Question 1

Acute Care & Clinical Support

Accepted Answer

Timely visits for minor acute concerns and clinical guidance between appointments are included in your membership with no separate fee. See full details on the Membership page.

Question 2

Can Areté be my primary healthcare clinician?

Accepted Answer

Areté provides comprehensive women's health, menopause care, preventive care, medication management, and ongoing health oversight. Because Areté is a virtual practice, some services still require in-person care. For that reason, I recommend maintaining a relationship with a local primary care if you choose.

Question 3

Can I receive care through telemedicine?

Accepted Answer

Telehealth care without the commute. For women across Colorado, quality women's health care sometimes means significant travel, time off work and appointments that may last 15 minutes. Telehealth changes that by being able to receive specialist level integrative care, from wherever you are without the drive, the lost half-day, or the weather risk.

Question 4

Do I need to be in menopause to become a patient?

Accepted Answer

No. Many women begin working with Areté before menopause because they're experiencing changes in energy, sleep, metabolism, recovery, mood, cycles, or overall health and want a more comprehensive evaluation.

Question 5

Do you coordinate care with other providers?

Accepted Answer

Yes, outside specialist notes, lab results, and OB/GYN care are reviewed and coordinated so your full picture stays connected. See full details on the Membership page.

Question 6

Do you offer in-home visits?

Accepted Answer

In-home visits are available for established patients in the Montrose, Ridgway, Ouray, and Telluride region when clinically appropriate. During these visits, I'm also able to draw your labs on-site and drop them off at Quest to be run, so you don't need a separate stop. See full details on the Membership page.

Question 7

Do you order labs?

Accepted Answer

Lab ordering is included in your membership through Quest. I assess, order, and review labs as part of your ongoing care. See full details on the Membership page.

Question 8

Do you prescribe hormone replacement therapy (HRT)?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Hormone therapy is one of many tools I may consider when appropriate. Recommendations are individualized based on your symptoms, health history, goals, and current medical evidence.

Question 9

Insurance, FSA & HSA

Accepted Answer

Areté is cash-pay and does not bill insurance. Superbills are available for possible out-of-network reimbursement and HSA/FSA documentation. See full details on the Membership page.

Question 10

Messaging policy and response time

Accepted Answer

Secure messaging is available for questions, updates, and brief clinical check-ins. Messages and calls are typically returned within 24–48 hours. See full details on the Membership page.

Question 11

Preventive screening & care coordination

Accepted Answer

Preventive screening is integrated into your membership and coordinated through local providers and imaging centers. See full details on the Membership page.

Question 12

What is integrative and functional medicine?

Accepted Answer

Integrative medicine combines the best of conventional and alternative approaches: evidence-based prescribing, labs, and clinical rigor, alongside nutrition, lifestyle, and whole-body evaluation. Functional medicine goes a step further by asking why symptoms are happening in the first place. Rather than treating each symptom separately, it looks at how your hormones, metabolism, gut health, sleep, and energy interact and influence each other. Together, they offer something most standard care doesn't: a complete picture, and a plan built around it.

Question 13

Why choose a cash based membership?

Accepted Answer

Insurance based care is built around what insurers will reimburse, your care is filtered through a billing department and the relationship between you and your clinician becomes secondary. A cash based membership allows for a smaller patient panel so more personalized care is provided and visits are as long as they need to be. Visit length is determined by billing code with insurance-based care, versus determined by clinical need with Areté. Time with provider is typically 15 minutes with insurance-based care, versus 45–60 minutes with Areté. Visit cost is copay, coinsurance, or deductible per visit with insurance-based care, versus included in monthly membership with Areté. Sick visits are a separate visit and separate charge with insurance-based care, versus included with Areté. New patient wait time is weeks to months with insurance-based care, versus direct access with Areté. Clinician continuity rotates by availability with insurance-based care, versus one clinician always with Areté. Access between visits is by appointment only with insurance-based care, versus direct messaging included with Areté.

Answers to common questions.

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