OFFICE VISITS

I am committed to providing you with safe, gentle, effective acupuncture treatment that is not only comfortable, but also very relaxing and pleasant!

Your first visit requires approximately 1-1/2 hours.  During the first 30 to 40 minutes, we explore your health history, treatment objectives, and overall health goals.  Next is a physical exam from a Chinese medicine perspective, which includes examination of pulse and tongue, sensing temperatures of the limbs and trunk, and observing other physical signs, followed by the treatment.

Subsequent visits, which require 50-55 minutes, begin with listening to how you are doing since your last visit, followed by a treatment, and recommendations for ways to support your progress at home.  During treatment, you will be lying on a comfortable treatment table, enjoying music or nature sounds.

After the initial series, visits can be spaced more widely. Many people find they feel better overall with acupuncture treatment--from better sleep, to more energy, to an increased sense of peace and ease. Many chose to continue acupuncture at a lesser frequency--every two weeks, monthly, or at the change of season--to enhance these benefits.

Safety & Sterility

I use only the highest quality needles which are renown for their comfort (Seirin brand). The needles are sterile, single use, and disposable, and nationally-established protocols for Clean Needle Technique (CNT) are followed. Acupuncture is recognized as one of the safest medical treatments available when performed by a properly trained and licensed practitioner. A good review of acupuncture safety is found at the National Institutes of Health web site.

Partnering with You

Naturally, acupuncture treatment is at it's most powerful when clients adopt lifestyle habits and practices that promote vibrant health. You may only see your acupuncturist for an hour a week, and what happens during the rest of the week can either help, or hinder, an optimal treatment outcome.

Part of our work together in the treatment room is to develop new skills and habits that support your health and healing into the future. Often, our symptoms are teachers--wise guides pointing the way to a healthy path. Learning to listen to them is among the best things we can do for our health and wellbeing.

FEE SCHEDULE, INSURANCE, PAYMENT OPTIONS, AND BUSINESS POLICIES

Fee Schedule

Insurance

Many insurance plans cover acupuncture.  Some cover for a very wide range of symptoms and conditions, while others are more limited.  Most plans that cover acupuncture reimburse 65% to 85% of the cost of treatment. 

We do not work directly with insurance companies.  Instead, we accept payment from you at the time of treatment, and provide a receipt containing the insurance codes you need for reimbursement.  Once you submit this receipt to your insurance company your insurer sends the reimbursement directly to you.  

Each insurance plan is different, so be sure to call your insurer if you need information about your coverage.  In addition to asking whether acupuncture is covered, it is good to ask what medical conditions are covered, as well as the reimbursement rate and filing process. 

When asking about your insurer’s reimbursement rate, you will get the most accurate information if you give the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes.   For manual acupuncture, the CPT codes are 97810 and 97811; for electroacupuncture, 97813 and 97814.

Payment Options

Cash, check, credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, and Discover), and Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account cards are accepted.  Payment is due at each treatment, and your receipt will contain the insurance codes necessary for reimbursement if your insurance covers acupuncture for the conditions(s) being treated.

Business Policies

Waiting Time.  Because I make every effort to remain on time throughout the day, you should rarely, if ever, have to wait in the waiting room. Please help by arriving on time for your appointment. For late arrivals, in most cases the treatment will need to be abbreviated to remain on time for the next client.

Minimum 24 Hour Cancellation Policy. I do not double-book appointments, and the full appointment time is devoted to your treatment. Therefore, if less than 24 hours notice is given for a cancellation or rescheduling, the full fee is charged.

I realize unpredictable circumstances arise.  To run a successful practice, I must charge, even for illness or last-minute issues. If there is an opening later the same day that you are able to take, or if I am able to fill your appointment slot despite the short cancellation notice, the late cancellation fee will be waived.

OFFICE HOURS, LOCATION, AND DIRECTIONS

Our office hours and location are designed with client convenience in mind.

Office Hours

The office is currently open on a modified 4/10 schedule:

Wednesday and Friday 9 AM to 7 PM
Thursday 10 AM to 8 PM
Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM

Location

The office is conveniently located on Capitol Hill, in the Eastern Market business district,  co-located in a small medical building with the Capitol Hill Podiatry and Physical Therapy Center. 

The Eastern Market Metro Station (Blue/Orange Line) is 1-1/2 blocks away, as is a Circulator bus stop (Union Station/Navy Yard Line).  Metrobus Lines 31, 32, 34, 36, and 39 all stop within a block of the office.

Parking can be found on the street (free if you find an unmetered space), or in a public lot across the street from our office, adjacent to the Citibank building.  The public lot costs $7 for the first hour, an additional $7 for the second hour, with a $14 maximum.

Directions

Get Directions via Mapquest

From Eastern Market Metro (Blue/Orange Lines):   Upon exiting the escalators, turn 180 degrees and face the CVS on the corner of Pennsylvania and 7th Street SE.  Cross Pennsylvania Avenue and walk one block north to C Street SE, where you will see  Eastern Market on one corner and Marvelous Market on the other.  Turn left, and walk 1/2 block down C Street to a small medical building tucked among row houses on the right.

By Car:  The office is six blocks from The Mall and U.S. Capitol building. If you are arriving by car, please click the Mapquest link above to get driving directions.