COST AND INSURANCE
Let's talk about cost before you ever book.
I would rather earn your trust than your test order. Here is how the money actually works, in plain terms.
- PARENT'S QUICK TAKE
What does working together cost?
I am out of network on purpose, and I would rather be plain about that than surprise you. The price varies with the testing your child actually needs. I provide superbills, letters of medical necessity, and HSA and FSA support, and the full picture is on this page before you ever book.
- QUICK ANSWER
How much does this cost?
There is no single number, because the biggest variable is testing and testing is chosen for your child rather than run by default. What I can promise is that you will hear a real quote on the free consult, before you commit to anything. I do not put a family in a position where the cost is a surprise.
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WHY IT VARIES
Why does the cost vary from family to family?
Because the labs are the cost driver, not the visit. Two children with the same diagnosis can need genuinely different testing, and I am not going to run a panel on your child just because I ran it on someone else's.
Some of what I order is conventional bloodwork your insurance already covers. A metabolic panel with glucose, iron studies, vitamin D, thyroid, inflammatory markers. Those are not exotic. They are ordinary tests, read more carefully.
The functional panels are the ones that are not covered. Stool testing, organic acids, food sensitivity testing, genomic testing. I choose those deliberately, and when a family's budget means picking one, I will tell you which one I think will answer the most for your child right now.
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INSURANCE
Do you take insurance?
No, I do not. I want to be straightforward about that because it is usually the first question I get asked.
Because I am a pediatric nurse practitioner, I can provide a superbill. Some families submit that to their insurance and are reimbursed as an out of network claim. Whether that happens and how much comes back is between you and your plan, and I cannot promise a result there.
Conventional labs I order are frequently covered by insurance in the ordinary way. Most functional panels are not, and genomic testing is not.
- SIX MONTHS
Why do most families commit to six months?
Because that is how long this actually takes, and I am not going to pretend otherwise to make the number smaller.
Testing takes a few weeks to come back. Foundations take a few weeks to hold. Gut work is slow on purpose, because rushing it makes children feel worse rather than better. Then there is the next phase, and the one after that, and a real reassessment at the end to see what moved.
Six months buys four visits with me, texting access in between so a problem does not have to wait, a written Parent Roadmap at every visit, and access to my foundational coursework. It is a guided journey, not a punch card.
Some families do see meaningful changes at home well before six months. Sleep and appetite in particular tend to move early. But I do not build a plan around the fast wins.
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ALREADY TESTED
What if we already have labs?
Bring them. Genuinely, all of them. Some of the families who get the most out of working with me arrive with a folder of results from four different specialists, each showing a glimpse of something, none of it ever assembled.
Sometimes that folder means we can skip a test entirely. Sometimes it means a number that was called normal two years ago tells a very different story once I know the rest of your child's history. Either way, you already paid for that information and you should get the value out of it. More on reading existing labs →
QUESTION
Money questions, answered without flinching
More questions? The full FAQ covers cost, testing, school support and everything else parents ask me.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amy Patton, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC
Pediatric nurse practitioner and founder of Happy Kid Functional Medicine
This article was written by Dr. Amy Patton, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC, FMACP, a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner and functional medicine provider serving Omaha-area families through Happy Kid Functional Medicine. Dr. Patton specializes in root-cause pediatric care for children's gut health, sleep, behavior, nutrition, immune patterns, and whole-child wellness. She sees patients in person in Omaha and by telehealth across Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Virginia.
If this is an emergency, do not wait on me. If your child is in crisis right now, call or text 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or go to your nearest emergency department. For a sudden severe medical change, heavy bleeding, trouble breathing, or a seizure, call 911 or your child’s pediatrician.
I am the person you call about the plan we built together, about a reaction to something we started, and about symptoms getting worse on my watch.
WHERE WE SERVE
In person in Omaha, and by telehealth in six states.
In Person
Omaha, Nebraska
Telehealth
Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, Tennessee, Virginia
Not on that list? Reach out anyway. I would rather tell you honestly what I can and can't do than leave you guessing, and if I can't see you I'll point you toward someone who can.
LAST WORDS
The goal at Happy Kid Functional Medicine is to help children improve their overall daily wellbeing, so they can thrive to whatever capacity that means for them.
Not a different child. The same child, more comfortable in their own body.
With you in this, Amy
Amy Patton, DNP, APRN, CPNP-PC · Happy Kid Functional Medicine