How to Become a Patient

Barish Functional Medicine is a self-pay, out-of-network practice. This model is intentionally designed to support longer visits, more in-depth review of records and testing, thoughtful care planning, and a more personalized approach than is typically possible within a traditional insurance-based setting.

By operating independently of insurance billing requirements, more time can be devoted to direct patient care, education, clinical review, and individualized support.

Depending on the situation and a patient's individual insurance plan, some patients may choose to independently explore potential out-of-network reimbursement through their insurance plan for office visits. Barish Functional Medicine may be able to provide documentation, such as a superbill, upon request when appropriate, although reimbursement is not guaranteed and coverage policies vary by plan.

Laboratory testing, imaging, medications, and other services ordered as part of your care may be performed by outside providers, such as laboratories, imaging centers, or pharmacies, and may still be billed through insurance, depending on the service and your individual insurance coverage.

No. Barish Functional Medicine does not require membership fees, annual fees, subscriptions, or bundled care packages. Patients pay only for scheduled appointments and any testing, medications, supplements, or outside services they choose to pursue.

Office visit payments are typically collected through the secure patient portal and are generally processed at or before the time of the scheduled appointment. Additional details regarding payment policies, scheduling, and portal setup will be provided during the onboarding and scheduling process.

Yes. Barish Functional Medicine is designed to complement—not replace—primary care and specialty care when needed. Patients should continue to maintain an established relationship with a primary care physician and appropriate specialists for routine medical care, preventive services, urgent concerns, and ongoing management outside the scope of the practice.

Barish Functional Medicine provides physician-led telehealth care for patients 16 years of age and older located in Michigan and Florida.

The practice does not provide care during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.

Certain medical situations may fall outside the scope of the practice and will be determined on an individual basis.

Yes. At this time, all appointments are conducted through a secure telehealth platform for patients located in Michigan and Florida.

Barish Functional Medicine currently provides telehealth services for patients located in Michigan and Florida.

Appointments are conducted virtually through a secure telehealth platform, and patients must be physically located in Michigan or Florida at the time of their appointment.

For additional information regarding telehealth services for Florida patients, please visit the Florida Telehealth Information page.

No. Barish Functional Medicine is not an emergency or urgent care practice. Patients experiencing urgent or emergent medical concerns should contact local emergency services, urgent care, or their primary treating physicians as appropriate.

Because Barish Functional Medicine operates as an independent practice with its own systems, documentation, workflows, and care structure, all patients begin with an initial consultation regardless of prior clinical relationship. This creates a consistent and thoughtful foundation for ongoing care within the practice.

Follow-up timing varies depending on the clinical situation, treatment goals, testing being reviewed, and the pace of ongoing care planning. Some situations may benefit from shorter follow-up intervals initially, while others may require less frequent follow-up over time.

Follow-up visit structure depends on the complexity of the discussion, whether laboratory or imaging review is needed, the amount of reassessment or planning involved, and the overall clinical situation. Guidance regarding appropriate follow-up timing and visit structure will often be discussed during prior visits when possible.

Office visit fees are based on the scheduled appointment type and reflect the reserved time, preparation, review, and care planning involved — not simply the minutes spent on a video call. Visits sometimes conclude in less time than scheduled when the clinical discussion is focused and efficient, and fees are not adjusted in those situations. When a visit requires significantly more time than the scheduled appointment type allows, Dr. Barish may recommend transitioning to a longer visit type or scheduling a follow-up visit to allow adequate time for thorough discussion and care planning.

Yes. Depending on the clinical situation, care may involve conventional laboratory testing, specialty functional medicine testing, imaging studies, review of prior testing, or coordination of information from outside healthcare providers and local healthcare systems when appropriate.

Not necessarily. Recommendations are individualized depending on the clinical situation. In some cases, conventional laboratory testing may be appropriate, while other situations may benefit from selected specialty testing when clinically useful.

Laboratory results are typically reviewed during a scheduled follow-up visit, where findings can be interpreted in the context of your full clinical picture and incorporated into your care plan in a comprehensive and organized way. Visits involving laboratory panel review are generally scheduled as a Standard or Comprehensive Follow-Up depending on the scope and complexity of the results. If results require prompt attention before a scheduled visit, Dr. Barish will reach out through the patient portal or other appropriate means as soon as reasonably possible. Depending on the scope and complexity of the testing being reviewed, laboratory results may be discussed during either a Standard or Comprehensive Follow-Up visit to allow adequate time for interpretation, discussion, and care planning.

Yes. When appropriate, recommendations, testing plans, supplement instructions, follow-up guidance, and other next steps are generally communicated through the patient portal and visit documentation. The specific format and level of detail may vary depending on the clinical situation and the nature of the visit.

When appropriate, treatment recommendations may include prescription therapies, lifestyle and nutrition strategies, supplement recommendations, additional evaluation, or coordination with outside healthcare providers depending on the clinical situation.

No. Supplement recommendations are individualized and depend on the clinical situation, overall goals, prior evaluation, and broader care plan. Recommendations may vary significantly from patient to patient.

Learn more about how Barish Functional Medicine approaches supplement recommendations and product quality on the Supplements & Product Quality page.

Not necessarily. Recommendations are individualized and prioritized based on your clinical situation, goals, prior evaluation, and overall health context. When testing or supplements are recommended, the goal is to use them thoughtfully and strategically rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach. In many situations, care begins by focusing on a small number of high-priority areas rather than attempting to address everything at once.

For additional information about supplement recommendations, product quality, and how supplements fit into the broader care process, visit the Supplements & Product Quality page.

Some questions and updates can be addressed through portal communication when appropriate. However, because thoughtful functional medicine care often requires discussion, reassessment, interpretation, and individualized planning, some concerns may be better addressed through a scheduled follow-up visit.

Yes. Established patients have access to secure patient portal messaging for appropriate non-urgent communication related to their care. Some questions, updates, and administrative matters can often be addressed through portal messaging. However, concerns requiring more extensive discussion, interpretation, reassessment, or individualized care planning may be better addressed through a scheduled follow-up visit.

When appropriate, care may involve review of outside records, laboratory results, imaging studies, or recommendations from other healthcare providers. However, Barish Functional Medicine is not structured as a formal physician-to-physician case management or care coordination service.

Some patients may choose to explore whether office visits and other healthcare expenses may qualify for reimbursement through HSA or FSA plans depending on their individual plan structure and coverage policies. Patients should consult their plan administrator or tax advisor regarding eligibility.