastrointestinal issues, eczema, elevated lipids, mental health disorders (to name a few) to approach their illness with the goal of healing from the inside out. We collaborate with the patient’s primary care physician and specialists before making any changes to a child's healthcare plan.
We also assist children who otherwise appear healthy, but are having intermittent symptoms. These patients may have seen multiple doctors, and their labs are all normal, however they may be struggling with issues such as recurrent gastrointestinal discomfort, fatigue, sleeping difficulties, mood disorders, and inattentiveness. We use our advanced diagnostic testing to get to the underlying cause of these issues.
Are you my primary physician?
Integrative medicine does not replace conventional care it works in tandem with it. Therefore, you are required to have a primary care physician (PCP). Dr. Negron offers integrative medicine consultation only and does not function as your child's PCP. It is important that your child have a PCP for yearly physicals, acute and urgent care purposes.
Do you accept insurance?
Our office does not bill insurance. You may pay cash or by credit/debit card. Upon request, we can provide you with a copy of the superbill which you can submit to your insurance company for possible reimbursement for out-of-network care. The superbill is a detailed medical receipt that contains procedure codes, diagnosis codes, and the fees charged for your office visit. We cannot guarantee what reimbursement, if any, you may receive. We do not submit claims or call insurance companies directly. This is the responsibility of the parent/guardian. We do not participate with Medicaid, nor do we bill Medicaid for any services rendered.
Why don't you accept insurance?
Unfortunately, when doctors participate with insurance carriers, they enter into a contract that allows the insurance companies to dictate what services will be supplied, limiting the quality of care that we believe you deserve. As the costs of keeping a clinic running has continued to rise, reimbursement has fallen, forcing most doctors to see more and more patients a day, keeping office visits very brief. We believe this approach of seeing patients for shortened visit times does not allow us to create the personalized plan of care that is necessary in our integrative approach.
Most laboratory services provided by LabCorp or Quest can be billed directly to your insurance plans unless you don’t have out- of-network coverage. For those that do not have good lab coverage we have partnered with LabCorp and negotiated a lower, fixed lab cost for our routine blood work labs. Most have found that this cost is less than their copay for the same tests. It also gives us the freedom to order a more comprehensive workup without concern for a denial of coverage, as the labs are paid for upfront.
Some specialty labs may not be covered by your insurance plans. Please check with your insurance company regarding deductibles and reimbursement for out-of-network labs. It is your responsibility to understand your individual insurance coverage.
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