drjuliamandes@gmail.com
410-929-2293 | email, text or schedule online
Sliding Scale Pricing and Free Clinics
LIMITED AVAILABILITY
We have two offerings for low-cost acupuncture: Sliding-Scale treatments and Free Clinics. Sliding Scale treatments offer a 25-50% discount off the standard rates. Free Clinics are Pay-What-You-Can.
Check online scheduling for available dates or email to inquire. Upcoming dates are frequently announced on Instagram stories.
Do I Qualify?
Sliding scale pricing
Sliding scale is a tool that allows for a service to be obtained at multiple price points based on the circumstances of the purchaser. Sliding scale represents the idea that financial means should not be the determining factor in whether or not someone can access services. We do not ask for income verification. We trust you to be honest.
Practitioners deserve to be paid, and patients deserve quality care, which also recognizes the multiple realities of economic access and privilege that exist.
The Standard Price
This is the asking price, the top end of the sliding scale, and even over the sliding scale. It is a precedent of traditional medicine that the people who have, help pay for the people who have not. Paying above the high end of the sliding scale helps offset the costs incurred to the practitioners in their assistance to those with less access to resources. This price reflects the true cost of the service, and adequately covers the costs of the practitioner’s time and talents, expenses and student loans.
This is your price if you have access to financial security, own property and/or have access to savings, take vacations, have adequate health insurance, and have expendable income most months. If you are able to pay for “wants” and spend little time worrying about securing necessities, then you would not qualify for sliding scale pricing.
If you are currently not asking for, or not qualifying for, sliding-scale pricing from other health and wellness practitioners, we ask for the same consideration and request you pay the standard asking price.
The Mid-Level Price – Sliding Scale Treatment
This is roughly a 25-50% discount from the top end of the sliding scale. This price reflects a discounted cost from the true cost of the service and does not cover the true cost of the practitioner’s time and talents, expenses and student loans. This pricing is made available by community subsidization and the practitioners’ commitment to accessibility of this medicine.
This is your price if you are struggling to overcome debt or build savings or move away from paycheck-to-paycheck living but have access to steady income and are not spending most of your time worrying about meeting survival needs: food, shelter, medical care, childcare, etc.
The Lowest Price – Sliding Scale Treatment and/or Free Clinics
This is roughly a 50% or more discount from the top end of the sliding scale. This price reflects a deeply discounted cost from the true cost of the service, and does not cover the true costs of the practitioner’s time and talents, expenses and student loans. This pricing is made available by community subsidization and the practitioners’ commitment to accessibility of this medicine.
This price is for you if you struggle to maintain access to survival needs such as healthcare, housing, food, childcare, and are living paycheck-to-paycheck, and/or are in significant debt.
Pay-What-You-Can Free Clinics
LIMITED AVAILABILITY
This is an offering for people who cannot afford acupuncture treatment, even on a sliding scale. We ask for a donation to help offset costs of acupuncture supplies and rent; however, no one will be turned away due to lack of resources. There is an anonymous donation jar in the waiting room so no money will exchange hands with your practitioner.
Cash and Venmo Only!
Anything from $0-$100+ is graciously accepted.
Higher donation amounts help offset treatment costs for people who cannot afford to donate.
Free Clinics offer private care, an hour of one-on-one acupuncture intake, diagnosis, and full-body treatment. Acupuncture students may be present as volunteers.
New patients and returning patients are welcome.
We ask that you commit to your appointment time and date, and please only cancel if it is an emergency. There is a high demand for this kind of subsidized acupuncture offering, and last-minute cancellations are hard to fill. If you have to, please cancel your appointment at your soonest possible chance to allow us to offer your time slot to people on the waitlist.
Please plan on arriving early. Latecomers may have their treatment time shortened or cancelled dependent on how late they arrive.
Please follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the loop for future Pay-What-You-Can offerings!
