Functional Medicine · Insurance And Medicare · Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3; Serving Wildwood
Functional Medicine for Wildwood, FL
"Does functional medicine take insurance?" and "does functional medicine take Medicare?" get one honest answer almost everywhere Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3, which is no, and most clinics stop there. The better answer is that functional medicine is not one thing; it is a set of tools, and some of them are covered. Acupuncture, which does the nervous system and inflammatory work in most of our plans, is covered by many insurance plans and by some Medicare Advantage plans Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3. NAD+, peptides, laser and supplements are self pay. Functional medicine near Wildwood, FL is priced tool by tool so the covered part is billed and the rest is quoted before you agree to it, led by a board certified acupuncture physician with twenty-two years in The Villages and a medical doctor on site. Twelve to eighteen minutes via State Road 44.
Led by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM, NCCAOM board certified, 22 years in The Villages. Medical oversight by Dr. Thomas Phipps, MD. Meet the providers
In short: Does functional medicine take insurance or Medicare? Coverage explained tool by tool for Wildwood, FL: acupuncture often is, the rest is self pay. "Does functional medicine take insurance?" and "does functional medicine take Medicare?" get one honest answer almost everywhere Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3, which is no, and most clinics stop there.
Coverage, Tool By Tool
What is billed, what is self pay, and what Medicare does.
Phone with your card and we read you what applies before the first appointment.
Acupuncture: often covered
Many commercial insurance plans cover acupuncture visits, and needling, cupping and the inflammatory and nervous system work ride inside that visit. Some Medicare Advantage plans include an acupuncture benefit Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3. Original Medicare covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain Source: CMS National Coverage Determination 30.3.3, with its own rules and visit limits, and not for fatigue, recovery or sleep.
NAD+ and peptides: self pay
No insurer covers them and Medicare does not. Each is a take-home protocol priced as a whole, in writing, before you start, with a defined course and an end. No membership. We do not bill insurance for either.
Laser, LED and supplements: self pay
Laser per session, often inside an acupuncture visit. A short supplement list bought as you need it, not bundled into a program. Priced before you agree.
The consultation and the labs
The twenty minute consultation is free, so there is nothing to cover. We review the labs you already have, usually ordered by your own physician under your own coverage, and request a specific test only when there is a clear reason, priced before it is ordered. We do not sell large speculative panels, which is the part of most functional medicine bills that insurance never touches.
What Functional Medicine Is Here
Systems, measurable, with an end.
Functional medicine is a badly abused phrase. Here it means three things: we look at systems rather than isolated symptoms, we care about what is measurable, and we do not sell open-ended protocols. The typical patient is between sixty and eighty, active and frustrated, with afternoon energy collapse, slow recovery, unrestorative sleep or aches that move around, and every test within range. The tools: cellular energy support through NAD+, repair signalling through peptides, nervous system and inflammatory regulation through acupuncture, a short list of supplements, and laser and LED. Dr. Phipps, MD, oversees anything injectable. Full functional medicine page.
What we are not: an endocrinology practice, a hormone replacement clinic, or a seller of mega-panels and twelve-month blocks. If your problem needs a specialist, the honest answer is the referral. The evidence, honestly: the label has little trial evidence; the tools have their own records with limits, and we tell you which rests on what. New to the area? No local doctor is needed to start, and we coordinate with the one you choose.
What To Expect
What happens at the first functional medicine visit for Wildwood patients?
Coverage checked, then a free consult
Phone with your card. Then twenty minutes with Dr. Cheshire to decide whether there is something specific here worth pursuing. Bring the labs and the medication list.
The review
Sleep, medications, recovery, inflammation, the labs you have, and the one or two systems most likely off.
A short plan, covered part billed, rest quoted
One or two tools, each with a defined course. Most of the work happens at home; visits are monthly or less.
Checkpoints
Scored against your start. Continue, adjust, or stop. Nothing renews on its own.
Cost
How much does functional medicine cost for Wildwood patients, and what does insurance cover?
No intake fee
The consultation is free and there is no program fee or membership.
Priced by tool
Each tool on its own, in writing, before you agree to it, and reassessed rather than sold as a package.
Usually no labs
Most patients need none ordered. A specific test only with a clear reason.
Call 352-430-2720 with your card and we tell you what applies.
Insurance and payment details.
For reference, consumer cost guides put a single acupuncture visit in the United States at roughly $50 to $150, and we quote your own course in writing at the free consultation. Source: Money.com guide to alternative medicine costs.
Is This You, Wildwood?
Bring the symptoms nobody could explain.
- Energy that dies by mid-afternoon despite adequate sleep.
- Recovery that takes days instead of hours.
- Sleep that technically happens but does not restore.
- Aches that move around, with every test within range.
- You want to know what is covered before you start.
A specialist, not us, for hormone management, thyroid disease, autoimmune conditions and anything that needs a diagnosis you do not yet have. We say so at the consultation and refer, with Dr. Phipps, MD, in the building.
Common Questions
What do Wildwood patients ask about functional medicine?
Patient Reviews
What patients say on Google.
Dr. Cheshire is rated 4.6 of 5 on Healthgrades from 11 patient ratings as of October 2026 (Healthgrades profile). The quotes above are from Google.
Getting Here From Wildwood
12–18 min door to door.
Take State Road 44 east, then County Road 466 to Old Camp Road. Free parking right at the door.
Address910 Old Camp Road, Suite 162
The Villages, FL 32162
Phone352-430-2720
HoursMonday to Thursday, 7 AM to 3 PM
Friday, 7 AM to 12 PM
From Wildwood12–18 min. Ground floor, step-free entry, free parking. Directions
Wildwood patients tell us the drive is quick and easy. Early morning appointments let you get in and out before the day gets busy.
Nearby Communities We Also See Patients From
Also For Wildwood
Other ways we help Wildwood patients.
Find us on Facebook, Instagram, Yelp, Healthgrades and Google.
Clinical Review
Reviewed by our clinical team
Written and clinically reviewed by Dr. Christopher Cheshire, MS, AP, LAc, DOM (NCCAOM board certified). Last reviewed September 2026. Content updated October 26, 2026. Serving Wildwood patients from The Villages.
Educational content only. Not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Results vary between patients and nothing here is a guarantee of outcome.
Further reading: NIH NCCIH: complementary, alternative or integrative health, what is in a name · MedlinePlus: fatigue.
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A free 20 minute consultation is one call away. We will listen, examine and explain your options.