Integrative Medicine Doctors

Integrative medicine doctors are physicians, so the key check is a current MD or DO license. Board certification in integrative medicine is optional extra training on top of it.

Credentials and how to verify them

• Board certification: The American Board of Integrative Medicine (ABOIM), part of the American Board of Physician Specialties, certifies licensed MDs and DOs who have completed a residency, hold a current or previous primary board certification, and complete an approved integrative fellowship or another accepted training route (ABOIM eligibility).
• Titles to watch: "Integrative doctor" and "holistic doctor" are not license titles. Confirm the MD or DO license in the state lookup.

What it costs

We found no New York City integrative physician practice that publishes its visit fee. Several hospital systems run integrative programs, including NYU Langone, Mount Sinai, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell and Memorial Sloan Kettering. NYU Langone lists $160 for a first 90-minute integrative acupuncture visit and $120 for a 60-minute follow-up (NYU Langone, checked October 2026). Ask any practice whether it bills insurance or is self-pay.

Insurance, Medicare and HSA

• Private insurance: Coverage depends on your plan and on whether the doctor is in network. Complementary services such as acupuncture, nutrition counseling and supplements are covered or not plan by plan.
• Medicare: Medicare covers services from MDs and DOs as physicians (42 U.S.C. 1395x). It covers acupuncture only for chronic low back pain (medicare.gov). Medicare Advantage plans must cover at least the same Part B benefits, though cost-sharing can differ (42 CFR 422.101).
• HSA and FSA: Physician visits and lab fees for diagnosing or treating a condition qualify under IRS Publication 502. Supplements qualify only if a physician recommends them for a diagnosed condition.

For the claim steps, read how to use an HSA or FSA for holistic care. If you are weighing approaches, compare functional medicine doctors.

Last reviewed: October 2026.

Integrative medicine is a patient-centered approach to healthcare that brings together the best of conventional medicine and evidence-based complementary therapies into a single, coordinated care model. It is practiced by fully licensed physicians — MDs and DOs — who have completed additional training in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities and have the scope to deploy both within the same clinical relationship.

The distinction from simply "referring out" to a naturopath or acupuncturist is important: an integrative medicine doctor can prescribe a statin and recommend an anti-inflammatory diet in the same appointment. They can order an MRI and suggest mindfulness-based stress reduction in the same treatment plan. The integration is clinical, not just philosophical.

The field was substantially shaped by Dr. Andrew Weil, who founded the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine (now the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine) at the University of Arizona in 1994. Today, the Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health has more than 80 member institutions, reflecting a significant mainstreaming of the approach.

The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health (formerly the Consortium of Academic Health Centers for Integrative Medicine) defines integrative medicine as "the practice of medicine that reaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic approaches, healthcare professionals, and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing."

Integrative medicine is not a rejection of conventional medicine — it is an expansion of it. Practitioners use pharmaceutical intervention when indicated and complementary approaches when appropriate, always guided by the best available evidence.

Integrative medicine works by applying the full toolkit of both conventional and complementary medicine to a patient's unique health picture, guided by a longer, more thorough clinical relationship than standard primary care allows.

The Integrative Assessment

An integrative medicine consultation typically runs 60–90 minutes, longer than a standard primary care visit. This allows for:

• A comprehensive health history including lifestyle, stress, sleep, nutrition, relationships, and meaning
• Review of all current medications, supplements, and prior treatments
• Standard physical examination
• Ordering of conventional and, where appropriate, functional laboratory testing
• Assessment of the patient's health goals and values — not just their diagnoses

The Integrative Treatment Plan

Treatment plans draw from multiple therapeutic domains depending on the patient's needs:

The Integrative Approach to Chronic Disease

Where integrative medicine adds the most value is in chronic disease — conditions like cancer, autoimmune disease, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic syndrome where, in integrative practitioners' view, conventional medicine manages but rarely reverses the underlying condition. Integrative practitioners work to:

• Identify and address lifestyle and environmental drivers of disease
• Reduce medication burden where safely possible
• Support quality of life during conventional treatments (particularly chemotherapy and radiation)
• Prevent secondary conditions through proactive lifestyle medicine

Integrative medicine is particularly effective for conditions where lifestyle, stress, nutrition, and environmental factors play a significant role — and where quality of life is as important as clinical outcomes.

Cancer and Oncology Support

• Integrative oncology is, in many practitioners' view, one of the most developed subspecialties. It uses nutrition, acupuncture, mind-body practices, and targeted supplementation to manage treatment side effects, support immune function, and improve quality of life during and after cancer treatment. The evidence varies by therapy and by condition.

Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health

• Heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome all have strong lifestyle and nutritional drivers. Integrative medicine's therapeutic nutrition and lifestyle medicine toolkit produces measurable improvements alongside pharmaceutical management. Any change to your medication needs medical supervision.

Chronic Pain and Inflammation

• Chronic Pain — Multimodal integrative approaches combine acupuncture, mind-body medicine, anti-inflammatory nutrition, and movement therapy.
• Arthritis — Anti-inflammatory dietary protocols, omega-3s, and complementary pain management are used alongside conventional care.
• Fibromyalgia — Integrative approaches addressing sleep, stress, nutrition, and movement provide a more comprehensive framework than pharmaceutical management alone.

Mental and Emotional Health

• Anxiety — Mind-body practices, nutritional psychiatry, and acupuncture are used alongside conventional psychiatric care; the evidence for acupuncture in anxiety is limited.
• Insomnia — Sleep hygiene protocols and cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTi), the first-line treatment for chronic insomnia, address sleep disorders before or alongside pharmaceutical options.

Hormonal and Digestive Health

• Hormonal Imbalance — For thyroid disorders, PCOS, and menopausal symptoms, practitioners combine conventional hormonal assessment with nutritional and herbal support.
• Digestive Issues — Gut health, microbiome support, and dietary intervention alongside conventional GI care.

Autoimmune and Immune Conditions

• Autoimmune Conditions — Integrative protocols are used alongside conventional immunosuppressive therapy, not in place of it.

Before You Arrive

Most integrative medicine practices send detailed intake paperwork in advance. Expect to complete a comprehensive health history covering not just diagnoses and medications, but also diet, sleep, stress levels, relationships, work satisfaction, and health goals. Bring all relevant records: lab work, imaging, specialist notes, and a complete list of medications and supplements.

The Initial Consultation (60–90 minutes)

Your integrative medicine doctor will begin with your health story — taking time to understand not just what conditions you have, but how your health has evolved, what you've tried, and what matters most to you. This is followed by a standard physical examination and a discussion of what testing or referrals may be needed.

By the end of the first visit, you should receive a prioritized, phased treatment plan that clearly distinguishes which recommendations are conventional, which are complementary, and why each is being recommended.

Follow-Up and Ongoing Care

Integrative medicine is a relationship, not a transaction. Follow-up visits (typically 30–60 minutes) track progress across all dimensions of the treatment plan — conventional and complementary — and adjust accordingly. Many integrative practices also offer group medical visits, cooking classes, meditation programs, and health coaching as part of a comprehensive model.

What Most People Miss: Integrative medicine doctors can do everything a conventional primary care physician does — prescribe medications, order imaging, coordinate specialist care. Patients sometimes assume they have to choose between integrative and conventional. You don't. An integrative medicine doctor can provide both in one relationship, though some complementary services may be delivered separately.

Credential Guide

The most important credential is the underlying MD or DO degree and active state medical license. Integrative board certification (ABOIM) indicates additional post-graduate training and commitment to the field — but verify the base medical license first.

Questions to Ask

• Are you board certified in integrative medicine (ABOIM)?
• What complementary modalities do you offer in-house vs. via referral?
• How do you coordinate care with my other specialists?
• Do you have experience with my specific conditions?
• What does a typical treatment plan look like for cases like mine?

Find a qualified integrative medicine doctor near you: Browse our integrative medicine directory to connect with board-certified practitioners in your area.

• Functional Nutrition — Therapeutic nutrition is a cornerstone of integrative medicine practice.
• Mental Health and Wellness — Mind-body medicine and nutritional psychiatry are core integrative medicine domains.
• Women's Health — Integrative approaches to hormonal health, fertility, and menopause.
• Pain Management — Multimodal integrative pain care combines conventional and complementary approaches.
• Acupuncture — Often practiced within integrative medicine clinics or via coordinated referral.
• Functional Medicine — Shares root-cause philosophy with integrative medicine; often complementary.