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Frequently Asked Questions...

Here are some of the most common questions we hear.  If you don't see your question listed below, please give us a call at
920-339-5252.  We'd be happy to answer your questions.

  1.  Will insurance pay for my visit?
  2.  Do you accept any government sponsored insurance plans?
  3.  When do I pay for my visit?
  4.  How can I save money on the cost of my visit?
  5.  Who submits my charges to my insurance company?
  6.  What if I am having financial difficulty and cannot afford the cost of my visit?
  7.  Can I use my Health Savings Account dollars to pay for my visit?
  8.  Does my visit qualify for reimbursement under my Flex-Spend or Medical Reimbursement Account if I have one?
  9.  How many visits will I need?
10.  Do you schedule telephone consultation appointments?         
11.  What type of hormones do you prescribe?
12.  Can you prescribe compounded, low dose, bioidentical hormones that are made especially for me?
13.  What compounding pharmacy do you work with and why?
14.  Are compounded hormones covered by insurance?
15.  How does Wise Woman Wellness care differ from care I might receive from my regular provider?
16.  Can you provide all my primary care?
17.  Can you test my hormone levels?
18.  How often will you retest my hormone levels?
19.  How can I learn more about menopause and hormone testing? Do you offer educational seminars?
20.  Can I purchase the hormone testing kit at the seminar?
21.  When do I learn about my test results?
22.  Can you adjust my hormone doses in between office visits?
23.  When do I take the hormone test?
24.  How long will it take to feel better?
25.  Are there risks and side effects from taking bio-identical hormones?
26.  Are there other options besides hormone therapy to help me feel better?

 

1. Will insurance pay for my visit?
Yes, our services are covered by most commercial insurance plans. 

Please check with your insurance carrier for information about your coverage. Depending on your plan design, we may be considered an “Out of Network Provider” for you and your coverage may be at a lesser rate than if you were seeking care from an “In Plan” or “Participating Provider”. You may also have a separate deductible to meet when seeking care from an “Out of Network Provider”.

2. Do you accept any government sponsored insurance plans?
Unfortunately we cannot accept Medicare, Medicaid, BadgerCare, or other government payment plans. Should you have one of these plans you are welcome to schedule an appointment but you will be asked to pay for your visit and no reimbursement will be available from your plan.

3. When do I pay for my visit?
You will be asked to pay for your visit upon arrival for your appointment.

4. How can I save money on the cost of my visit?
We are pleased to offer a 5% discount if you pay by cash or check at the time of your visit.

This discount is not offered if you pay by credit card, debit card or HSA (Health Savings Account) card at the time of your visit.

5. Who submits my charges to my insurance company?
As a courtesy to you we will submit your charges electronically to your insurance company after your visit. We ask your insurance company to reimburse you directly. If we receive payment for your visit in error, we will promptly return the check to your carrier and request that they send the payment directly to you.

6. What if I am having financial difficulty and cannot afford the cost of my visit?
Our Center Manager, Rene, is happy to discuss payment options with you if you are experiencing a financial hardship. We can set up a payment plan with you if needed. Please call 920-339-5252 to discuss this prior to scheduling an appointment.

7. Can I use my Health Savings Account dollars to pay for my visit?
Yes, if you have money in a Health Savings Account you may use these dollars to pay for your care.

8. Does my visit qualify for reimbursement under my Flex-Spend or Medical Reimbursement Account if I have one?
You may submit your un-reimbursed charges for reimbursement to your Medical Reimbursement Account if you participate in this benefit through your employer. We will provide you with a receipt to do so.  It is a great idea to plan ahead for your menopausal care and hormone medication expenses each year!

9. How many visits will I need?
Most women schedule an initial visit and then one or two follow up visits per year while continuing to take hormone medications. We are happy to see you more often if needed.  

The North American Menopause Society recommends that women using hormone medications be evaluated every 6 months.  Occasionally other health conditions, increased stress, lifestyle changes and aging can cause further hormonal imbalances and the need for additional appointments.

10. Do you schedule telephone consultation appointments?
Thirty minute telephone consultation appointments may be scheduled (unfortunately generally not covered by insurance) for your convenience if driving long distances or bad weather make it difficult to attend your appointment in person.

You must be an established patient of the Center before a telephone consultation appointment can be set up. You will be asked to pay for your visit prior to the telephone call and to fill out a follow up visit questionnaire.

11. What type of hormones do you prescribe?
We are experts at prescribing bioidentical (some call these natural) hormones including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. The term bio-identical hormone has come under fire in the past few years. It used to be considered a medical term but recently the FDA has called this a marketing term.

No matter what we call it, bio-identical hormones are simply hormones that are made in a laboratory out of soybeans or yams that exactly match the molecular structure of those produced in the human body. It is Randi’s experience (and many other practitioners who are experts at prescribing bio-identical hormone therapy) that many women may experience less side effects on these types of hormones, especially when the dosing is guided by saliva hormone testing and severity of symptoms.

12. Can you prescribe compounded, low dose, bioidentical hormones that are made especially for me?
We often prescribe compounded hormones in customized doses which allows for you to receive your hormone medications in doses prepared just for you.

Special pharmacies called compounding pharmacies make up each prescription using USP ingredients at the time the medication is ordered. All compounding pharmacies are regulated through each state’s board of pharmacy. Your individually compounded hormone medication is mailed to you, usually the same day it is ordered.

13. What compounding pharmacy do you work with and why?
Randi has worked with Madison Pharmacy Associates for over 15 years. They are the first company in the nation to specialize in women’s hormone treatment and offer over 8000 options when it comes to hormone medication dosing and delivery methods.

They are currently one of a small number of pharmacies in the United States to receive the prestigious seal of accreditation from the Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board. This accomplishment is very important and assures the quality and standardization of your hormone medication doses.

Madison Pharmacy Associates, located in Madison, has led the way in the nation at formulating very low dose, customized, hormone treatment for women. They offer compounded and traditional hormone medications, hormone testing and nurse case management services.

If you prefer to obtain your hormone therapy in standardized doses we work with all local and mail order pharmacies.

14. Are compounded hormones covered by insurance?
Compounded hormone therapy is covered by many prescription drug plans. It may be less expensive to pay for the hormones yourself than to pay your insurance co-payment amount for each hormone depending on your pharmacy plan benefits. Compounded hormone therapy may cost less than some standardized hormone medications.

15. How does Wise Woman Wellness care differ from care I might receive from my regular provider?
We offer you an individualized wellness and menopausal program. It is our passion to care for women experiencing hormonal imbalances symptoms such as hot flashes, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, irregular menses, insomnia, vaginal dryness and sexual issues. We are experts in this area of medicine and specialize in offering support, treatment, education, resources and written materials to empower you to make the best health care decisions.

We stay up to date regarding the latest options available for peri-menopause or menopausal care and offer the time necessary to really understand your unique issues. Your first visit at Wise Woman Wellness will last approximately 90 minutes. You and your hormonal imbalances are unique so a treatment program will be tailored specifically for you. We offer the best of both conventional and complimentary care and find many patients appreciate the additional integrative medicine suggestions given regarding many of their symptoms.

16. Can you provide all my primary care?
We do not offer routine or primary care (we do not perform yearly physical exams or pap smears for example) and highly recommend that you see (or establish care with) a primary care provider for all your on-going health maintenance, acute and chronic illness needs.

17. Can you test my hormone levels?
Yes, we offer testing to determine if your hormone levels may be contributing to your symptom. We may recommend saliva testing, urine testing or serum testing depending on your symptoms. We may order saliva testing to evaluate your estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, cortisol and DHEA levels. This is a measurement of your free or unbound hormone levels and is generally considered a less variable, 24 hour average level. We may also order urine testing to evaluate your NTx level, a test for daily bone loss to help assess your ongoing risk for osteoporosis. At times we also may suggest other serum or radiologic testing depending on your unique needs.

18. How often will you retest my hormone levels?
Hormone testing is ordered initially to evaluate your baseline hormone levels, again after 3 months of hormone use if you choose to start hormones and then yearly  as long as you take hormone therapy from Madison Pharmacy Associates.  The 3 month and yearly tests are free and you will receive customized, low dose, bio-identical hormone recommendations based on your symptoms and test results.

Each follow-up test is done to assess how you are absorbing and responding to your hormone treatment and is important to do on time to avoid any over or under dosing of your hormone medications. Our patients tell us that their customized treatments frequently help them “to feel like themselves again”. While the follow up testing after your third refill and annually is free, you will be charged for each appointment to review your results and revise your care plan.

19. How can I learn more about menopause and hormone testing?  Do you offer educational seminars?
Women are strongly encouraged to attend the introductory Wise Woman Wellness seminar to learn more about the menopausal transition, testing and treatment options.The seminar is entitled “What Wise Women Know - Balanced Hormones are Key to Feeling Great! How to Feel Your Best through Midlife and Beyond” and is offered several times each month. We will be offering additional topics in the future.

Pre-registration is required. Seating is limited to 30. Please call 920-339-5252 for dates and times and to register. Prepayment is greatly appreciated.

For a limited time, the cost for each seminar is $25.00 per person (regularly a $39.00 value).  Bring a friend and pay only $40.00 for both!

You will also receive a coupon for up to $75.00 off of your first month’s bioidentical hormone prescription and other valuable printed materials at the seminar.

20. Can I purchase the hormone testing kit at the seminar?
Hormone test kits are available for purchase at the seminar. The cost is $195.00 plus $6.95 for shipping and handling and is often covered by insurance. You may submit your invoice to your insurance carrier if you would like insurance reimbursement. Through the seminar attendance you will become educated about menopause and the many available treatment options. This allows us to focus more on your individual needs at your first appointment and less on the basics of hormone treatment options. If you take the hormone test prior to your first visit, we will be able review your results with you at your first appointment as well. This saves you the time and the cost of a second medical visit a few weeks apart. Your next medical visit would then be after your third prescription refill approximately 4 months later.

If you do not wish to attend the introductory seminar, you are welcome to schedule an initial appointment any time.

21. When do I learn about my test results?
Your results are usually available approximately 3-4 weeks after you test. You will schedule a medical appointment to discuss your results after you receive notification that your test results are ready. You will be charged for each medical appointment to discuss your results. It is important for your health and best treatment outcomes to fully assess your symptoms along with your test results before prescribing any hormone medication or make any dosage changes.

22. Can you adjust my hormone doses in between office visits?
Prescribing hormone medication is done very carefully. We are unable to make hormone medication changes without properly assessing your health and symptoms. This includes asking you to complete a symptom severity inventory and review of your most recent testing results. This cannot be done in a brief telephone call.

23. When do I take the hormone test?
To test your hormone levels, you must be on a steady dose of hormones for approx. 12 weeks or off any hormones for 8 weeks to assure the best test results. It is okay to test your levels if you are already taking hormone replacement medications. If you are taking birth control pills you must stop them for 8 weeks prior to doing any hormone testing.

If you are still having your menses, you are asked to take the test on day 20-23 of your cycle. If you are no longer having regular menses then you may test any day that is convenient for you during the month. Please follow the instructions in the test kit very carefully and document the requested information on each document as directed. This is very important! If you have any questions about the timing of when to test or how to test please consult with the staff at Madison Pharmacy Associates (1-800-558-7046).

24. How long will it take to feel better?
Each woman is unique in her physical and emotional make-up, symptom severity and response to hormone therapy and self care improvements. It often takes up to 3 months to receive the full benefit of your hormone therapy. Results are gradual. Hot flashes and vaginal dryness may improve in as little as 2-4 weeks. Other symptoms such as decreased libido may take up several months. If you have been taking higher doses of synthetic hormone therapy and you transition to lower dosed, bio-identical hormones you may experience an increase in symptoms temporarily while your body adjusts to the lower doses. Great self care during this time will help to ease menopausal symptoms no matter what doses of hormones you are taking.

25. Are there risks and side effects from taking bio-identical hormones?
There are risks in taking any medication. There can be side effects from any medications, including bio-identical hormones. You will receive a leaflet with your hormone medications that list the current known risks and side effects. The FDA advises that that all hormones in equivalent doses carry the same risks and side effects, no matter if bio-identical or not. If you are experiencing moderate to severe symptoms the benefits of hormone therapy will likely outweigh the risks. The severity of your symptoms and your personal and family medical history are an important part of your health assessment and will guide the discussion for appropriate treatments options. We will put a program together especially for you at your first visit.

26. Are there other options besides hormone therapy to help me feel better?
Definitely. Many women come to see us who are unable to or do not wish to take hormone therapy. We can help design a self care plan for you that may include use of supplements, diet changes, herbal products, stress management, exercise and other lifestyle change recommendations to help you feel your best!

If we haven't answered your questions, please give us a call at 920-339-5252.