Initial evaluations average between 50 and 60 minutes. Additional time may be required or can be requested.

Dr. Ahmad’s practice is not affiliated with any insurance providers, medicare or medicaid. The office will provide patients with all necessary information that is required for reimbursement. All patients with insurance coverage who have received services from Dr. Ahmad submit claims on their own. Reimbursement rates vary based on coverage and insurance carrier.

Medical costs associated with Dr. Ahmad’s weight loss programs vary from patient to patient, depending on the individual’s unique needs. Lifestyle habits, health status and weight loss goals of each patient at the onset of the program determine its length and nature. During the initial consultation, Dr. Ahmad will provide a clear outline of the costs associated with the treatment.

Many patients don’t realize that weight loss does not only translate into better health, but it also brings large savings. Studies have shown that on average the cost of a medically supervised weight loss program equals to the cost of being obese for a single year. In other words, patients who maintain their weight loss will continue to save the amount equal to how much they invested into their weight loss program each year.

The services covered and amount of reimbursement varies between insurance companies and their plans. Please check with your provider on the details of your coverage. Although Dr. Ahmad doesn’t participate in insurance plans, he will provide you will all the necessary documentation to file claims.

(Please note that food items such as the Optifast^® drinks are not tax deductible as they replace patient’s regular meals rather than supplement them.)

For tax filing purposes, IRS defined obesity as a disease in April 2002. This means that some costs associated with the treatment of obesity might qualify as tax-deductible medical costs and patients may use pre-tax dollars from medical flexible spending accounts and Health Care Spending Accounts to pay for them.

As defined by law, medical expenses qualify for tax deduction only after the out-of-pocket healthcare costs exceed 7.5% of the patient’s adjusted gross income. Please consult your tax preparer to learn more about these provisions.

(IRS revenue ruling, IR 2002-19, approves the fees related to services (i.e., medical services and nutrition education meetings) when they are occurring for medically valid reasons.)

Psychiatric conditions usually are not independent of medical conditions, and visa versa. When people are medically sick, they are more prone to psychiatric issues. Patients with psychiatric illness have as many as 3-4 times the risk for obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and other illnesses, and it’s harder for them emotionally to adhere to guidelines for healthy living.
The problem is that the majority of mental health conditions are not treated by mental health professionals. They are treated by primary care physicians who are overloaded with patients and do not always have the expertise to understand how people need to be taught about their disorders. Dr. Ahmad is able to find the connections between medicine and psychiatry.
Thus, treatments are not focused on one specific part of the body. Personal wellness demands taking the bigger picture into account, and Dr. Ahmad is here to guide you the entire way.

Dr. Ahmad seeks to provide clients with treatment that addresses both psychiatric and potentially underlying, contributing or resulting medical issues. With his extensive background in medicine, he focuses on how psychopharmaceutical medicines may be contributing to these medical conditions, especially obesity, and how genetics, hormones, lifestyle and other factors could be better understood and applied in treatment plans for his patients.

Weight management supervision by a medical doctor is optimal and advisable for patients with physical and medical risk factors. Psychiatrists are M.D.’s with additional training that makes them uniquely suited to understanding emotional issues that can underlie over or under-eating, in addition to any hormonal issues that can interfere with optimal metabolism. Dr. Ahmad’s approach to weight management brings all of this background to bear in understanding medical causes and implications as well as behavioral and cognitive components in his patient care.

Every patient is a unique function of both their genetics and environment, and no standardized method of treatment will successfully combat an illness as complex as a psychiatric disorder. The Integrative Center for Wellness believes in healthcare, not sickcare, and you will be treated as such. Dr. Ahmad personally interviews and evaluates each individual.

Yes, Dr. Ahmad offers a concierge service, allowing patients to call him during times of need – wherever and whenever.