Frequently Asked Questions

Treatment is developed with you, not simply prescribed to you. Dr. Olson explains the evidence, expected benefits, limitations, risks, alternatives, and costs behind each reasonable option so you can participate actively in setting a plan and pace that fit your health and goals. Medication may be appropriate, but it is one tool—not the entire plan or an automatic starting point.

No. Recommendations are guided by clinical fit and the quality of the evidence—not by a need to sell a product. Affordability can be part of shared decision-making, but a product is not presented as necessary simply because it is popular or profitable. Options with limited evidence, unclear quality controls, or inadequate safety information will not be promoted as essential care.

It can. Meaningful weight loss may improve conditions such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and fatty liver disease. Some patients may be able to reduce medications or, for certain conditions, achieve remission, but results are not guaranteed. Medications should be changed only by the clinician who manages them and with appropriate monitoring.

Olson Medical is a telehealth practice, so there is no office to visit. Every visit is a private video visit with Dr. Olson, from the convenience and privacy of home. The lobby on the home page shows how care here is meant to feel, personal and unhurried. Labs and any in-person care you need happen locally, near you.

A strong candidate is comfortable using a secure patient portal, attends routine follow-ups, reports side effects and treatment changes promptly, and completes requested laboratory or in-person care. Patients must be able to join private video visits, provide reliable home measurements when requested, maintain a PCP, and access local urgent or emergency care.

Established patients should use the secure patient portal for treatment questions, side effects, refill requests, and proposed medication changes. Do not change the dose, schedule, or way a medication is used without first receiving guidance from the practice. The portal is not monitored continuously and is not for emergencies.

You must be physically located in a jurisdiction where Dr. Olson is licensed and Olson Medical is operationally accepting patients on the date of the visit. Identity and physical location will be verified at each appointment; residence alone does not determine eligibility. Join from a quiet, private location and never while driving or operating a vehicle. At the start of the visit, tell Dr. Olson if anyone else can see or hear the call and confirm that you authorize that person’s presence. Anyone who is present without your authorization will be asked to leave. If privacy or safety cannot be established, the visit may be paused and rescheduled.

Olson Medical does not provide emergency or urgent care, and the portal is not monitored continuously. Call 911 or seek local emergency care for an emergency. Use local urgent care or your PCP for time-sensitive concerns outside the practice’s focused scope.

No. Every treatment decision follows an appropriate clinical evaluation. A particular medication, dose, compounded product, insurance approval, or treatment outcome is never guaranteed. When telehealth is not clinically appropriate, Dr. Olson may recommend in-person care or another clinician.

FDA-approved branded medications are reviewed for safety, effectiveness, manufacturing quality, and approved labeling. A compounded medication is prepared for an individual patient when clinically appropriate and is not FDA-approved or reviewed in the same way. Before using a compounding pharmacy, Olson Medical intends to verify state licensure and vet sourcing, quality practices, inspection or accreditation history, and available documentation. Independent testing will be described only when it is documented for the preparation involved.

Possibly, after a new-patient evaluation and verification. The practice may request recent records, laboratory results, pharmacy dispensing information, the medication label, last dose and date used, response, side effects, and permission to contact the prior clinician or pharmacy. Prior treatment does not guarantee continuation of the same medication, dose, formulation, or pharmacy.

Primary care physicians provide essential, broad care and many also provide excellent weight-management treatment. They must balance preventive care, acute concerns, chronic disease, and the needs of large patient panels. Olson Medical complements that work with dedicated physician time for weight-related evaluation, education, medication management when appropriate, dose adjustments, structured follow-up, secure nonurgent portal guidance, and treatment-related administrative support within published practice expectations. It works alongside—not in place of—your PCP, especially when weight loss may affect blood pressure, blood sugar, or medications managed by another clinician.

No. Olson Medical operates with a focused scope similar to a specialist office. Patients should maintain an established PCP for preventive care, routine medical care, acute illnesses, and conditions outside the practice’s weight-management scope.

Contact Olson Medical about a weight-management medication prescribed by the practice, dosing instructions, treatment progress, or possible medication side effects. Contact your PCP for routine care, unrelated symptoms, and chronic conditions they manage. When an issue overlaps, both practices may need to know.

Weight loss can improve weight-related conditions and may change the dose needed of medications prescribed by another clinician. Olson Medical may recommend monitoring and timely follow-up with your PCP or specialist and, with permission, can coordinate important treatment information. Do not change another clinician’s medication without their guidance.

Olson Medical does not provide emergency or urgent care, comprehensive primary care, treatment unrelated to weight management, or paperwork unrelated to this focused service, such as emotional-support-animal letters.

Enrollment begins with a comprehensive initial medical evaluation. The initial fee is expected to include the first 90-day Foundation Care term for patients accepted into the practice. After that period, eligible patients may choose monthly, quarterly, six-month, or annual continuity options, subject to the terms permitted in the patient’s state. Exact prices and terms will be presented before payment.

Membership provides an ongoing medical relationship rather than a guaranteed prescription. A member may retain scheduled physician follow-up when clinically appropriate, secure nonurgent portal messaging, access to relevant records and notes through the portal, member Learning Library materials, and approved digital tools even when medication has not started or is temporarily paused. Continuing membership does not guarantee that medication will be prescribed or restarted.

A patient may request cancellation according to the signed membership agreement. Prepaid membership payments are generally not refundable because access and the defined membership services remain available through the paid term, even if the patient elects not to schedule a visit or medication is temporarily paused. When membership ends, routine clinical portal access, physician guidance, medication supervision, refills, and additional prescribing end. A payment failure will receive the notice and grace process described in the agreement; a clinically significant interruption may require a re-engagement or new evaluation before care resumes.

The anticipated deposit is 50% of the initial medical evaluation fee only and will be applied to that visit. It will be refundable when the appointment is canceled at least 48 hours in advance. A later cancellation or missed visit may forfeit the deposit, subject to the signed policy and reasonable exceptions. A 90-day membership will not be charged for an evaluation that never takes place.

Prescription medication, laboratory testing, pharmacy charges, primary and specialty care, emergency services, psychotherapy, dietitian services, personal training, and intensive behavioral weight-loss programming are separate unless expressly stated. A complete fee schedule showing included services and separate charges is coming soon.

No. Olson Medical will operate as a private-pay practice. It will not submit insurance claims or provide superbills. Upon request, the practice can provide an itemized receipt for services actually provided. Any reimbursement is up to the health plan and is not guaranteed. Self-pay patients will receive information about their right to a Good Faith Estimate of expected charges.

Not at this time. At launch, Olson Medical will not enroll individuals covered by Medicare Part B or Medicare Advantage, even if they prefer to pay privately. This is an Olson Medical eligibility policy based on Dr. Olson’s current Medicare participation through other clinical work and may change if that status changes.

Dr. Olson holds active physician licenses in 46 states and Washington, DC, as of November 2026. An Oregon license is pending board approval and is not included in that active count. Licensure is not the same as operational launch availability. A dated service-availability list is coming soon, and eligibility depends on the patient’s physical location at the time of care.

The practice may complete limited paperwork directly related to treatment within its focused scope. It does not provide unrelated forms or letters, including emotional-support-animal letters. Complete membership terms will explain which treatment-related forms are included and whether a separate fee applies.

Established patients will use the secure portal to request records or authorize communication with a PCP, specialist, pharmacy, or other clinician. Records access and clinically appropriate care transition are not withheld because of a billing dispute.

Military Salute is intended as an ongoing membership discount for service members (active duty, Guard and Reserve) and their families. Complete verification, discount-stacking, and eligibility details are coming soon. Medication, laboratory testing, and outside services remain separate.