A Summary of How Our Practice Works
Functional Medicine focuses on identifying and treating the root cause of illness rather than managing symptoms alone. At Lower Gwynedd Functional Medicine Institute (LGFMI), our goal is to optimize your health using individualized, natural, and evidence-based approaches while helping you understand how diet, lifestyle, and environmental factors affect your overall well-being. Because every patient’s body is unique, all treatment plans are personalized — there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
LGFMI functions as a specialty practice, not a Primary Care office. We do not provide annual physicals or urgent/acute care services. Patients are encouraged to maintain an established Primary Care Physician for those needs.
Services Offered
We offer the following services:
- Comprehensive Functional Medicine evaluations
- Intravenous (IV) therapy
- Medical Marijuana certifications
- In-office and telehealth appointments
Patient Eligibility & Consultation Fees
We treat adults 18 years and older. Pediatric cases may be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Functional Medicine Consultation Fees:
- Initial consultation (90 minutes): $750
- Follow-up visits:
- 60 minutes: $350
- 30 minutes: $250
- 15 minutes: $150
Payment & Insurance
All services are self-pay, as we do not participate with any insurance plans. Payment is due at the time of service. We accept cash, checks, Mastercard, and Visa payments. We also accept FSA and HSA payments. We ask that all patients please bring a backup form of payment to their visits in the event of any issues.
Because significant time is reserved for new patient appointments, a credit or debit card is required on file at the time of scheduling in accordance with our cancellation policy.
Specialized Testing & Laboratory Services
We offer specialized testing through various third-party companies to evaluate potential deficiencies, sensitivities, and abnormalities. Examples include:
- Microbiome stool analysis
- Hormonal evaluations
- Food sensitivity testing
- Lyme disease testing
- Environmental toxin assessments
- Micronutrient testing
Most specialty testing companies do not accept insurance, so patients should be aware of potential additional costs.
Our office lab orders do not designate a specific laboratory, allowing patients to choose the lab they prefer. Since LGFMI is considered an out-of-network provider, patients should contact their insurance company directly to determine whether out-of-network laboratory coverage is included in their plan. Our office does not submit insurance claims on behalf of patients; however, itemized receipts are available upon request for self-submission.
For telehealth visits, lab orders can be mailed to the patient or sent directly to the laboratory if a fax number is provided.
Intravenous (IV) Therapy
We offer medical-grade IV therapy using third-party tested, preservative-free, and non-GMO ingredients. Depending on the formulation, IV therapy ranges from $275–$350 per treatment.
Patients interested in IV therapy must complete a clearance consultation prior to receiving treatment. This visit is limited in scope and is intended only to address questions and information related to IV therapy. During this brief consultation, Dr. Carchedi will review the patient’s medical history, current diagnoses, medications, and allergies to determine eligibility for IV therapy. If deemed necessary, a lab order may be recommended at that time.
The clearance consultation does not include an in-depth review of the patient’s overall health or functional medicine evaluation. Patients seeking comprehensive assessment, root-cause analysis, or treatment recommendations beyond IV therapy will need to schedule a separate Functional Medicine consultation.
- IV therapy clearance consultation: $150
- Clearance consultations may be conducted in-office or via telehealth (phone or Zoom)
Medical Marijuana Certifications
For Medical Marijuana certification visits, patients must be registered with the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program and provide a valid Patient ID number. Documentation confirming one of the 23 qualifying conditions in Pennsylvania is required and may be submitted via medical records or a physician letter stating the qualifying diagnosis. Documentation can be emailed or faxed to 844-351-5569. A copy of the patient’s driver’s license is also required.
Required program paperwork must be completed prior to the visit (forms will be emailed for telehealth appointments).
- Initial certification: $150
- Annual recertification: $125
Appointments may be conducted in-office or via telephone or Zoom.