Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to our FAQ - we've organized common questions by topic to help you find what you need. If you have a question that isn't answered here, the easiest path is to schedule a free 10-minute intro call or send us an email at info@pankanaturalhealth.com.

About Naturopathic Medicine and Our Doctors

  • A naturopathic doctor (ND or NMD) is a licensed healthcare provider who has completed a four-year, doctoral-level program at an accredited naturopathic medical school. Our training includes rigorous coursework in conventional medical sciences alongside evidence-based natural therapies, with an emphasis on preventive care, whole-person wellness, and the body's innate ability to heal.

    Education and training:

    • Over 4,000 hours of study in medical sciences, diagnostics, and therapeutics

    • 1,200+ hours of supervised clinical training in direct patient care

    • Coursework in anatomy, physiology, pathology, pharmacology, minor office procedures, and clinical assessment

    • Natural therapeutic modalities including botanical medicine, clinical nutrition, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, and physical medicine

    • Comparable in scope and rigor to conventional medical school training

    About Drs. Jacob and Haley Panka. Both completed their doctoral training at the National University of Natural Medicine in Portland, Oregon — one of the oldest and most respected naturopathic medical schools in North America. We're registered naturopathic doctors in Minnesota under Statute 147E and licensed naturopathic doctors in Wisconsin. Both states allow us to provide direct care; in Wisconsin we offer virtual consultations only.

    For more information about naturopathic medicine and professional standards, visit the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians.

  • Naturopathic medicine focuses on identifying and addressing the root causes of illness, not just managing symptoms. Our appointments are longer than a typical conventional visit because we take time to understand your full health history, lifestyle, and the patterns underlying what you're experiencing. We use clinical nutrition, lifestyle counseling, botanical medicine, dietary supplements, homeopathy, hydrotherapy, and functional lab testing to support your body's healing capacity. We work alongside your conventional providers when appropriate, not in replacement of them.

  • Under Minnesota law, naturopathic medicine is defined as a system of primary health care. However, our services do not substitute for conventional primary medical care. We encourage all of our patients to maintain a relationship with a primary care physician (MD or DO) in addition to our care. Naturopathic doctors in Minnesota do not have prescriptive authority for legend drugs or controlled substances.

Getting Started and Scheduling

  • You can book online at our scheduling page. The scheduler walks you through choosing a visit type, an in-person or virtual format, and a time that works for you.

    If you have questions before booking, two good options:

    • Use our assistant ‘PNH Guide’ — It can answer questions about services, fees, scheduling, our process, and more, and is the fastest way to get common questions answered.

    • Schedule a free 10-minute intro call — a brief phone conversation with one of our doctors. No obligation, no cost, no doctor-patient relationship established. Just a chance to ask questions and decide whether we're a good fit before committing to a full visit.

  • The intro call is a complimentary phone conversation with one of our naturopathic doctors. It's designed for people who want to talk with us before booking a full appointment - to ask questions about our approach, share a bit about what's going on, or just get a feel for whether we're the right fit.

    Important notes:

    • The intro call is for prospective patients only (not established patients)

    • It does not establish a doctor-patient relationship - that happens at a formal first appointment with informed consent

    • We can't provide specific medical advice during the intro call, but we can talk about whether and how our approach might apply to your situation

    • It's free and there's no commitment to book a full visit afterward

    You can book one at our scheduling page.

  • Yes. We offer virtual appointments via HIPAA-compliant video conferencing. Telehealth is available to patients

    located in Minnesota (where we're registered) and Wisconsin (where we're licensed). You must be physicallylocated in one of these states at the time of the appointment.

    For patients located in other states, we recommend contacting a naturopathic doctor licensed in your state - the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians has a directory.

  • Yes — Saturday appointments are available by advance scheduling. We're not open for drop-ins on Saturdays, but you can book a Saturday slot through our online scheduler or contact us to arrange one.

  • Yes. We offer naturopathic care for children from infancy through age 21, at reduced pricing compared to adult visits. Pediatric appointments are typically shorter than adult visits, but can be extended when clinically needed.

    We address conditions like eczema, recurrent infections, digestive issues, painful menstrual periods, ADHD support, anxiety, allergies, sports performance, and many others. Learn more on our Pediatrics page.

  • No. You can book directly without a referral. We're happy to coordinate with your primary care doctor or other specialists, but it's not required to start care with us.

Cost, Payment, and Insurance

  • Current pricing for all visit types is always live on our scheduling page, where you can see fees for new patient visits, follow-ups, and pediatric appointments. Pediatric pricing (ages 21 and under) is reduced compared to adult pricing. A $50 deposit is required to book any appointment. Supplements and laboratory tests are billed separately from visit fees.

    What's included in your visit fee:

    • Time with your naturopathic doctor

    • Review of your medical history, intake paperwork, and shared labs or imaging

    • Personalized treatment recommendations

    • A written treatment plan and educational materials

    • Secure-portal messaging for questions about your care plan and check-ins between visits

    Separate from visit fees:

    • Laboratory testing

    • Dietary supplements

    • Specialized testing

    • Diagnostic imaging

    Visits with Dr. Jacob can include the optional Panka Functional Health Report — his data-driven written analysis of your labs, trends, and records, delivered in a secure PDF. You'll see it as an add-on when you book — a flat $250 with any visit.

  • An optional add-on with Dr. Jacob's visits: after your appointment, he analyzes your labs against optimal ranges, plots your trends over time — including records from previous providers or at-home lab services —and writes it up with research citations. About ten pages, delivered as a secure PDF, flat $250 with any visit. See the full details at our Functional Health Report page.

  • We operate as a direct-pay (cash-pay) practice and do not contract with health insurance plans directly. Naturopathic doctors in Minnesota are out-of-network with all insurance plans.

    We can provide a superbill (a detailed receipt with diagnostic codes and procedure codes) after each visit, which you can submit to your insurance company to seek possible out-of-network reimbursement. Some patients receive reimbursement through their out-of-network benefits, though reimbursement varies significantly by plan and isn't guaranteed.

    For coverage specifics, please contact your insurance company directly.

    Medicare and Medicaid do not reimburse naturopathic services in Minnesota.

  • Yes. We accept HSA (Health Savings Account) and FSA (Flexible Spending Account) cards for all naturopathic services, laboratory testing ordered through our practice, and supplements purchased at our dispensary or through our online medicinary (Fullscript).

    If your HSA/FSA card declines a particular charge, that's typically a setting on your card administrator's side, not ours. Contact your administrator first to understand any restrictions. We're happy to provide documentation — receipts, letters of medical necessity, or other paperwork — to support coverage questions.

  • • Cash, personal check, or bank transfer

    • Major credit and debit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, JCB, UnionPay

    • HSA and FSA cards (subject to your card administrator's policies)

    A $50 deposit is required to book any appointment, and your card is securely stored on file for future charges including visit fees, supplements, lab tests, and any applicable late-cancellation fees.

  • Yes. For patients committed to ongoing care, we offer follow-up care packages that bundle multiple visits at a discount compared to individual appointment pricing. We have both adult and pediatric packages, in Priority (six follow-up visits) and Essential (three follow-up visits) tiers. Full details and pricing are on our Follow-up Packages page.

    Package visits with Dr. Jacob can also add the Panka Functional Health Report for a flat $250 per visit.

  • Secure messaging with your doctor is part of your care through the HIPAA-compliant Charm portal. Care-plan questions and check-ins are typically no charge; messages involving new treatments or new lab review are handled as billed clinical reviews ($50–95, depending on complexity) so they get the same care as a visit. No membership, ever. If something new comes up, we'll get you in.

How to Reach Us

We're a small, doctor-led practice. The fastest ways to reach us depend on what you need:

  • • Our assistant ‘PNH Guide’ is the fastest path for common questions about our services, fees, scheduling, and how we work

    • A free 10-minute intro call is the best way to talk with one of our doctors before booking a full visit

    • info@pankanaturalhealth.com — for questions not answered above. We respond within 1–2 business days

    • 612-568-8382 — phone is available during business hours (Mon–Fri 9 AM – 5 PM), but as a small doctor-led practice, callbacks may take 24–48 hours. For non-urgent questions, email is usually faster

  • Staying in touch between visits is part of your care — included, with no extra fee and no membership, however long it's been since your last appointment.

    Here are the best ways to reach us:

    • Charm Patient Portal secure messaging is the right channel for non-urgent clinical questions, supplement questions, lab questions, and most ongoing communication with your provider. Messages go directly to your provider and are stored securely with your health record. Log in at pankanaturalhealth.com/patient-portal.

    • Phone (612.568.8382) is a fully legitimate option if the portal doesn't work well for you, particularly if you're not comfortable with online tools. Leave a detailed voicemail and we aim to return calls by the next business day; as a small doctor-led practice, callbacks may take longer during busy weeks.

    • A follow-up visit is the best option for new or changing health concerns, and for substantive clinical questions that need real time and attention. If a stretch of time goes by between visits, your provider may suggest a follow-up to keep your plan current. Book at our scheduling page.

    • info@pankanaturalhealth.com is best for administrative matters like billing, scheduling logistics, or document requests. For clinical questions, please use Charm so they're stored with your medical record.

    For medical emergencies, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Our practice isn't equipped for same-day or acute care needs.

  • For medical emergencies, please call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. Our practice isn't equipped for same-day clinical needs.

    For urgent but non-emergency concerns where you need to be heard quickly:

    • As an established patient: send a Charm portal message marked urgent if possible, and follow up with a voicemail at 612-568-8382 mentioning the urgency. Scheduling a follow-up visit is often the most reliable path for substantive concerns.

    • As a prospective patient: for urgent care needs, please contact urgent care or your primary care provider — our practice operates by scheduled appointments and isn't designed for same-day acute care.

The Charm Patient Portal

The Charm Patient Portal is our electronic health record system where new and existing patients complete paperwork, communicate securely with providers, upload medical records, view lab results, and access visit notes.

Login: pankanaturalhealth.com/patient-portal

  • A few things to check, in order:

    1. Allow 24–48 hours after scheduling for the invitation to arrive. Invitations are sent during business hours, so weekend scheduling means the invitation arrives Monday or Tuesday.

    2. Check your spam, junk, and "Promotions" folders. The invitation comes from a Charm email address that some email providers (especially Gmail) filter automatically.

    3. Confirm you're checking the same email account you used at scheduling. This is a common cause of "missing" invitations.

    4. Search your inbox for "Charm," or "Panka." Sometimes the email is there but didn't reach the top of the inbox.

    If none of those resolves it, email info@pankanaturalhealth.com asking for a resend, and include the email address you used when scheduling.

  • On the Charm login page at pankanaturalhealth.com/patient-portal, click the "Forgot Password" link. Enter the email address associated with your Charm account, and you'll receive a password reset link by email (check spam if it doesn't arrive within a few minutes).

    The most common reason a reset email doesn't arrive is that you're trying to reset using a different email than the one your Charm account uses. Try other email addresses you might have used when scheduling.

  • Things to try, in order:

    1. Verify your login email matches the one you used at scheduling. Many people have multiple email addresses; the one Charm has on file is the one you used to book.

    2. Try the password reset flow — sometimes resetting clears whatever the underlying issue is.

    3. Try a different browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox). Occasionally browser extensions interfere with Charm.

    4. Clear your browser cache or try an incognito/private window.

    If none of those resolve it, email info@pankanaturalhealth.com with the email address you've been trying.

  • Two paths:

    1. Through Charm (preferred): Upload your records to the Documents section in Charm, then complete the share step (above). We accept .png, .jpeg, .pdf, and .doc files under 50 MB.

    2. Fax transfer from your prior provider: Request a "Release of Protected Health Information" from your previous provider's office, and have them fax your records to us at 612-568-9020.

    The kinds of records that are most helpful: recent labs (within the last year), imaging reports, current medication list, specialist notes, and any recent hospitalization or surgical reports.

At Your Visit and After

  • Visit our Prepare for Your Visit page for detailed information on what to expect, what to bring, and how to find us. The short version: plan to arrive 5–10 minutes early, bring your supplements and medications (or photos of them), and expect a longer appointment than you might be used to in conventional medicine - up to two hours for adults, shorter for pediatric.

  • Yes. We use a HIPAA-compliant medical scribe tool that converts our conversation into clinical notes in real time. This allows your provider to focus on you rather than note-taking. All information remains within your confidential medical record. If you'd prefer we not use the scribe during your appointment, just let our staff know before your visit or tell your provider at any time.

  • We require 24 hours' notice for cancellations or rescheduling. A $50 fee applies to cancellations made with less than 24 hours' notice or no-shows. Exceptions may be made at the provider's discretion depending on the circumstances.

    To cancel or reschedule, look for the "Change Appointment" or "Cancel Appointment" link near the bottom of your Acuity Scheduling confirmation email. You can also contact us directly.

  • No — never. We may recommend specific supplements as part of your treatment plan based on quality and our clinical experience, and we do maintain an in-office dispensary and an online medicinary through Fullscript.

    However, you're never required to purchase recommended products from us, and your decision will not affect the quality of your care.

    If you choose to source supplements elsewhere, we're happy to provide detailed information about what we've recommended so you can find equivalent options.

    For transparency: we may receive a percentage from product sales through our dispensary or Fullscript.

Still have questions?

If you didn't find what you were looking for, the easiest path is to schedule a free 10-minute intro call or send us a message at info@pankanaturalhealth.com. We'd love to help.

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