Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH)

About Naples Comprehensive Health (NCH)

What is NCH?

NCH is a locally governed nonprofit health system at 350 7th Street North, Naples, FL 34102. The phone number is 239-624-5000. It runs hospitals and a medical group of more than 240 providers across Collier and Lee Counties, so the weight loss program is one service inside a large hospital system, not a standalone clinic.

The medical weight loss program sits under its bariatrics service. A team from several specialties oversees each plan, drawing on medicine, nutrition, psychology and sleep therapy. No prescriber is named for the program. Visits start with an assessment of your medications, blood chemistry, sleep patterns, stress and eating triggers. The listed components are ongoing behavioral therapy, nutritional counseling, personalized fitness advice, meal replacement products and weight loss medication. The program says these "may include" items and tailors them to each person. It does not name the medication. In its own words: "Unlike other weight loss programs, medical weight loss is not self-directed."

What does it cost?

It does not publish prices for the weight loss program. It does not say whether medication is included in any fee, whether there is a separate consult fee, or whether the program is cash pay or billed to insurance. The hospital charge list it publishes covers hospital services.

NCH says it accepts all forms of insurance and will bill your insurance company. It also says not every practitioner takes the same plans, and it advises contacting the practitioner directly to confirm network status. Plan on making that call before you commit to any cash arrangement.

What should you ask before you book?

Ask who writes the weight loss prescription and whether you will see that person at each visit. Ask which medication the program uses, and whether it is a brand name or compounded. Ask whether medication is part of any fee or billed separately, and whether insurance covers the program or the medication.

Ask whether there is a consult fee, what follow-up visits and lab work cost, and how cancellation works. Neither telehealth nor program hours is listed, so ask about both. Finally, ask whether ORBERA, a noninvasive procedure featured in one of its news items, is part of this program and what it costs.

Who is it a good fit for?

This is a good fit if you have a BMI of 30 or higher, or a related condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes or sleep apnea, and you want a hospital-based team that bills insurance. If you need published cash prices or a named prescriber before booking, it is worth calling first and asking the questions above.

Sources: nchmd.org, nchmd.org/services/bariatrics/medical-weight-loss-program, nchmd.org/patients-and-visitors/contracted-insurance-plans

Services Offered

Location