|
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Insurance cover my visit?
Fox Valley Wellness Center is considered an "out of network" provider for commercial insurance. As with any insurance, deductibles and co-pays apply. FVWC will bill insurance as a courtesy for our patients, but it is no guarantee the claim will be paid by insurance. We do not bill Medicare or any other government sponsored insurance.
What can I expect during my visit?
Your initial consultation with the provider is approximately 1 to 1 ? hours and will include an extensive medical evaluation. You will also receive a detailed nutritional assessment and vitamin and supplement education.
You can also expect to have diagnostic work-ups for heavy metals, neurotransmitters, hormones and/or allergies. Traditional blood tests are also part of the initial evaluation.
We ask that you come fasting on the day of your visit, since blood tests, if ordered, will be drawn that day. If you have an appointment before noon, do not eat anything after 9:00 pm the night before. If your appointment is in the afternoon, you may eat a light breakfast, such as toast and tea or black coffee, no later than 7:00 am. Limited water is allowed. If you are diabetic, we can address this on an individual basis. Notify us in advance if this may be an issue for you.
We also ask that you collect a urine specimen to bring with you at the time of your first visit. Limit your intake of water to 24 ounces the day prior to your visit. Empty your bladder before bed (do not collect). Collect your urine (if any) during the night and your first morning urine. It is best to use a clean glass jar for the collection. You may combine all samples in one container and bring the specimen with you the next day.
The lab that is used at Fox Valley Wellness Center is Quest Diagnostics. Quest is one of the largest labs in the country and they cover approximately 95% of insurance companies. The billing is done through Quest and is a separate charge from our office visit. We would advise you to contact your insurance company prior to your appointment to verify benefits with Quest. FVWC does charge a small fee for drawing and processing the specimens, which we will submit to insurance if applicable.
Once the evaluation is completed, Dr. Meress will propose a diagnostic and treatment plan for you based on your history and physical. Part of this treatment plan may include detailed nutritional counseling by one of our nurses. This 30 minute appointment is ideally scheduled 2-3 days after the first appointment. This enables the patient to not only absorb the information from the first appointment, but it also allows you to ask pertinent questions that we normally expect you to have. Dr. Meress gives his patients much information on the first day and it is difficult for most people to take in that much information in one day. We have found it works much better to separate the nutritional information, since this is an extremely valuable part of your treatment.
Will the doctor want to see my medical records/history?
Yes. If you have had lab results from within the last 6 months and any related records that you can bring, will be extremely helpful.
When would I schedule a follow up appointment?
You will schedule a follow up after your initial consultation for about 3-4 weeks out. This is when we would expect to have all your lab results and the provider would then go over the findings and set a personalized treatment plan.
Is Steven Meress a licensed physican?
Yes. Dr. Meress is a board certified Internal Medicine Specialist and a board-certified Holistic Medicine Specialist. He completed his Bachelors of Science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in Medical Microbiology and received his medical degree from St. George University in Grenada, West Indies. Dr. Meress is an Integrative Specialist, therefore he does not provide Primary Care services. Patients are encouraged to retain their own primary care physician as Dr. Meress does not admit patients to the hospital nor is he on call.
If I have questions after my visit, can I e-mail the doctor?
Fox Valley Wellness Center is not set up to receive e-mails from patients regarding their care and treatment. The e-mail address on our website is for informational purposes only. We ask that if you have a question about your treatment plan, call the main number, including the toll-free number, and leave a message with the receptionist. The nurse will then call you to discuss your questions. We hope to receive e-mails from our patients in the very near-future.
 |
