Down to Earth FAQ

We feel there is a need to re-work our FAQ section for questions specific to our practice. There are information about acupuncture, herbal medicine and TCM on the internet so there’s no need to repeat them on our site. We have decided to use the “Down to Earth” format to directly communicate important information, our ideas and philosophy. We don’t sugar coat it and are trying to make sure patients are on the same page before we begin.  The majority of you are wonderful and respectful patients but we do want to make clear some items as below.

(1) Initial Consultation and pricing

1.1) Why was Free Initial Evaluation discontinued?

We made this decision for two main reasons.  First, many of you are having a moderate to severe medical condition(s).  It takes time and effort to do assessment and review your medical records.  Secondly, some people “work” the system by taking advantage of our expertise by coming in to get our professional opinion but have no desire to pay for our service from the beginning.  We provide service and we deserve to be paid.

1.2) You have a new pricing structure in 2023 ?

Not what we want to do but many of you want it upfront. If all you are concerning about is price, we believe you are unlikely a candidate for alternative medicine. Perhaps going back to conventional western medicine and stay on prescription drugs to manage symptom is your best bet. If you are trying to shop for acupuncture, sorry we are not created equal. You may go for an ineffective acupuncture treatment for little money but ended up spending a lot of money and your time. The old saying “you get what you pay for” applies.  Visit pricing page for current pricing structure.

1.3) What is considered severe condition ?

If you come to us after seeing all the other doctors under the sun to no result, you have a severe condition. If you have maxed out your cortisone shots and still have pain, you have a severe condition. If you have been involved in car accidents and received various treatments for months to no relief, you have a severe condition. In other words, you are here because all others have failed to help you. Your case is complex and requires extensive efforts to get you better. We study your reports and imaging too and all these takes time. Research time is also spent on your case which most don’t realize because it is done behind the scenes.

1.4) “Thank you for the initial consultation, I am going to ask my PCP for an opinion.”

Please don’t come back. You are asking the golf coach to teach you skiing. We are experts in what we do and consider ourselves no-less than your other doctors.

1.5) Why my case is not accepted ?

We do not accept all cases. Generally, we put the patient’s best interest first. If our specialty does not match the patient’s medical need, we are not going to take the case but will try to find another trusted resource for the patient. Other times it is an unrealistic expectation or irreconcilable difference in view of alternative medicine.  This is usually determined at the time a new prospective patient calls.  If it deems not a match at the phone call, we will redirect the patient to another practitioner and not schedule initial consultation.

(2) Insurance, Medicare, Medicaid etc

*** If your insurance card has the word Medicare or Medicaid on it, it is a NO***

Commercial insurance is on a case by case status.  If you are not with United Healthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield or FL Blue, it will definitely be a NO.

2.1) I have insurance, why can’t you take it ?

Insurance card is not a trump card.  Many believe as long as they have insurance, they can use it for any medical service.  The terms on your insurance determine if you have acupuncture coverage, and how it is covered.  Please don’t get mad at us when we deliver the bad news. Unfortunately, insurance is complicated and not many of them cover acupuncture. Some insurance agents will sell you a plan that has acupuncture coverage but literally it is impractical to use. For example, a very high deductible you have to satisfy before benefits start.

2.2) How about Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and CareCredit ?

We do not take any of these, period.  We repeat – We do not take any of these, period.

(3) Treatment plan and expectation

3.1) Why the treatment plan is a course but not as needed ?

If your medical condition can be treated on an as-needed basis, you are probably not sick and it does not justify for you to come. But if you do have a moderate or severe medical condition, a course of treatment is needed to build up your therapeutic level. In this case, if you cannot commit to the course, you should not have started treatment. Many will opt-in for treatment but knowing he or she does not or cannot commit to treatment course. This will be a waste of resources because it takes time to build and there are work done on our part behind the scene. We ask that you be honest to tell us during the free initial evaluation session.

3.2) Do you give magic needles ?

Occasionally, you hear stories that someone magically getting so much better only after one treatment. Just like everything in medical, some response exceptionally well to treatment while some do not response at all. Yet most experience responses somewhere in between.  Please don’t ask for magic needles, there is no such thing.

(4) Multiple practitioners situation

4.1) I wish to switch to you from another acupuncture clinic.

Unless there is a legit reason, we do not take a patient from another local acupuncture clinic. You have already established over there and switching to a completely different practitioner may not be your right move.

4.2) I have another acupuncturist that I see, can I go back and forth between you and him/her ?

No. This is a bad idea. There should be only one chef in a kitchen.

(5) Wait time, book appointment, rescheduling, cancellation, late arrival and no show.

5.0) I want to book an appointment.

Please call to book an appointment. We are a very busy clinic and each of us wears multiple hats. When you hit our answer machine, please leave a message and we WILL call back. If you don’t leave a message, we will not call you back. Once your appointment is booked, our system will send you text message reminders. It is your responsibility to keep the appointment. Some will take the advantage of us for booking the free initial evaluation and not showing up. If this is the case, we will not accept the patient. It is so easy to give us a call 24 hours before appointment for rescheduling or cancellation.

5.1) Late cancellation, rescheduling and no show.

From the beginning, we have a 24 hours’ notice policy in place. We didn’t really have to enforce it in the past four years. The majority of you are courteous and respectful to our time. However, we have seen a rise in occurrence so we will enforce it beginning Jan 1^st, 2022. It is so easy to give us a quick call or text 24 hours ahead if appointment needs to be changed. The exception to this requirement is emergency or accident. A no show without a justifiable reason will automatically discharge the patient. If the patient wishes to resume, he\she will be charged the initial treatment amount during next visit. A less then 24 hours’ notice will incur a $40 charge.

5.2) What is your typical wait time before I will be seen ?

Our wait time is very minimal. It is usually about a few minutes. Generally, wait time has been one of the top complaints in a doctor’s office. We are able to keep our wait time very low mostly due to our effective use of resources and excellent patient commitment to prompt arrival.

5.3) Will I be seen if I arrive late ?

It depends. We understand accidents do happen and the Greater Orlando traffic has earned its bad reputation. We are trying to accommodate you as much as we can but your treatment time and elements may be cut short due to decreased working time. We rely on our patients’ prompt arrival to keep the wait time low.

5.4) How busy is your practice ?

Very busy. Thanks to our highly effective treatment systems, we are running above capacity on most days and have limited resources. Therefore, adherence and commitment to the treatment course is essential. Respect our cancellation, rescheduling and no show policy is expected. This enable us to allocate our limited resources to those in need.

(6) Miscellaneous

6.1) You have lots of great reviews on Google, are those real ?

You bet ! We don’t buy reviews or ask friends or relatives to put reviews for us. Those are what our actual patients want to say after they get better or get healed. The reviews reflect the hard work and commitment we put on our patients.

6.2) My wife makes me come, can I sneak out the back door ?

Of course ! We do not give treatments to an unwilling patient. Please leave through the back door, find a quiet place, think about your health goal and see what you want to do.

6.3) I have watched tons of TV medical dramas, can I play doctor in my own case?

Please apply through their producers. Once they’ve accepted you, they will give you a lab coat and a stethoscope then assign you a doctor role for you to play.

6.4) What should I wear to the appointment ?

For some cases, we can treat a patient without needing to undress. For some others, we may have to access a specific body location and a hospital gown will be provided.

6.5) Can I discuss politics or religion with you ?

We have a “no soliciting” sign at our entrance that answers your question.

6.6) “#@$%^&*&^@!#$!” ?

Ok, we acknowledge your frustration. We know you are not feeling well and have no success so far with other places. We are glad that you found us and we are here to help. Relax and we will go over your medical history, reports, imaging and give you an assessment. Then we will establish a plan for you. You will find this initial consultation session informative, uplifting and hopeful. We are not going to lie, it will take some time so be patience. Let’s set sail together in your healing journey !

Opening hours: Mon, Tue, Thurs, Fri: 11am – 7pm; Sat: 9am – 2pm (1st and 3rd Saturdays)