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Frequently Asked Questions

General Information

In short, Naturopathic medicine is a distinct practice of medicine that emphasizes prevention and the self-healing process to treat each person holistically and improve outcomes while lowering health care costs.

Licensed naturopathic doctors are educated and trained in accredited naturopathic medical colleges. They diagnose, prevent and treat acute and chronic illness, restore and establish optimal health by supporting the person’s inherent self-healing process. Rather than just suppressing symptoms, naturopathic doctors work to identify underlying causes of illness, and develop personalized treatment plans to address them.

A licensed Naturopathic Medical Doctor (NMD), sometimes referred to as naturopathic physicians, are regulated at the state level to practice naturopathic medicine. Naturopathic medical doctors attend accredited, four-year, in-residence, naturopathic medical schools where they study biomedical sciences such as anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, and pharmacology. Students complete a minimum of 4,100 hours of class and clinical training, including over 1,200 hours of hands-on, supervised, clinical training.

In some states with laws regulating naturopathic doctors, the use of the term “naturopath” or “naturopathic physician” by anyone other than a licensed naturopathic doctor is prohibited. However, not all states regulate naturopathic doctors and not all states that do protect the term “naturopath.” Unlicensed naturopaths can have varied levels of education and experience, often from a purely online or correspondence format and do not have the same training or privileges as licensed physicians. Knowing the difference between licensed naturopathic doctors and unlicensed naturopaths can help you make informed decisions about which type of provider can best help you.

More information: American Association of Naturopathic Physicians, Idaho Naturopathic Medical Board

Yes, Virasoap Natural Medicine can be your primary care provider after establishing care at our clinic.

The greater Boise area is our home. See the complete list below.

This depends on your goals! Read about the treatments on our health page. If you still have questions, feel free to schedule a Quick Phone Consult.

Prices vary for each service and treatment. However, all consultation prices are listed on our website. Quotes for a specific treatment may be provided by calling us at 208-425-SOAP.

New Patients

Yes, we are accepting new adult patients. Please book a New Patient Consultation to establish care at our clinic.

Cancellations or reschedules can be made using the patient portal at least 48 business hours before the scheduled appointment.

Billing & Insurance

We do not accept insurance because we want to provide our patients with the highest level of care. Sadly, insurance companies often restrict providers by limiting the amount of time they can spend with a patient, the types of materials they may use, and even the equipment that is covered. We believe in medical freedom and a patient’s right to choose what is best for their body.

We do provide options to use your insurance to cover the cost of labs and imaging, and by request may provide a superbill for consultation services so that you may seek reimbursement directly from your insurance provider.

We do accept FSA and HSA cards for time of service payments.

Yes, although insurance coverage for prescription drugs and lab testing varies. Please talk with your insurer or pharmacy directly about any questions you may have regarding your coverage. The cost of medication or labs isn’t included in the cost of your visit.

We require a debit or credit card on file at the time of booking and payment for all services or treatments is rendered at time of service. We accept debit, credit, HSA, & FSA cards.

We do accept HSA & FSA cards online and in-office.

IV Therapy

That depends on a few factors such as which IV treatment you are receiving, if you get any add-ons, and how big your veins are. Our IV treatments on average take between 30 and 90 minutes.

The short answer: most people! The long answer: travelers taking public transit, business professionals with stress, medical providers with exposure, women who are pregnant or may become pregnant, students with decreased sleep, those with low immunity due to comorbidities or recent illness, parents who have kids in school and daycare, and athletes who don’t want anything to come between them and their performance. Who doesn’t benefit? Those with severe diseases affecting the kidneys that are unable to process high amounts of fluids.

IV stands for intravenous as this therapy is delivered via needle or catheter into a vein. The therapy consists of hydrating fluid or concentrated vitamins and minerals to support you.

Simply put, IV delivery of medications and vitamins is more efficient than taking them orally. This is because the GI tract is subject to many factors that have to align for perfect absorption, and this ‘perfect’ absorption is still less than the 100% absorption of an IV. Your body will be able to maximally receive the nutrients when delivered directly into the bloodstream and are immediately available to use by the cells that need it most.

By relying on digestion to deliver your vitamins, it can take hours before the nutrients are delivered to the blood. With factors like low stomach acid, GI disease, coffee consumption, or calcium intake, you can limit the amount that gets absorbed by the digestive tract even more. Plus, certain supplements when taken orally in high doses, such as magnesium and vitamin C, can cause bad side effects such as diarrhea. IV therapy is not subject to this issue because it bypasses the gut completely.

Vitamins are essential to energy production of every cell in the body. When vitamins are in high demand by the body, such as under stress and fighting infection, it can leave the body in deficiency, with lower ability to defend against invaders and an inability to detoxify itself. Antioxidants are necessary to maintain a healthy immune system and fight oxidative damage.

Yes! High-dose vitamin C has been studied for over 100 years and has been proven to have a number of health-benefiting and immune-fortifying properties. But don’t take our word for it — read some of these third-party research articles:

Depends on your treatment goals. We recommend times when your body needs more protection and is under more stress, such as before traveling, or when you are low on sleep. Our physicians can walk you through what is right for you during your visit.

If you are planning to do a series of repeated treatments and haven’t had recent bloodwork, we will run a small blood test to ensure you are healthy enough to process high volumes of fluid. This is for your safety and to make sure you’re supporting your body the best way possible!

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