About Us

Dr. Sima Aidun, N.M.D.
Clinical Nutrigenomic Specialist
Integrative Endocrine Care

Welcome to Aidun Medical

By now I am sure you have researched many other physicians’ websites. Very often following the initial web searches and phone calls, patients are still left with a lingering question or wish – “Could we possibly meet the healthcare provider to see if we “click”?”

Though I welcome a short introductory visit with my prospective patients, I believe you would also find it helpful if I provide a description of my personal approach to diagnosis and treatment of disease. Hopefully it will match your needs and philosophy as well.

Dr. Sima Aidun, N.M.D.

Naturopathic Medicine in Arizona

In Arizona, naturopathic physicians are licensed by the state via the State of Arizona Naturopathic Physicians Board of Medical Examiners and as such meet the requirements to be primary care doctors. During the post graduate training received by a naturopathic doctor, a combination of alternative as well as traditional medicine is taught. Once in practice, naturopathic doctors adopt different approaches in addressing disease and treatment; some follow a purely natural medical path for the evaluation and treatment of disease while others place great emphasis on traditional medicine as a tool for diagnosis and treatment.

My Medical Philosophy

In my diagnosis and assessment of a patient’s health concern(s), I draw upon both traditional medicine as well as naturopathy.  I follow the “gold” standard of care and use, placing emphasis on tests such as urine and blood analysis and imaging such as mammogram, ultrasound and CT scans. I tend not to rely upon the “non-gold” standard processes and procedures that may otherwise be described as experimental or theoretical such as saliva tests, thermograms, live blood analysis, etc.

In treating my patients, I believe safety comes first -remember “natural” doesn’t always imply safe- followed by those treatment methods that have an empirical track records of efficacy. This could be a treatment regimen comprised solely of natural modalities or it could be one reliant strictly on pharmacological medication. Very often a combination of both treatment approaches is deemed necessary.

I invest a substantial amount of my time and effort on improving and building upon my existing knowledge by using reputable medical sources as opposed to following FAD treatments and programs promoted by the media or famous celebrities! (for example: the HCG diet or a latest pellet therapy brought to you via infomercials, etc). And when necessary, I do work closely with other medical professions to make sure the best health care is delivered to you.

Office Visits & Insurance

FAQs

We realize you may have some questions prior to visiting our office especially about insurance.

We are not direct insurance providers, which is why we have the luxury of providing our patients with an enhanced health care experience that focuses on individualized care, attention to detail, and time spent working closely with each patient. For added convenience, we’ll gladly provide you with forms to submit to your insurance carrier.

Please note, if you have PPO insurance, your labs and/or imaging studies should be covered by insurance as long as your insurance company and plan have a contract with the lab and imaging studies provider.

For those parties who do NOT have insurance or have a high deductible, we are able to provide you with discounted pricing on high quality testing as we do have our own direct agreement in place with a laboratory services.

On this page, we are providing answers to frequently asked questions. We hope that you find this information helpful.

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How can I justify the out-of-pocket cost of an office visit to see Dr. Aidun instead of seeing my doctor who takes my insurance?

Let’s make a simple comparison. In addition to highly specialized service that is focused on specific health conditions, you will have:

  • access to a network of medical providers and labs (both with extremely high standards) with whom Dr. Aidun has a close relationship, allowing us to get you an appointment more quickly than by going outside Dr. Aidun’s network.
  • during your first appointment, a minimum of 90 minutes is spent with the doctor taking a complete medical history as well as a physical exam to drive to the root cause(s) of your problem(s)
  • access to the doctor via phone and e-mail as long as you are a patient at this practice
  • blood can be drawn in our office, avoding your need to visit a separate lab.timely front desk response to your needs
  • an approach that is centered around the process of educating the patient regarding her/his health condition and treatment –patient empowerment

We fully recognize the fact that this is a choice you make based on your priorities and we want to make sure to deliver the best service and care every patient deserves and should expect.

How many office visits should I expect?

For most cases that are not complicated, the series of visits go as follows:

  • first visit: full patient history is taken followed by a complete examination, Q&A/patient education then a discussion of any tests that maybe necessary. Test orders will be place at the end of first visit
  • second visit: follow up to discuss lab/imaging results and treatment options in detail
  • third visit: follow up and evaluation of treatment implemented after which adjustments are made if necessary.

The necessity for any additional visits would depend on the complexity of the case.

I'm located far from your office, does Dr. Aidun provide phone consults?

Yes and no!

Reasonable standard of care dictates that a complete examination be performed prior to the pursuit of any treatment regimen. For this reason, the first office visit should always be in person in order to achieve a proper diagnosis and evaluation.

Follow-ups can be arranged via phone consults per Dr. Aidun’s discretion; adjustments to treatment very often require a physical examination.

Remember, it is all about your safety and our imperative to NOT DO HARM.

Are your office visits covered by my medical insurance policy?

Naturopathic medical doctors for the most part are “out of network” providers. For those covered by a PPO plan, this typically means that while our services are not directly covered by your policy, you may be able to receive reimbursement from your insurance company. We will provide you with the proper documentation to submit to your insurance company as part of your reimbursement request.

What about labs and imaging (mammogram, ultrasound, bone density, CT, MRI, etc), are they covered by my medical insurance policy?

Most health insurance companies have in-place agreements with the major laboratories (i.e.; Sonora Quest and LabCorp.) and imaging centers (i.e.; SMIL, SimonMed) in the valley. If you have a PPO plan, then the cost of the lab and/or imaging work is normally covered. The amount paid by your insurance company will depend on the particular terms of your plan as well as the amount of the deductable.

What if I have a PPO plan but with a high deductible which I have not met?

We do work with discount labs around the Valley who are able to provide their testing services at a lower cost without compromise to the quality of service.

What if I have an HMO or a Medicare plan?

HMO/Medicare plans and any state insurance companies DO NOT cover the cost of labs or imaging or ordered by a naturopathic physician. As a result, we will be able to send you to reputable labs with discount pricing structures.

What if I don't have any insurance?

We make every effort to save our patients on the out-of-pocket cost of their healthcare. As previously mentioned, we do work with “discount” labs that provide quality service at considerable discount pricing.

Do you offer telemedicine appointments?

While we prefer in-person appointments, we do offer telemedicine appointments via Zoom as well as phone appointments.  However, once a year at a minimum it is required to have an in-person appointment with Dr. Aidun.

Patient Forms

To keep you informed of our current office and financial policies we ask that you read our financial acknowledgment prior to your appointment. You can find this information in our new Patient Intake Forms on this page.

Please print (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader), read, and carefully fill out the relevant form to bring to your appointment.