Questions before you book

No. Makari is a cash practice and does not bill insurance, VA Community Care or TRICARE; most of the conditions we treat, and the combination of therapies we use, are not covered. We accept health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) cards, and we can give you a superbill the day after your visit to submit to your insurer for possible reimbursement. See fees and treatment plans.

We do not take personal injury cases on a lien or through insurance.

Yes. Acupuncture is a qualified medical expense under most Health Savings Account and Flexible Spending Account plans, and we accept HSA and FSA cards directly at the time of service. Check the details with your plan.

Makari is a cash practice: payment is due at each visit, by cash, check, credit card, or HSA or FSA card. A credit card is kept on file with our payment processor to secure your appointment and for payment at the time of service.

The initial evaluation is $225. It is a separate fee and is not included in any package. Every fee is listed on the fees page, and fees are confirmed at your evaluation.

It depends on the plan. Vision and stroke and neurology plans include about one month of custom herbal formula for every 10 visits; additional supplements are not included. For internal medicine, fertility and hormones, the 10-visit package includes one month of herbs and the 20-visit package includes two months; single visits are acupuncture visits, so herbs are billed separately, as are herbs beyond the included months. For telemedicine, formulas are prescribed to your pattern and billed separately. Where herbs are billed separately, formulas typically run $125 to $200 a month. Rootworth lists its own fees for online care.

We understand financial hardship. If you cannot afford treatment and believe you have something of value to offer in exchange, write to us through the contact form and we may be able to reach an arrangement.

The initial evaluation takes about 75 minutes. We take your history and examine you, reading your pulse and tongue and, depending on the concern, your abdomen, muscles and movement. In most cases we also treat in the same visit. At the end we lay out a plan with the schedule, what is included and the fee.

We do not offer standalone consultations. An honest answer about your condition needs an examination, so the first step is the initial evaluation. If we do not believe we can help, we will tell you.

Wear loose, comfortable clothing that can show the knees, elbows, back and abdomen, and be ready to do some simple movements if you are coming for pain. Bring relevant records such as MRI reports or OCT scans. Eat a meal beforehand, complete your intake forms online before the visit (a computer or tablet is easier than a phone), and arrive about 10 minutes early.

There is no fixed number, and we cannot promise one, but please plan on several visits, not one or two. A marked change in a condition usually builds over a series of treatments. Your plan is built from your evaluation. Visits are often closer together at the start and then spaced out. We reassess at every visit and adjust the plan with you as you go.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine work over a series of treatments, and each visit builds on the last when they are close enough together. A plan sets that schedule from the start. For pain and orthopedics ($185) and for internal medicine, fertility and hormones ($150, herbs billed separately), single visits are also available after the initial evaluation. For pain and orthopedics, we still encourage you to commit to at least a half-course package, the 5-visit package, to truly see what our program offers. Every fee is on the fees page.

No. Internal medicine and physical medicine are separate visits, because each uses different examination methods and clinical time.

Chinese medicine is a complete medical system, and we see a wide range of concerns, which you can explore by condition. We do not claim to cure or diagnose disease. We assess your pattern and plan treatment around it, and Chinese medicine works best alongside your primary care team.

Yes, by appointment, booked online like any other visit. A video visit uses the same one-to-one clinic time as a visit in person, so it is $225, like a clinic visit. Telemedicine is available to people who are physically in California at the time of the visit. Needling still needs a visit in person. More on the telemedicine page.

Often, yes. Rootworth is the online herbal practice founded by Michael Woodworth, M.S., L.Ac. It offers custom herbal formulas through an online intake, without a clinic appointment, and it is the efficient option for herbal follow-ups and refills when you cannot come in. It does not include acupuncture, and Rootworth lists its current fees on its own site. See online herbal care.

Yes. If you are coming from out of the area, we can schedule more concentrated visits, up to two a day. Ask when you book, and we will plan the schedule at your evaluation.

No. Makari is by appointment only, and online booking is required for every visit, at both clinics.

We do not publish fixed hours. Appointments begin in the afternoon and run into the evening, with alternating weekend hours. Exact availability for each location is in the online scheduler.

We ask for 24 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule an appointment. A cancellation fee applies when that notice isn't given. Visits are moved and cancelled in the online scheduler.

Packages are non-refundable once treatment has begun. The initial evaluation is not part of any package.

Not the way most people expect. Acupuncture needles are hair-thin, nothing like the needle used for an injection. Most people feel a brief moment of mild pressure, or a dull, achy or tingling sensation as the needle reaches the point. Many find the experience deeply relaxing.

Michael Woodworth, M.S., L.Ac., treats every patient personally, at both clinics. You are never handed to an assistant.