Q1. What is Functional Medicine?

"Functional Medicine is a personalized, systems-oriented model that empowers patients and practitioners to achieve the highest expression of health by working in collaboration to address the underlying causes of disease." - Institute for Functional Medicine

Functional Medicine evaluates and treats the patient from a holistic approach, but it does not disregard the importance of conventional care where necessary and appropriate. We greatly value our Primary Care Providers and Specialists alike and will never hesitate to refer or consult when indicated.

Q2. What can functional Medicine help me with?

Functional Medicine can be helpful for patients with chronic illnesses that aren't easily managed by conventional medical techniques, such as acid reflux, fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation, PMS, eczema, PCOS, seasonal affective disorder, anxiety, headaches, mood symptoms, elevated blood sugar, Hashimoto's, and natural (drug free) menopause. Functional Medicine can also help with postnatal depletion syndrome, optimizing health after recovery from addiction, and fertility planning.

Q3. Do you see patients virtually or in-person?

All appointments are conducted virtually through our fully integrated web-based telemedicine platform. There is nothing for you to download, and because it is part of our secure patient portal, it is HIPAA-compliant. We will never record or transcribe your appointments. We are licensed to see patients in NJ, NY, CA, AZ, and IL.

Q4. Who should I schedule my appointment with?

Allison Fox, M.D. and Jenna Katzman, N.P. have worked together closely since 2014. While we do practice collaboratively to provide excellent care for all of our patients, it is typically best to continue care with the provider you establish with as a new patient.

Q5. How should I prepare for my appointment?

All intake documents must be completed on the patient portal within 72 hours of your appointment. If the items below are not complete we will unfortunately need to reschedule your appointment.

Visit the patient portal and register with Renew Integrative & Functional Medicine. Please upload a photo for your profile.
In the right-hand column select "my account details" and enter all of the requested information.
Select "invoices and payments" and add your preferred payment method.
Select "questionnaires" and electronically sign all new patient forms.
Select "labs and documents" and upload any of your recent labs or tests that you would like us to review. It is very important that these be uploaded 72 hours before your appointment. It is best for you to request and upload these documents yourself. Having records sent to us from other offices often leads to delays that necessitate rescheduling.
Enter all medications that you currently take under "my medications".
Enter all herbs, vitamins, and supplements that you currently take under "my supplements". If you don't see your exact brand or dosage listed, simply choose the most accurate basic option available and use the free text to type in any specifics. (Example: select "Vitamin D" and type in "XYZ brand 2,000 IU").
If this is your first appointment, please also schedule your follow up now for 2-3 weeks later. Because the schedule fills up quickly, waiting to schedule the follow up will mean a delay in receiving your test results and care plan.
Patients scheduling medical marijuana consultations may only been seen for one appointment per day. The state of New Jersey requires either four appointments or at least a one year long established relationship with the practice in order to be be certified with the NJ Medical Marijuana Program (NJMMP). Those scheduling consultations may schedule all four visits in advance. Detailed information regarding the NJMMP can be found here.

Q6. Do you currently accept health insurance?

No. We do not accept health insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. We are considered out-of-network or non-participating providers. We will provide you with a visit superbill after every appointment so that you can submit it to your insurance company. Please note that it is your responsibility to determine what, if any, out-of-network benefits you have with your insurance plan.

Q7. What are your fees?

• New-patient 75-minute appointment $400

• Follow-up 45-minute appointment $200

• Brief 15-minute check-in appointment $50 (established patients only)

• New or follow-up 15-minute medical marijuana consultation $150. NJ residents only. State laws require that patients be seen for four separate appointments, or have been an established patient in the practice for at least one year.

• Nutrition programs and counseling offered through Amy Rind. Amy is Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition. Renew patients are eligible for a 10% discount on all offerings by utilizing the code RENEW at checkout.

Debit cares, credit cards, and HSA cards are accepted. Insurance is not accepted at this time. We will provide you with a superbill after every appointment to submit to your insurance company for potential out of network reimbursement.

Q8. Will you bill me, and how can I pay?

We require your preferred payment method to be on file prior to your appointment. This information is added through our secure patient portal by selecting "invoices and payments". We will process your payment on the day of your appointment. We ensure that your credit card data is secure by tokenizing and encrypting credit card data and only storing card data in a PCI compliant environment

Q9.Can I review a copy of your HIPAA Privacy Practices?

Sure! Click here to review or print our HIPAA Privacy Practices.

Q10. Do you have a patient care agreement?

Yes. The patient care agreement must be electronically signed on the patient portal as part of your intake questionaires. A copy of this agreement (read only) is available here.

Q11. Can you be my primary care provider?

No. We do not practice primary care at Renew. We are consultants only. Patients should absolutely keep their primary care physician.

You are certainly welcome to purchase your supplements wherever you choose! We do offer patients 15% off all products on Wellevate. After recommendations are made, patients will receive an email invitation to register on Wellevate. Clinical recommendations will be found in your patient portal as well as in Wellevate.

Q13. Will my insurance cover the labs you order?

Insurance coverage is very much plan dependent. Please check with your insurer to see what lab they prefer you use. We will provide you with a lab order that you will then take to Labcorp or Quest. Not all tests are covered by insurance and sometimes you must first meet a high deductible. Please find out the specifics before your appointment, and certainly before having any tests done. This is particularly important if you have Medicare or Medicaid.

Q14. How will I find out my test results and your recommendations?

You will find out your lab results and our recommendations at your follow-up appointment. Labs always take at least a full 8 business days to result so please take that into account when scheduling your follow-up appointment.

Q15. Can you prescribe medication if I need it?

Yes, but we do not prescribe any controlled substances with the exception of medical marijuana.

Q16. How many appointments will I need?

You will need to schedule an initial appointment and a follow-up appointment for 2-3 weeks later. At your second visit, we will recommend when you should next be seen. Typically, follow-up is recommended three months later. However, each patients follow-up plan is dependent on their individual case. Patients who are prescribed medication must be seen in the office at least every six months.

Q17. Can you help me lose weight? Will you give me a meal plan?

Dr. Fox does not specialize in weight loss, but Jenna Katzman, N.P. does. Eating a healthy diet is critical to the healing process. For specific guidance on the best diet for you, we highly recommend Amy Rind, Nutrition Consultant. connect with nutrition consultant Amy Rind.

Q18. What labs do you order tests from?

Lab tests are ordered from Labcorp, Quest Diagnostics, Genova Diagnostics, Diagnostic Solutions, Cell Science, and Million Marker.

Q19. Do you prescribe medical marijuana?

Yes. We do offer consultations for patients who may benefit from the use of medical marijuana. These appointments are 15-minutes in length and will be limited to the discussion of the patient's symptoms and test results to determine whether their diagnosis falls within the medically approved conditions that are treatable under the NJMMP. Patients must be New Jersey residents. State law requires that the patient is either seen for a total of four appointments, or have been an established patient in the practice for at least one year. Prospective patients are responsible for reviewing the New Jersey Medicinal Marijuana guidelines in detail prior to scheduling an appointment.

Frequently Asked Questions