Questions
Frequently asked questions
Do I Need A Primary Care Physician?
Yes, you still need to have a primary care physician. You will be required to have had an annual wellness exam within 12 months of your first visit and yearly afterwards. We encourage you to partner with your Primary Care Physician before starting any new health programs. For woman starting hormones, regular gynecological exam and mammogram are required.
What is the training the PA's have?
PAs are trained at medical schools, in the medical model like physicians. PAs are fully trained and licensed to evaluate patients, diagnose, treat, prescribe, and educate, in much the same manner as a doctor or nurse practitioner. Dr. Kristine Sarna, MD is Mollyann Allen’s collaborating physician.
More information about physician assistants can be found here: www.aapa.org/about/what-is-a-pa/
What is a Physician Assistant?
PAs are trained at medical schools, in the medical model like physicians. PAs are fully trained and licensed to evaluate patients, diagnose, treat, prescribe, and educate, in much the same manner as a doctor or nurse practitioner. PAs practice under the legal supervision of a doctor. Dr. Kristine Sarna, MD is Mollyann Allen’s supervising physician.
More information about physician assistants can be found here: www.aapa.org/about/what-is-a-pa/
How do I communicate with Pomegranate between visits?
If you have quick questions, you can submit a question via portal, it may take up to 72 hours for a response. If it is a complex question, you will be asked to set up another appointment.
If you have an emergency, please call your PCP or 911 or go to the nearest hospital.
Are all visits remote?
Yes, all visits are done via telemedicine. To be patient, you will need to be able to use the portal and Cerbo application.
Do I have to live in Arizona to be a patient at Pomegranate?
Yes, you must be in Arizona to work with us at this time. We are licensed to practice medicine in the state of Arizona.
Do you do prior authorization on medications?
We do not.
Do you prescribe prescription medication?
We do prescribe a limited number of medications in certain situations. Any chronic medications will need to be prescribed by your primary care and specialty doctors.
How often are Follow Up visits?
For Bioidentical hormones and thyroid management: if you are new to hormones, you will have a two week follow to go over your labs after the new patient visit. Your next set of labs and follow up will be in 3-4 months. If you are already on hormones and stable, visits and labs typically will be every 6 months.
Does insurance cover the labs?
Most of the time insurance will cover the cost of labs that are ordered with Sonora Quest or Labcorp, but this cannot be guaranteed. You can call your insurance company to see if the lab codes are covered. Cash pay options are available. The hormone and thyroid testing are done with Sonora Quest or Labcorp.
Specialty labs (not typically covered by insurance) that are sometimes ordered in certain circumstances.
- Stool Analysis
- DUTCH testing
- Neurotransmitter testing
- Comprehensive testing for Nutrient Insufficiency
- Small Bowel Overgrowth Breath Test
- Food Sensitivity Testing
- OAT testing
Do you accept Medicare patients?
We do not take Medicare patients.
Do you recommend supplements?
Pomegranate uses Fullscript, an online supplement stores that offer third-party tested supplements. If your provider recommended specific supplements during your visit, you would receive an email with a special link to Fullscript shortly after your visit. This link will contain the supplements discussed during your visit and instructions on how to purchase and ship to your home.
Does insurance cover Bioidentical Hormones?
Insurance does not typically cover Bioidentical Hormones. We work with local compounding pharmacies to make a customized formulation just for you. Hormones may be in the form of cream, lozenge, patches, capsules, tablets, or gels.
Does Insurance cover thyroid hormones?
Most of the time insurance will cover thyroid medications. Some thyroid hormones are made at a compounding pharmacy while other formulations can be purchased at a regular pharmacy.
What is the cancellation policy?
For cancelations less than 24 hours in advance, or appointments no-showed there will be a $50 charge. There is a significant amount of prep time involved prior to your appointment.
Is your platform HIPAA compliant?
Please do NOT email your sensitive medical information to us. Please do NOT reach out to us on social media. We utilize a HIPAA compliant Patient Portal through Cerbo. We communicate with our patients solely through the Patient Portal, which keeps your information secure and HIPAA compliant.
We use the Patient Portal to complete consent forms and intake paperwork, schedule appointments, to share lab results and information, recommend supplements, and process payments.
What if my results indicate that I should have imaging or additional tests completed?
If needed, we will recommend you talk to your primary care doctor, or we will recommend a specialist.