Ascend Medicine

About Ascend Medicine

What is Ascend Medicine?

Ascend Medicine is a functional medicine practice at 545 Main Street in Middletown, Connecticut. Kate Zachau, DO, is the only prescriber the practice names, and it describes her as an osteopathic physician. The practice is not a primary care office. It says, "We do not provide primary care services at Ascend Medicine."

The practice lists four services: hormone optimization, immune support, osteopathic medicine and gut health. Its About page also says it offers peptide therapies, nutritional counseling, osteopathic manipulation and IV therapy. It does not list a weight loss program, and it does not name the medications it prescribes. Telehealth is available through its electronic medical system. It has a 5 rating on Google from 7 reviews.

What does it cost?

The first visit is $500 for 90 minutes. It covers your past medical and surgical history, any lab values you bring, your current concerns and a treatment plan. Follow-up visits are $250 for 45 minutes and are generally spaced between every 3 and 6 months. Osteopathic manual therapy is $175 for 30 minutes. The practice does not publish prices for hormone optimization or peptide therapy, so ask before you book.

The practice does not take insurance. In its words: "We do not accept any insurance, though you may use an FSA/HSA to pay for visits." Payment is due at the visit by credit card, including HSA cards. Booking a new patient visit more than one week ahead requires a deposit of 50% of the intake fee. Follow-up visits need 24 hours' notice to cancel, or the full cost goes on the card on file. New patient visits need 7 days' notice, or the deposit is kept. The practice does not describe a membership, and it does not say whether medication is included in any fee.

What should you ask before you book?

Ask who signs each prescription and which medications you would start on, if any. The practice says it may prescribe both medications and supplements, so ask whether supplements are added to your bill and whether you must buy them through the practice. For peptide therapy, ask which peptides are offered, what they cost, and whether they are brand name or compounded.

Ask what follow-up visits and lab work will cost in total. Prescriptions and labs may be run through insurance, with coverage varying by plan, so confirm how labs are billed if you pay cash. Ask which states telehealth covers, what hours the office keeps and what area it serves, since none of these are listed. If you take a biologic or long-term medication for a condition like IBD or psoriasis, the practice asks you to keep your specialist, so ask how care would be divided. The practice says it does not prescribe narcotic medications.

Who is it a good fit for?

This is a good fit if you already have a primary care doctor, you want a physician-led visit for hormone questions, gut symptoms or hands-on osteopathic care, and you are ready to pay the full fee yourself. If you need a primary care doctor or a weight loss program, this practice says it does not provide the first and does not list the second.

Sources: ascendmedicinellc.com, ascendmedicinellc.com/about, ascendmedicinellc.com/faq

Services Offered

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