FAQs

If you are experiencing a medical emergency, please call 911.

Registration: Contact us at the number below. Answering service will complete the registration process and collect a $25 booking fee. This fee holds your appointment and is applied to your order.

Completing Paperwork: It’s essential to complete your visit paperwork before your appointment. Failure to do so may result in losing your appointment slot. During your first visit, you’ll need to provide information on your past medical, surgical, family, social history, and medications. Subsequently, this information will be saved for future visits.

Virtual Visit: You will be seen virtually through the HIPAA-compliant platform Doxy.Me. During this visit, the patient must be physically located in the State of Maryland.

Pay: Upon completion, you’ll receive the invoice to pay.

Medication Ordered: Once payment is received, your medications will be ordered and should arrive to you within 7 days.

Start Injection: To start your weight loss journey, you will draw up the medication and inject yourself once weekly. Focus on hydration, protein consumption, and exercise to maximize results. You should look for 1-2 lbs of weight loss per week during the losing phase.

Communication: Keep in touch with me via EMR messaging or texting. Part of our weight loss program is timely access to your clinician.

Achieve Maintenance: Once we receive your goal, we can adjust medication slowly to see tolerance and if there is a return of appetite. Most people stay on medication for a minimum of 3 to 5 years to achieve long-lasting results. However, if return of hunger, one can stay on these medications for a lifetime.

• Virtual medical weight loss (compound GLP-1, compound GIP, B12-MIC injections, oral GLP-1, phentermine, metformin)
• Virtual urgent/minor care

Medicare imposes strict guidelines for provider enrollment. Currently, we are enrolled at another facility, and due to the direct-pay model, we are not permitted to accept payments from Medicare patients.

However, we are still able to provide weight loss membership to Medicare patients, as these are not considered Medicare-covered services.

The direct-pay model of healthcare eliminates the reliance on health insurance for accessing services. By choosing Maryland Weight Loss & Testosterone, you have the freedom to select your provider without being restricted by “in-network” guidelines.

If you prefer to utilize your insurance coverage, you can request an insurance superbill at the end of your visit. This superbill serves as a detailed receipt of all services provided during your visit. You can then submit the superbill to your insurance provider for reimbursement.

For instance, if you receive an acute visit for which you pay $75, your total charge to Maryland Weight Loss & Testosterone is $75. This typically corresponds to billing codes 99203 or 99213, which CMS recommends reimbursements of $109.69 or $89.39, respectively, along with additional charges for facility fees and on-site testing costs.

Commercial insurance plans may have different reimbursement agreements, usually higher than CMS guidelines.

This process ensures that you have the flexibility to choose your healthcare provider while still having the option to utilize your insurance benefits if desired.

Submitting to your insurance company varies depending on the provider. Generally, you’ll need to log into your account on your insurance company’s website (e.g., Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna) and initiate an out-of-network provider claim.

You’ll typically be asked to provide the office visit note and superbill/ICD-10 Invoice, which contains Maryland Weight Loss & Testosterone’s information. Please note that while Maryland Weight Loss & Testosterone cannot guarantee reimbursement from your insurance provider, we will provide the necessary documentation for your claim.

It’s important to understand that the responsibility for providing the required information to your insurance company lies solely with you as the patient. We will not engage in further communication with your insurance company regarding your claim.

We ensure you are fully informed about administering your medication through:

• Clinician Consultation: Your provider will explain the dosage, frequency, purpose, and potential side effects of the medication.
• Written Instructions: Detailed instructions from the pharmacy will cover dosage, storage, administration, and potential side effects.
• Ongoing Support: Contact information for your provider and the pharmacy is available for any questions.

Please review the materials provided with each prescription refill for the most up-to-date guidance.

Unfortunately, we cannot issue refunds or accept returns of prescription products for reuse or resale, and all sales are final. However, if you feel we have made an error in the filling of your prescription or delivered it by mistake, contact us.

Contact Strive Pharmacy at https://www.strivepharmacy.com/

Medical weight loss is a personalized, evidence-based approach to managing weight that involves three essential components:

• Prescription Medications
• Professional Medical Guidance: A key part of medical weight loss is the expertise of healthcare professionals who specialize in weight management. They monitor your progress regularly and adjust your treatment plan as needed to ensure that you are losing weight safely and effectively. This ongoing support is crucial for your success.
• Lifestyle Modifications: While medications and medical guidance are important, the foundation of medical weight loss is adopting healthier lifestyle habits. This includes improving your diet, increasing physical activity, and making behavioral changes. The support you receive from your medical team makes it easier to implement and sustain these changes over time.

In short, medical weight loss is a comprehensive, medically-supervised program that combines prescription medications, expert guidance, and lifestyle changes to help you achieve and maintain a healthy weight. It’s a holistic approach designed to address the challenges of weight loss and provide you with the tools and support you need to succeed.

For a long time, weight loss was thought to be simply about willpower—just eat less and move more. However, we now understand that obesity is a complex, chronic disease influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, hormones, and metabolism.

Even if you make healthy choices and stick to a strict diet and exercise routine, your body may resist these efforts. This is because your body is designed to maintain its highest weight by adjusting your metabolism and hunger hormones, making it difficult to lose weight and keep it off.

Prescription medications can help to break this cycle by addressing the underlying biological factors that make weight loss challenging. These medications are not a quick fix but a long-term solution to help treat obesity as a chronic disease, making it easier for you to achieve and maintain a healthier weight in combination with diet and exercise.

Medications help to reduce appetite, food cravings, and food noise, allowing you to make healthier choices.

Yes, when the medication is adjusted to the right dose for you, it is likely to significantly reduce your appetite. Many people find that they eat about 30% less than they would without the medication. This reduced appetite helps you consume fewer calories, which can support your weight loss efforts. However, individual responses can vary, so it’s important to work with our team to find the dose that works best for you.

It’s true that many people are benefiting from these medications, but weight loss can be a deeply personal issue. Despite growing acceptance and reduced stigma around seeking help for weight management, many individuals still prefer to keep their efforts private.

Our practice reflects these sensitivities: We are a sole office with the ability to treat across Maryland. We are likely treating people from your community, including neighbors, co-workers, friends, or family members. The choice to seek medical weight loss support often involves personal comfort and privacy, even as these effective treatments become more accessible.

By starting this practice, we wanted to provide a cost-effective, accessible, and convenient process for patients to start their weight loss journey.

Consult with your prescriber about your health needs and goals to evaluate whether these treatments are right for your medical needs.

Consult with your prescriber about common side effects or concerns with any medication that you are prescribed.

Yes, the injection is generally quite comfortable. Unlike vaccines or other shots that may use larger needles and penetrate deeper into the muscle, these injections use a tiny needle that only goes under the skin. Many patients find the process so quick and gentle that they often don’t realize the injection has already been given.

Check under the weight loss tab. Basically, B12-MIC is a vitamin and sugar injections that has lipotropic effects. This is a medical term for fat burning. This is injected into a muscle. Vitamin injections bypass your gut completely and go directly into your muscle tissue. This ensures 100% absorption of the nutrients.

Phentermine is a well-established stimulant medication used for weight loss. Here’s what you should know:

• Mechanism: Phentermine is a stimulant similar to medications used for ADHD, but it is not indicated for ADHD. It works primarily by decreasing appetite, which can help with weight loss.
• Usage: It is typically used for short-term weight loss and can help many patients lose more than 10-15 pounds.
• Precautions: Phentermine should not be used if you have a history of cardiovascular disease or anxiety, as it can exacerbate these conditions.
• Monitoring: Regular monitoring by a healthcare provider is important to ensure the medication is safe and effective for your specific health profile

Metformin is a well-established medication belonging to the biguanide class and has been used for many years. Here’s what you should know:

• Primary Use: Metformin is the first-line treatment for type 2 diabetes. It helps lower blood glucose levels by reducing glucose production in the liver and decreasing insulin resistance in the body. Additionally, it can help reduce appetite.
• Anti-Aging Potential: Recent studies suggest that metformin may have potential anti-aging benefits, although this area of research is still developing.
• Dosage and Weight Loss: Doses greater than 1500 mg per day can lead to weight loss, which is beneficial for many people with type 2 diabetes who are also managing their weight.
• Side Effects: Common side effects include diarrhea and abdominal cramping. These side effects can often be minimized by using the extended-release formulation of metformin, which releases the medication more gradually.

If you have any concerns or experience significant side effects, be sure to discuss them with Chase Duckwall, PA-C, to adjust your treatment as needed.

Low testosterone levels can lead to fatigue, low libido, mood changes, brain fog, and reduced muscle mass. Testosterone therapy aims to restore healthy levels, helping improve energy, sex drive, focus, and physical strength.

While testosterone therapy is most commonly associated with men, some women with hormone imbalances may benefit from low-dose testosterone as part of a broader BHRT plan. Treatment depends on your symptoms, labs, and medical history.

Our care is in-person, local to Maryland, and monitored directly by Chase Duckwall, PA-C. You get clear communication, ongoing check-ins, and adjustments as needed—no impersonal national program or one-size-fits-all plan.

BHRT (Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy) uses hormones that closely match those naturally made by your body. Many people find this approach easier to tolerate than synthetic hormones, with fewer side effects.

Yes. We offer BHRT to support patients going through menopause, perimenopause, or other forms of hormonal imbalance. We start with lab testing and a detailed consultation to find the best treatment path for you.

NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) supports cellular repair, energy production, and brain function. It may help with fatigue, brain fog, and aging-related decline in energy or focus.

At our practice, NAD is administered through injections. This allows for better absorption and quicker effects compared to over-the-counter supplements.

Glutathione is known for detox support, but it also plays a role in immune function, skin clarity, and protecting cells from oxidative stress. Some patients use it as part of their anti-aging or immune health routine.

Yes. NAD and glutathione injections are often used alongside testosterone therapy, BHRT, or weight loss programs. We’ll help you decide what combination fits your goals.

We start with a consultation to learn about your symptoms, lifestyle, and goals. If you’re feeling worn down, mentally foggy, or just not like yourself, these treatments may help support your system from the inside out.