GLP-1 Program FAQ

No. Summit Metabolic Health is a cash-pay practice. We do not bill insurance, and insurance does not cover our services. This is intentional. It allows us to offer direct, personalized physician care without the restrictions, delays, and compromises that insurance-based medicine requires. Many patients find the transparent monthly pricing easier to budget than the unpredictable out-of-pocket costs of traditional care.

Your monthly fee covers physician consultations, clinical oversight, dosing management, and direct messaging. Medications and prescriptions — when clinically appropriate — are handled, filled, and shipped by an independent licensed 503A compounding pharmacy. That pharmacy operates separately from our practice. Summit does not sell or dispense medications.

That depends on your biology, your goals, and how your body responds. This program is specifically designed for medication independence — the goal is not to put you on a prescription forever, but to use medication as a tool while we address the underlying metabolic drivers. Many patients taper and eventually discontinue medication as they reach and maintain their goals. Dr. Miranda discusses your expected timeline during the intake process.

Those platforms are built for volume. They use algorithms, nurse practitioners, and standardized protocols. Summit is an independent physician practice. Dr. Miranda personally reviews every application, designs every care plan, and manages every patient directly. There is no queue, no chatbot, and no one-size-fits-all protocol. You are seeing a board-certified obesity medicine physician — not a platform.

No. Summit offers telehealth appointments to patients in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Washington. In-person visits are available at our Chattanooga, TN office. Most patients are seen entirely via telehealth. The clinical experience is identical.

The program adapts. If your progress stalls, Dr. Miranda reviews your plan and adjusts. This includes re-evaluating labs, hormonal factors, dosing, or lifestyle elements that may be contributing. There are no outcome guarantees in medicine — but there is a physician who stays in it with you and adjusts the approach rather than simply canceling your prescription.

Summit is currently licensed to see patients in Tennessee, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, and Washington. Telehealth is available in all five states. In-person appointments are available at our Chattanooga, Tennessee office. We do not currently see patients in other states.

Labs are part of the intake process and are ordered based on your clinical presentation. The Concierge Complete plan includes three comprehensive metabolic lab panels per year. On the À La Carte plan, labs are ordered as clinically indicated and billed separately through a standard lab network. Dr. Miranda reviews and interprets every panel personally.

The metabolic hormone axis refers to the interconnected hormonal systems that govern weight, energy, and body composition: thyroid function, cortisol, insulin sensitivity, sex hormones (testosterone, estrogen, progesterone), and growth hormone. When any of these systems are dysregulated, weight loss becomes significantly harder despite diet and exercise. At Summit, where clinically relevant, Dr. Miranda evaluates across this full axis — not just calories in and calories out.

The $149/month A La Carte plan covers physician consultations, dosing management, direct physician messaging, and full care plan access. Labs are billed separately as clinically indicated. The Concierge Complete plan at $399/month adds twice-monthly consultations, three comprehensive lab panels per year, a personalized meal plan, and a personalized exercise plan. Neither plan includes the cost of medications, which are handled by an independent licensed 503A compounding pharmacy.

A 503A pharmacy is a licensed compounding pharmacy that prepares customized medications based on individual physician prescriptions. These pharmacies operate under FDA and state pharmacy board oversight. They are distinct from large-scale 503B outsourcing facilities. When clinically appropriate, Summit patients receive prescriptions that are filled and shipped by an independent licensed 503A compounding pharmacy. That pharmacy is a separate business from Summit Metabolic Health.

Yes. Many Summit patients have previously tried GLP-1 therapy through other providers. Some stopped because of side effects, cost, or lack of results. Others lost progress after stopping. Dr. Miranda evaluates each case individually to determine whether GLP-1 therapy is still the right tool, at what dose, and how it should be combined with metabolic and hormonal evaluation. Prior GLP-1 experience is useful clinical history, not a barrier.