Who is Dr. Yousef Zarbalian and what is his background & training?
Please see the about section for more information about Dr. Zarbalian's multifaceted experience in internal medicine, rheumatology, acupuncture, and herbalism.
How is Dr. Zarbalian's approach different?
As a physician board-certified in internal medicine and rheumatology with additional expertise in acupuncture and herbal medicine, Dr. Yousef Zarbalian is uniquely qualified to provide comprehensive medical care for a wide variety of medical conditions. There are many medical conditions for which modern rheumatology has limited treatment options. The ability to look through a different lens (traditional medicine which includes acupuncture, nutritional modification, and herbal medicine) at each person's unique condition opens up options which would not even be considered in a standard western medical clinic. We can provide the best of both approaches (western pharmacology as well as holistic modalities) to our patients.
I do have/don't have insurance; can I still see you?
Yes!
For those who have insurance, we provide you with a bill to submit to your insurance company for reimbursement. All of Dr. Zarbalian's prescriptions and orders are honored by insurance and our office will complete prior authorizations on your behalf.
For those who don't have insurance, the membership plan gives you excellent access to an excellent physician (see more info above). Dr. Zarbalian can also provide you with significantly discounted pricing on self-pay labs through Sunrise labs and self-pay prices for imaging through local imaging centers.
Dr. Zarbalian started East-West Rheumatology to deliver personalized, time-intensive care, and because private insurance imposes administrative burdens that are a hindrance to good medical care, Dr. Zarbalian opted to be out-of-network with ALL private insurances.
Other rheumatology offices do not offer a multi-faceted approach to rheumatologic care in part because the doctor only has 10 minutes to spend with you. Our clinic does not operate with such time restrictions and therefore we do not operate with strategies limited to medications.
We do participate with Medicare (but not medicare advantage).
Medicare is now covering acupuncture for indication of lower back pain.
What is the cost of visits? (for those who do not have medicare):
Please refer to the Packages / Membership page which also lists a la carte pricing.
What is direct physician care?
The direct physician care model is a growing model of care that acknowledges that the care we provide should not be dictated by an insurance company. The most appropriate medical care for an individual should be based on the trusting relationship that a physician and patient/family can build in combination with the best available evidence.
Because we spend less time dealing with the rules of insurers and more time with you, our patients can expect prompter appointments, more time for visits, and addressing your health in a way that is right for you rather than for your insurer.
Services included with packages or membership can be found here.
How long do I have to wait to see Dr. Zarbalian?
We can generally accommodate new patient appointments on much shorter notice than other rheumatology offices (from same-day appointments to 2 weeks out).
For follow-up patients, we are able to provide next-day appointments (either telemedicine or in-person) in most cases.
Tell me more about acupuncture!
See our Acupuncture page and our Acupuncture FAQ's page!
How is your office managing visits during the COVID pandemic?
I am taking additional standard precautions : I will be wearing a KN95 mask during all consultations and treatments for the protection of patients and myself. All patients will be re-scheduled if they have any fever, cold, or viral symptoms. All patients should be wearing a mask.
- Yousef Zarbalian, MD