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More Frequently Asked Questions
Tell something about the Living Well Health & Wellness Center
The Living Well Health & Wellness Center is an integrative full-service health care center for Functional/Integrative Medicine as well as many other health care services. It was established by Betty Murray and Jenny Bair several years ago to provide a comprehensive, cutting edge approach to medicine. Functional medicine addresses the body as a whole and tries to identify and treat underlying causes of disease rather than just symptoms. This moves beyond current conventional medical practice translating current science into practice. We treat complex, chronic medical conditions in patients who have suffered without relief for many years, and they improve with this approach. We use specialized nutritional testing, dietary supplementation and diet and lifestyle changes for treatment and prevention. There are currently two doctors, two nutritionists, a nurse and a team of licensed professional counselors, massage, professional coaches, energy workers, acupuncture and Chinese medicine to assist you in your path to wellness.
How much does it cost and why is the cost higher than a conventional medical visit?
The initial appointment with the doctor lasts about 2 hours. Your visit will start with a complete evaluation including your bio-signature evaluation and body composition with the nurse. During that time you will review your medical history, go over your current medication and supplement regimen. Then you will meet with the doctor and review your medical history and go through a physical exam. From here you will develop a list of your current medical imbalances and a plan for testing and supplementation. The nurse will go over all of the testing, supplements and plans with you. That visit is $500 dollars.
After that you may also consult with the nutritionist (if necessary), and that costs $150 dollars for a 1.5 hour appointment, during which she will follow up on the doctor’s plan and make recommendations for dietary changes. She will customize your medical nutritional program, and will revise this plan with you over time.
Do you take insurance and why not?
Unfortunately we do not accept any insurance. However, we give you an itemized bill that you can submit to your insurance. Most of our patients get at least some portion of the bill reimbursed. Also, you can use flex spending accounts and medical or health savings account to pay for your visit and testing.
What do you test for? Do I have to do a lot of testing?
This is decided by your physician, depending what problems you are experiencing. Your testing is individualized to accommodate your personal medical concerns. Your financial resources and how much testing you want to do are taken into account and the plan for testing is reviewed with you. Testing is frequently done to assess nutritional status including amino acids, fatty acids, oxidative stress, vitamin levels, mitochondrial function, food allergies, and heavy metals. Many other tests are available, including genetic testing for a variety of conditions, hormone evaluations, bone health, gastrointestinal health, adrenal function and many others.
While the testing gives a more complete picture of your status, effective care can be implemented without it, or testing can be done over time. You should not let this prevent you from seeing one of the doctors.
How much does testing usually cost?
This varies tremendously depending on what tests are ordered. Some testing can be done at your local laboratory, which is usually covered by your insurance company. On average, testing costs approximately $2000 dollars; but if this is a concern, discuss this with your doctor. As there are options and we can work with your current financial needs.
While the testing gives a more complete picture of your status, effective care can be implemented without it, or testing can be done over time. You should not let this prevent you from seeing one of the doctors.
What do I need to bring to the appointment?
Bring your completed new patient packet. The more through you answer the questionnaire, the more we are able to provide care. You should bring all your vitamins and medicines in their original containers if possible. Old medical records are very helpful, but if possible, these should be sent prior to the appointment.
Do I need to do anything to prepare for the appointment?
You should fast the night before your appointment for 12 hours. You may have water only during this time.
You should not take any supplements the morning of your appointment, but you may take your prescription medications except for thyroid medicines. I
f possible, you should discontinue eating shellfish or other fish 1 week prior to the appointment.
If you have an afternoon appointment and will be having your labs drawn a offsite laboratory, you do not need to fast for the initial doctor’s appointment. You will be given lab requisition forms and may schedule a time with the lab at your convenience following the appointment.
Where do I get the New Patient Packet?
We can email, mail or fax it to you, or you can download it off the web at www.LivingWellDallas.com/Forms
Can you recommend some place to stay for the visit?
Yes, of course. For your convenience, we have selected various local hotels and inns. Call (972)930-0260, for information.
What will my day look like?
You will start your day by checking in and having your vital signs taken, including blood pressure, heart rate, waist and hip circumference, weight and height, body composition and bio-signature®. Then you will meet with your nurse to review your patient packet and supplements for approximately 20 minutes.
After that you will meet with your doctor for approximately 60 minutes. During that visit you should have plenty of time to review all your concerns and develop a plan for your treatment.
You will then have your appointment with the nurse which will take around 30 minutes depending on the testing your doctor orders. After that you will check out, pay your bill and ask any final questions that you have.
Do I have to meet with the nutritionist?
No, nutritional counseling is not required. However, nutrition counseling is a vital component of your care. Dietary changes are an essential part of treatment and can improve the outcome of your care and add additional support for you on your path to wellness.
One caveat, if you have allergy testing, it will be reviewed with the nutritionist to help you make any changes needed.
Will the doctor examine me?
A short physical exam will be done to evaluate your current health. However, pap smears and other check ups will not be provided. The appointment will also consist of reviewing your medical concerns and developing a plan for care. On occasion a focused exam will be done (of skin, an area in pain, etc)
Can I get directions to the office? Where are you located?
We are located in North Dallas on the edge of Plano Texas. We are one block east of the Dallas North Tollway on Frankford Road at the intersection of Pear Ridge next to Palm Beach Tan and the Corner Bakery.
How often do I have to see the doctor?
You will have appointments approximately 2 and 6 weeks after your initial appointment. After that, it depends on your particular situation. The appointments generally space out over time. You will have a follow up with your nutritionist 2 weeks after you do your allergy testing.
Do the doctors prescribe medicines?
They can, and do when necessary.
Do you have a payment plan or sliding scale?
Payment is expected at the time of the visit. As a general rule, there is no sliding scale. We do, however, take CareCredit, a payment plan with interest free financing for up to 1`2 months. Credit approval is necessary. Call our office for information at (972) 930-0260.
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What airport do I fly into?
You can fly into Dallas/Ft. Worth (DFW) or Dallas Love Field (LOV) airports. We are located approximately 45 minutes away from either airport. There is no public transportation between the airport and the office; generally people rent a car for transportation.
Your location is inconvenient, what do I do?
You only need to come to the office for the first visit. After that you can do your follow up appointments by phone. Long term, we only need to see you physically once a year and all other appointments and follow up can be done over the phone.
Can I do my first appointment as a phone consult? Why not?
No, the physicians are required by law to see you in person at least once to be able to provide care. It is illegal for a physician to treat a patient whom they have not seen at least once in the state in which they physician is licensed.
How does a phone consult work? Is it cheaper than a regular appointment?
At the time of your appointment, you call our phone number, and speak to the physician by phone. The cost is the same whether you come in to the office or do your follow up appointments by phone.
Do you know any doctors in my area?
Unfortunately, we are not able to recommend any other physicians, as we cannot personally vouch for the kind of medicine that they practice.
What if I don’t have time to get my New Patient History (or old records) done before the appointment? Should I schedule it later?
We do need the New Patient History completed at the time of the first visit. If you cannot get old records sent prior to the visit, the doctor can review them afterwards, when they are available. You should not let this delay starting your journey to better health.
I am already working with a nutritionist. Do I need to see one at your office?
It will be important that your nutritionist is well versed in the requirements of your medical plan developed between you and your doctor. So, we do recommend that all our patients see one of our nutritionists as they work hand-in-hand with our doctors. The “medical nutrition” they practice is very different from what most nutritionists do.
Also, it is very important to review the food allergies with our nutritionist once they become available, because the situation can be very complicated and hard to manage without assistance.
What conditions do you treat?
We treat all chronic conditions and body imbalances from weight loss resistance and allergies to auto-immune, cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
Will the doctor speak to my primary care doctor?
Your physician will send a copy of your medical assessment to your physician only if you request it. Otherwise, your medical information will not be shared with anyone.
Will the doctor notify my insurance company of the findings?
No. The Living Well Health & Wellness Center will provide you with a bill with appropriate coding that you may submit to your insurance company if you choose, but we will not send any information or bills directly to the insurance company.
Can the doctor be my primary care doctor? Do they admit to any hospitals?
No, the doctors at Living Well Health & Wellness do not admit to any hospitals, and do not take call for emergencies, so we recommend that you maintain a relationship with a primary care physician.
What testing can I do that my insurance will pay for?
If you choose to have your regular labs done at your local laboratory, the insurance will generally pay for: vitamin levels, hormone testing, thyroid levels and antibodies, celiac panel, celiac gene testing, blood count, iron evaluation, markers for inflammation, markers for risk factors for heart and vascular disease, insulin evaluation, urinalysis, complete chemistry panel, and many others. We recommend that you speak to your insurance company for information about your personal insurance plan.
Practice Policies for Patients
Our goal at The Living Well Health & Wellness Center is to provide you with the highest level of personalized care. We are committed to helping you achieve optimal health.
It is important to read all the enclosed information carefully and bring the attached forms to our office for your first appointment. This will allow us to help solve your problems more efficiently and enhance the quality of your care.
Website
Information about The Living Well Health & Wellness Center and all relevant patient forms are available through our website, www.LivingWellDallas.com
Medical Records
Medical records can only be released with your written authorization. A medical records release form is provided in your New Patient History Packet for your use. You are responsible for obtaining previous medical records from other physicians or health care providers. Please contact your physician or other health care provider to obtain these records. Your records should be mailed to The Living Well Health & Wellness Center, 4801 Frankford Road, Suite 200, Dallas, TX 75287 or faxed to (972) 559-3648.
Consultations
Your initial visit will include an 60-minute medical consultation with your physician and approximately 50-minute consultation with the nurse. Nutritional therapy and laboratory/diagnostic testing are integral components of your treatment plan. Test results are used to design your personal health care program as well as uncover the root causes of your medical condition. Nutritional supplements are often recommended and we will help you select and find the highest quality products.
Initial Visits
When coming from out of town, you may need to stay overnight after your consultation to have your blood drawn the next morning. Many of the tests require an 8-hour fast. You can drink water during this fast. Costs of all testing will be reviewed with you by our staff after your medical consultation before any labs are drawn. You will receive all final lab results and be guided through their interpretation at your follow up visits.
Consultation Fees
Initial 60-minute MD consultation: $500
30-Minute MD Office Visit or Phone Follow up: $375
Initial 60-Minute Nutrition Consultation: $150.00
60-Minute Nutrition Follow up Visit: $150.00
30-Minute Nutrition Follow up Visit: $75.00
Confirmation and Cancellation of Appointments
Due to the overwhelming requests for consultations, there is a 48-hour cancellation policy, and your appointment must be confirmed at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled consultation. You may cancel your appointment by calling our office. If calling after hours, please leave a message. If you fail to cancel your appointment 48 hours before it is scheduled, you will be billed ½ of the appointment fee for failure to cancel.
Payment Options
Our office accepts cash, checks or credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, Discover) and CareCredit for services rendered.
When you schedule an initial visit, we request a credit card on file to hold the appointment for you. No charges will be applied to your credit card unless you miss or cancel an appointment without proper notice.
On the day of your scheduled appointment, all charges for consultations (medical, nutritional or other) as well as laboratory testing will be itemized and reviewed with you. Payment is due on the day of service.
Follow-up phone consultations will be billed to your credit card on file in our office unless you provide other payment information and instructions prior to your appointment. If additional lab tests are required and our office sends test kits, the appropriate fees will be charged to your account.
Insurance Information
The Living Well Health & Wellness Center does not accept insurance or Medicare or Medicaid and we cannot assure you that services (office visits, phone consultations or lab tests) will be reimbursed. You will be provided with diagnosis and procedure codes to assist you with possible insurance reimbursement.
Phone Calls, Messages & Faxes
Our office hours are Monday – Friday, 10 am to 1 pm and 2 pm - 5:00 pm CST.
To reach Living Well Health & Wellness Center, please call (972)930-0260.
Our fax number is (972) 559-3648.
If you call after hours, our office staff will return your call on the next business day.
If you have a medical emergency, call 911 or go directly to the nearest emergency room.
When leaving a message, please be brief and include the following information:
Full name
Reason for call
Best time to be called back
Phone number(s)
Email address (if desired)
Prescription Refill Request
You can request prescription refills by calling our main number. It may take up to 72 hours to process the refills. Please plan ahead to avoid any interruptions in your medications.
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