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Functional and Personalized Wellness Medicine

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We understand aging occurs, but we have a choice HOW we age.

At aNu Aesthetics™ and Optimal Wellness, we believe in age management and optimal wellness medicine to achieve ‘aNu’ younger, healthier and happier you.

With wellness medicine we strive to prevent disease, assist with weight loss and treat loss of libido, hormone imbalance, brain fog, depression and loss of energy.

What is wellness medicine?

No two humans are the same in regards to metabolism, nutritional status, exercise tolerance and chronic disease predisposition. Nor are they the same in regards to the optimal treatment options. Therefore, Dr. Watkins practices personalized medicine, tailored to each patient individually.

She will teach you the knowledge and skills you need to effectively live and practice a anti-aging, regenerative, and healthy lifestyle.

Definition of Integrative Medicine

Dr. Andrew Weil defines integrative medicine as a healing oriented medicine that takes account of the whole person (body, mind and spirit), including all aspects of a healthy lifestyle. It emphasizes the therapeutic relationship and makes use of all appropriate therapies, both conventional and alternative medicine. It is a philosophy that neither rejects conventional medicine nor accepts alternative therapies uncritically. The focus is to use natural, effective, less-invasive interventions whenever possible and recognize that good medicine should be based in good science, be inquiry driven and be open to new paradigms.

Definition of Functional Medicine

Functional Medicine is defined as a medical system that 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. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, functional medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms.

Personalized aNu Aestheticsâ„¢ and Optimal Wellness Optimal Wellness Medicine

We blend these styles of medicine to create an individual and personalized practice that is highly patient focused. The patient is the center of the philosophy, which involves optimum health and balance in the body and mind. All of our systems need to be healthy in order for us to perform at our best. We believe in combining elements of many areas including conventional or Western medicine, new methods backed by scientific research, and even ancient Chinese or Eastern medicine. Functional medicine looks closely at how the environment we’re in, our lifestyle and our own genetics affect us and ultimately determine our health conditions.

Much of traditional medicine focuses on alleviating a symptom, either decreasing the intensity of the symptom or making it go away altogether. The problem with this is that, while the patient may feel better, these good feelings may not last for the long-term, and the underlying problem is still there. Pharmaceuticals and prescriptions typically don’t heal a condition, they simply treat it or rather, they treat the symptoms. This is why more and more, people are turning to holistic and functional medicine to help relieve their conditions.

Another big difference about functional medicine that will make sense to you is that instead of treating just one problem, such as a certain disease like diabetes or skin cancer, functional medicine looks at the entire body, the mental and physical condition of the patient, the nutrition and exercise levels, their stress levels, and all the potential imbalances that may exist in their bodily systems. Proponents of functional medicine believe that traditional health care simply treats the tip of the iceberg but hardly ever results in permanent healing and vitality for the individual.

Many factors can be causes of imbalances in the body – inflammation, bacteria, viruses, toxins, emotions, digestion, anxiety, and poor diet. Every patient responds differently to various therapies and treatments, which is why she will closely monitor your progress and adjust your therapies as needed. We cannot promise you a specific level of result as soon as you come see us.

What we can promise you is that she will work side-by-side with you to achieve your optimal health goals for ‘aNu You’.

Why is wellness medicine ‘expensive’?

We spend 60-120 minutes with our patients to get to know and understand the journey that has led them to seek this style of medicine. Everything matters in the medical history and we will focus on many details that other providers overlook or do not have time to address.

The practice is structured so that your medical provider is the caregiver, they consult directly with the patients, they are the ones that returns patients’ phone calls/emails regarding their medical questions/needs, and they will spend multiple hours behind the scenes tailoring the initial Wellness Medicine Plan & updating it throughout the patient’s care when needed.

PCP and specialist visits are billed to your insurance and typically last 5-15 minutes. The physician contracts with insurance and they receive a small portion of that cost, with the remaining going to the insurance company. This system has led to the chronic disease that we have in America and we are looking to treat the underlying cause and break this cycle.

We feel that traditional medicine is much more ‘expensive’ as it does not treat the cause of disease or lead to ‘health’. The long term consequences of disease and metabolic issues are much more costly.

Does aNu Aestheticsâ„¢ and Optimal Wellness take insurance?

No, insurance does not cover this type of comprehensive preventative wellness medicine or prolonged 60-120 minute visits.

While we do not participate with insurance companies nor do we file, we do provide appropriate receipts for patients to submit for possible reimbursement when requested. Reimbursement for our services has varied greatly & is not guaranteed. All coding is accurate, however, not all companies reimburse extended visits, etc.

When clinics bill health insurance companies directly, the providers are required to become participating providers. The doctors must sign a contract that allows the insurance company to determine which services they will and will not provide and how much they can charge for those services. In general, insurance companies are not focused on any preventive or wellness medicine services. They are heavily invested in the conventional model of health care that too often relies on drugs and surgery. aNu Aesthetics™ and Optimal Wellness is committed to the functional medicine model that addresses the underlying causes of your symptoms with specific nutritional and lifestyle recommendations.

A participating provider must agree to accept the fees the insurance company establishes, regardless of whether the fees are reasonable or applicable to that practice. In general, these established fees cover the actual cost of the briefest (and I believe the lowest quality) care. Providers who are participating providers are required to accept discounted fees for their services, and they cannot bill the patient for the difference between their fee and what the insurance company will pay. Therefore, the clinic must write off the difference, often as much as 50% or more of the doctor’s fee for service. At the same time, the participating provider’s office overhead costs have increased dramatically because of the staff, time and equipment necessary for processing and tracking claims.

In today’s healthcare environment, the actual cost for providers to provide services continues to rise, while the percentage of reasonable fees that insurance payments cover is declining. At the same time, the profits of health insurance companies and the salaries of their top executives continue to rise to record levels. Most doctors and clinics cope with the requirements of being participating providers by keeping their office visits very brief, so that they can see many patients within a given time frame.

For labs, we may draw in the office, patient’s home or send patients to the local lab draw stations (i.e. Quest, LabCorp, etc) that participate with his/her insurance company for blood draws and that institution will file with insurance. If a patient has a high insurance deductible and chooses to pay cash for labs (private pay) to save, aNu Aesthetics™ and Optimal Wellness does contract with labs locally for very reduced pricing as an option. We occasionally do take payment from you in advance and pay these labs directly (which will be in addition to the provider’s fee) for contracted private pay labs.

If your provider also feels like a patient will benefit from more progressive lab testing, such as, hormone saliva testing, food sensitivity testing, urine neurotransmitter, etc. we occasionally take payment from you in advance (which will be in addition to the provider’s fee and other labs) as some of these companies are not local & will bill us, but we can provide a receipt for you to submit for possible reimbursement when requested.

Patients are welcome to pay the with cash, check, Care Credit, HSA/FSA, Visa, MC, Discover or AMEX.

CHERRY PAYMENT PLANS

FLEXIBLE PAYMENTS FOR ANY BUDGET
Get treated now and pay over time with Cherry. Cherry is a payment plan designed for your health, beauty, and wellness needs and procedures and allows you to make convenient monthly payments.

How long are the Wellness Medicine visits and what can I expect?

The first visit is approximately 1 ½  hours between provider & patient so that we may understand the patient, symptoms/lifestyle/stressors and medical needs fully. This allows us to be able to start an education process with the patient & make decisions on what type of testing should be ordered. The second visit is another 1 ½  hours that is scheduled approximately 2-4 weeks later after all tests results are received that were ordered at the initial visit. The patient receives a “Wellness Medicine Plan” at this second visit in writing tailored to their personal needs. Your provider may recommend bio-identical hormones, weight loss regimen, supplements/vitamins, and/or nutritional changes/exercise. They will review the risks and benefits of different options and answer your questions. The third visit is 60-90 minutes and is approximately 6-12 weeks after a patient receives a Wellness Plan. This visit is for the patient to update your medical provider and to provide more information, answer questions & reorder/review any previously abnormal labs.

Functional Medicine and Personalized Wellness Consultations

At aNu Aesthetics™ and Optimal Wellness, we believe in age management and optimal wellness medicine to achieve “aNu” younger, healthier and happier you.

With Functional and Wellness Medicine, we strive to prevent disease, assist with weight loss, and treat loss of libido, hormone imbalance, brain fog, depression, inflammation, chronic disease and loss of energy.

No two humans are the same in regards to metabolism, nutritional status, exercise tolerance and chronic disease predisposition. Nor are they the same in regards to the optimal treatment options. Many factors can cause imbalances in the body—inflammation, bacteria, viruses, toxins, emotions, digestion, anxiety and poor diet. Therefore, we practice personalized medicine, tailored to each patient individually.

We will teach you the knowledge and skills you need to effectively live and practice an anti-aging, regenerative and healthy lifestyle.

If you would like to experience our wellness options above—Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy, Medical Weight Loss and/or Personalized Wellness Medicine—please see our pricing structure below.

 

Personalized Wellness Medicine with Dr. Cristyn Watkins

Dr. Watkins offers comprehensive functional medicine services, which includes all medical problems for all ages (birth to end of life). Patients see her for hormone management, medical weight loss, autoimmune disease, thyroid conditions, IBS/GI issues, Lyme, toxins/mold, chronic infections, chronic fatigue, pain, anxiety, and depression to name a few. She will spend 90 minutes with you during a very comprehensive initial visit before any lab work is completed.

  • Initial Consultation (90 minutes)
  • Initial Follow-Up Consultation (90 minutes) Subsequent Follow Up Consultation*
  • 45 minutes (required with lab review minimum of every six months when on hormones or any prescription)*
  • 30/60 minutes*
  • Limited Email or Phone Call for Follow up / Medication Change/Urgent Issue (less than 5–10 minutes required)*

*These visits do not include labs. Some may be performed under your insurance while most are cash pay (i.e., specialized functional medicine testing such as food sensitivities, microbiome/GI, heavy metals, toxins, infections, mold, nutrient deficiencies, neurotransmitters, etc.).

 

Personalized Wellness Medicine with Advanced Medical Providers

(Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant)

Our advanced medical providers see patients for hormone management, medical weight loss, fatigue, thyroid issues, nutrition management and much more. Once you are established and have your initial labs and consultation, more complex issues can be tested for and treated when needed. To help reduce costs for patients, we bundle a very comprehensive lab panel prior to the initial visit with our advanced medical providers.

  • Initial Consultation (60 minutes)*
  • Follow Up Consultations (30–90 minutes, based on complexity and treatment plan)
  • Six-month follow up** (required with lab review minimum of every six months when on hormones or any prescriptions)

*Initial consultation does include a specialized lab panel. It is not as detailed as Dr. Watkins’ initial panel, but that can be added when needed for autoimmune disease and more complex issues. They also offer specialized functional medicine testing such as food sensitivities, microbiome/GI, heavy metals, toxins, infections, mold, nutrient deficiencies, neurotransmitters for an additional cost when appropriate. Some may be performed under your insurance while most are cash pay.

**These follow-up visits do not include labs, which will be ordered when appropriate based on treatment plans.

  • Pellet Insertion
  • Female Pellet Insertion (for established wellness patients only)
  • Male Pellet Insertion (for established wellness patients only)

MEDICARE DOES NOT ACCEPT THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT AND SERVICES ARE NOT COVERED AND THEY CANNOT BE SUBMITTED.

No-show/cancellation policy: There will be a FULL CONSULTATION FEE to any patient that fails to show, cancels or reschedules his/her appointment without kindly giving at least 24 hours notice. Not going for required labs is not an acceptable reason to cancel with less than 24 hours notice. Please see policy for information and signature.

We hope this information has been helpful. If you would like to schedule, have further questions, or would like us to expand on the above information, please call our office at 816.359.3310.

Dr. Watkins does not double book appointments and has limited availability due to the extended length of time needed for optimal health outcomes. This policy is to help patients receive the best value and care possible. 

Testimonials

  • I am so incredibly grateful to you for finding/diagnosing my autoimmune and for your endless support and encouragement over my (so far) five-year journey with autoimmune disease. You are such an amazing model of how to tackle the daily challenges and to give myself grace in the tough times. Thank you a million times over 💜

    Phoebe
  • You are amazing at everything you do! And it is obvious that’s it’s your passion! My 7 year journey of autoimmune life has been made better as you help me understand how to live with it! Thank you 🥰

    Zoann
  • After struggling with several autoimmune diseases for almost 25 years and feeling crappy and giving up, finding you 3 years ago has been like a new lease on life and a renewed hope to dream of a well lived life again! I tell you all the time but here goes again. . . You’re the best!!!!

    Rochelle
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Types of Functional and Personalized Wellness Medicine Wellness Services we provide

Hormone Therapy in Kansas City, MO

Why give into aging and medical problems associated with declining hormone levels? You CAN feel better and fight the diseases of aging with Bio-identical hormones. Bio-identicals are chemically identical to what our body makes and are safe to be administered without long term side effects.

Hormone Therapy in Kansas City, MO
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