This will take you to a page where you can cancel the session. Optionally, click the 3 dots to the right of the Reschedule button and select Cancel from the options provided.
Menu
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions
Why do patients choose the Ruscio Institute for FM?
At the RIFM we embrace the progressive mindset of functional and integrative medicine yet are conservative in our recommendations so as to provide practical and cost-effective treatment for you. We are continually updating our treatments based on the latest scientific literature and are publishing our own research to improve the field of Functional Medicine.
We are obsessed about optimizing the time we spend with you —preparing in advance for each visit, synthesizing the health history and clinical information, and formulating an individualized treatment plan that fits your story, signs, and symptoms.
As a team, we bridge the gap between conventional & functional medicine by providing whole-person medical care, informed by evidence, accessible to anyone that needs it.
How do I contact my doctor in between visits?
Our physicians do their best helping you when they can focus all their attention on you during your clinical visits. We have found messaging to distract from our clinical process. We pride ourselves on providing straightforward practical recommendations that are easy to follow. In the event that you get stuck or run into trouble you are welcome to schedule follow-up visits with your physician as often as is needed to work through any issues that arise during treatment.
Our office staff is ready to help with any logistical, scheduling or billing questions, and we offer consultations with our RN and Clinical Nutritionist to help you implement treatment recommendations or if you need additional support.
Can you help me?
While its challenging to make a guarantee in healthcare, we believe that our team at RIFM provides care that you can’t get anywhere else.
Here is why: Our doctors dedicate three days per week to digging through the medical literature to stay abreast of the best testing and treatment options available. They analyze results from in-office research, where they review patient treatment results to identify key patterns in order to make treatment more effective. Our doctors are collecting data on unique treatments we offer in the clinic, the results of which we hope to have published in a peer review medical journal.
We at RIFM are passionate about tracking patient outcomes. Instead of blindly following current dogma, our doctors are determined to use those tracking outcomes to uncover which treatments work and which treatments don’t.
We recommend you watch our numerous patient testimonials, where you will likely find several people with your exact complaints Dr. Ruscio and his team has helped.
How much will this cost?
We pride ourselves on being cost-effective with our care. This means our doctors will not order frivolous testing, prescribe unnecessary treatment, or do anything else that could squander your financial resources. Visit our Become a Patient page for our current rates.
Lab testing is one area where fees can quickly add up. However, we hope you will be relieved to hear that in most cases we are able to obtain excellent results with minimal lab testing.
We promise that as you feel better that we will constantly re-evaluate your treatment so that you are only taking what you need to heal. One of our favorite visits is a "program wean" where after you've improved, we work together to slowly stop and reduce treatments. Our goal for you is the broadest diet and minimal amount of supplements required to keep you well.
Can you be my PCP?
We specialize in Functional Medicine consultations to patients worldwide by phone. As we are unable to establish an in-person Doctor Patient Relationship, we do not formally diagnose conventional medical conditions or prescribe medications. Because we work with patients across the world, we require that you continue or initiate a formal Doctor Patient Relationship with a local physician in conjunction with services through the RIFM.
We focus on working on the underlying causes of health concerns to help the body get back into a healthy balance. We use our extensive experience in holistic and natural medicine to help guide you in areas that have been overlooked or misunderstood by other practitioners.
Do you accept insurance?
- Unfortunately, insurance companies place many restrictions on doctors which make it difficult to treat you effectively.
- The Ruscio Institute for Functional Medicine does not accept any form of medical insurance or Medicare/Medicaid.
- Even though there are out-of-pocket expenses, our patients find it is well worth it!
How often will I need to be seen?
RIFM doctors usually asks to see a patient once every 4-6 weeks while being treated.
I live in NY, can I work with you?
Unfortunately, we cannot provide services to residents of the state of New York. This policy is due to restrictions their legislature has placed on remote patient care and there are no exceptions.
What should I expect in the Initial Exam?
In the Initial Exam, your doctor will take a full medical history of you and fill in any variables that he needs to solve your unique health problem. It is the information he gathers at the exam that he uses to build a roadmap and game plan for your treatment. Your treatment protocol will be provided at your recommendation appointment. We schedule these two appointments a week apart so that the physician can synthesize all your information and develop the best plan for your case.
When do I start feeling better?
Some patients begin to feel better within days to weeks, while for others, it may take months. We do our best to get you feeling better as soon as possible!
PATIENT PORTAL QUESTIONS
How do I access the patient portal?
Simply click the “Patient Portal” link above. You will need to activate your account before you can access the patient portal. Once accepted as a patient, you will receive an email with a subject line asking you to join your practitioner on Practice Better.
How do I activate my patient account?
You will receive an email with a subject line asking you to join your practitioner on Practice Better.
In the email, you will see a button to activate your account.
After clicking on the activation link, you will be taken to a page where you can set up a password to access the system.
Enter and confirm your password, accept the terms and click the Sign up button.
After activating your account, you will then have access to the Client Portal and the resources your practitioner has provided you.
How do I upload documents?
In your Documents section, you now have the ability to upload and share files with your practitioner. To get started, click on My Resources > Documents from the main navigation menu.
In the bottom right corner of your Documents page, click the red Fast Action Button.
On the Upload Files page, click on the Select files button to select one or more files from your computer. You can upload up to 10 documents at once. Each document must be less than 120MB in size.
To add additional items, click the Add another button to the right
You can also change the destination folder for your upload if you've already created a new folder(s) in your My Uploads section. Click Upload to upload your documents.
How do I submit a form?
If your practitioner has sent you a form for completion, you can submit your form in two ways.
Complete and submit your form through the Client Portal.
If you have access to the Client Portal, you can access your new forms by clicking on the Complete button on the Pending Forms banner or My Resources> Forms and selecting the form that you want to work on.
When you have filled in all the fields of your form and you are ready to submit it, click on the Save and Submit button on the bottom right of the screen.
If you need to step away from your form but you're not ready to submit it you can save your progress by clicking on the More Options button and selecting Save progress.
Complete and submit your form directly from your email
You also have the option of completing your forms directly from the Practice Better, forms notification emails.
You can do this by clicking on the link to the form.
Appointment questions
Are consultations via phone or video?
The doctor will call you at your appropriate visit time with the number you have provided. We use phone as video calls are difficult for some of our patients who don't have access to stable internet connections.
You will receive an email confirmation and reminder email for your tele-health phone session.
Once you have activated your Practice Better account, please ensure your phone number is accurate so that your clinician can easily connect with you at your visit time.
How do I cancel my upcoming appointment?
You can cancel an appointment in a couple of ways:
CANCELING FROM YOUR CLIENT PORTAL HOME PAGE
If the session is displayed under the Upcoming Session panel on your home page, click on the session name. This will take you to the appointment details page. The appointment can then be canceled by clicking the Cancel session button on the left.
Optionally, you can click the 3 dots next to the appointment in the Upcoming Sessions panel and select Cancel from the options provided.
CANCELING FROM YOUR MY BOOKINGS PAGE
If the session is not displayed in the Upcoming Sessions panel, go to your My Resources > Bookings page.
Then click View details next to the session.
What is the cancellation policy?
We require a cancellation notice of 72 hours for all visits. Failure to provide this notice and/or not showing up for your scheduled appointment will result in being billed for the full visit fee.
The $99 initial deposit paid prior to your Intake Visit is non-refundable.
Is the initial exam deposit refundable?
The $99 initial deposit paid prior to your Intake Visit is non-refundable.
ONLINE STORE QUESTIONS
How do I access my clinic store account?
Click the "Store" link above or visit clinicstore.drruscio.com and login with your personal email and password.
Where is my order?
Orders placed after 9am Eastern each day may not be shipped until the following business day.
Orders are NOT processed over the weekend or on national holidays and will be shipped on the following business day.
Please visit our Policies page for more details.
If your order is late:
Due to COVID-19, there is a possibility that the shipping of your order might be delayed by up to 1-5 business days.
If you placed a pre-order:
ALL the items in your order will ship altogether once the backordered product is back in stock.
If you ordered probiotics:
Orders containing COLD packed items placed after 9am Eastern on Thursday, may not be shipped until the following Monday. This is to help ensure that the probiotics do not sit in a warm holding facility over the weekend.
What is the return policy?
In order to serve you better, if you order any of our supplements for the first time, tried it and had a reaction to it or one of the ingredients, we may be able to give you a full refund. No return necessary. This "It’s-On-Us Guarantee" is only valid for first-time purchase of a single (1) opened item and is redeemable up to 90 days after the first purchase date.
If you purchased any additional unopened bottles that you wish to return, you may do so within 90 days of the date of purchase, for a refund. Unopened bottles must be shipped back to us in the same condition that you received it. All returns are subject to a 15% restocking fee (excluding those that are due to an error on our part). Additionally, The Ruscio Institute places a maximum $750 return limit on any order. Refrigerated products are not eligible for return or refund.
Please complete the refund request form here: http://drruscio.com/rirefund
Can you cancel or change an online order?
Unfortunately, we were unable to cancel/change your order. Once an order is placed, it is automatically sent to our fulfillment center where it is packed and shipped. If you wish to return your order, you may send back any unopened items for a full refund. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Do you ship overseas or internationally?
Prior to 2020, we were able to ship internationally without issue; however, customs has now increased regulations. If you place an international order, there may be delays and import fees which we will not be able to assist with. We have no jurisdiction once the products leave our shores. We recommend checking with your local government and your local FedEx for assistance.