Frequently Asked Questions

There are two types of naturopathic providers. One type is non-doctors which are called “traditional naturopaths”, and they do not go to a federally recognized naturopathic medical school or take board exams. They have a similar philosophy but are not medical and are not licensed to practice medicine or call themselves doctors. They were grandfathered in because naturopathic medicine started in the 1800s.

The second type of naturopathic providers are the ones that go to a full-time four or five-year program after a pre med undergrad degree. All of the NDs at NatureMed are of this level of training. The first two years are virtually identical to a typical medical doctor curriculum taught by doctors. We take all the typical medical school courses including nine months of cadaver dissection and courses identical to traditional medical school such as:

1. 1. Anatomy (1yr)
   2. Biochemistry (1yr)
   3. Physiology (1yr)
   4. Clinical diagnosis (2 yr)
   5. Clinical laboratory medicine (1yr)
   6. Histology (1yr)
   7. Neurology (1 yr)
   8. Pharmacology (1 yr)

Additionally, the following courses are taken: cardiology, emergency medicine, medical procedures, minor surgery, pediatrics, urology, and sports medicine. There are less credits in surgery and pharmacology (drugs) and a lot more on botanical medicine, nutrition, how to be healthy, physiotherapy, and counseling. Naturopathic doctors have the equivalent credits to a master’s degree in nutrition.

Every person is unique, and we work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan that will offer the greatest benefit. By addressing the underlying cause of disease, we can optimize health, extend your “health span” and help you avert expensive medical procedures and illnesses. Your benefit is disease prevention and peace of mind. We will spend the time it takes to answer all your questions and develop a detailed, long-term treatment plan that addresses all of your health concerns. We may do a physical exam if necessary. Achieving your health and medical goals is the #1 priority.

The Colorado Medical Society (CMS) prohibits anyone except MD/DO’s and NPs to provide primary care medicine to the public here. Simply put, it’s a turf war. If you want this to change let your legislators know how you feel about it. Ask for the care you want here.

In addition, we are not contracted with insurance companies, nor do we have 24 hour phone coverage.

Although Dr. Fagan comes from the conventional medical model, she has great respect for the naturopathic principles. She mainly takes care of the prescriptive needs of patients. She will get a full medical history and address your concerns in a compassionate and detailed way. She is highly skilled in longevity medicine, autoimmune disease, family medicine, and pharmacotherapy. She does not function as a primary care provider at NatureMed clinic. We work in tandem to optimize care for our patients.

No, we cannot do that because we can not accept insurance. We also do not have 24-hour phone coverage. And finally, this is also a turf war among the Colorado Medical Society, so if you would like to voice your opinion to your state legislator here perhaps this could change with your voice being heard.

No, naturopathic medicine and the care we give at NatureMed is not recognized as standard of care by the federal government. In addition, we are not interested in the insurance companies dictating what time we spend with patients and what we can offer you for care.

It’s turf war politics for the Colorado Medical Society and if you are interested in getting your voice heard you can go here to send a message to your legislator

Yes, if you are under 65 and not on Medicaid we will have the lab bill your insurance. You do not need to go to your PCP to get the lab work done. Always remember that our direct to patient pricing is much cheaper than going direct to the lab.

Because we do individualized, targeted treatment and care the cost is quite variable. It completely depends on your situation.

This completely depends. A low to medium complexity case might be two to four times a year.

Some of our doctors may offer a brief visit when there is time in the schedule. We have extensive information about each of our doctors on the website to help you know who you will be seeing. Please call our office for more information.

Please refer to our IV page for this.

This will depend on the amount of fluid in the bag and the concentration of ingredients. It also may depend on your own personal tolerance. Iron and glutathione are 30 to 60 minutes depending on dose. A Myers cocktail is 45 minutes to an hour.

IV therapy is not covered by insurance. We do not do any insurance billing at NatureMed clinic.

We only give certain IV treatments to patients, such as iron, high dose Vitamin C, Mistletoe and Chelation. These treatments require lab testing and other details. We do have IV treatments that are generally considered safe for people to have such as nutrient bags called the Myers Cocktail, low dose Vitamin C, etc. Although these are safe, it is important to always check with your doctor before having IV treatments.

Our nurses are IV certified and trained in this field. Additionally we have done advanced training in the field of IV therapy and have been doing it for over 23 years. We are one of the only clinics using sterile techniques when it comes to IV therapy preparation and administration and are considered experts in this field.