Frequently Asked Questions

Access Membership is available nationwide. Lab draw locations are NOT available in AK and HI, however members from those states will have the option to have their blood drawn in an available nearby state.

Root is 100% Insurance-Free. No surprise bills. No co-pays. No deductibles. No co-insurance. Yes transparency, ease and affordability of testing. Root does not accept insurance or assist with any insurance claims, but Root is FSA/HSA eligible. Members receive itemized receipts for lab costs directly after purchase for submitting to an FSA/HSA plan.

Yes - we accept both HSA and FSA cards. It is important to note that we always recommend that our members reach out to these entities directly for questions, as guidelines can vary per your administrator. 

Members can expect to receive an itemized receipt via e-mail with the order confirmation. Root does not provide a Tax ID number, medical diagnosis, or diagnostic codes. Reimbursement is not guaranteed. Please contact your FSA/HSA provider in advance to confirm terms of reimbursement

Your lab results will include opinions from our nationally leading functional medicine team. You can also find additional lab interpretation resources in the Root Community. If you have an abnormal result, you can download these results to discuss with your PCP or add a visit for a detailed lab review with a Root physician. Root doctors are board-certified and licensed MDs/DOs with expertise in both conventional and functional medicine. They excel at interpreting lab results through a functional medicine lens, focusing on what is optimal rather than just what is normal. 

Everything from our curated lab panels to our meal plans, educational videos, and monthly Root Talks is created by our in-house functional medicine doctors and dietitians. With years of experience working one-on-one with members to address health concerns at the root cause, many of our team members still actively work with Premium members today. We’ve seen it happen before—wellness company leaders becoming out of touch because they haven’t been hands-on for so long. That’s not us. We are in this field daily and stay on top of the latest research with in house Root functional medicine education and collaboration. 

Direct Communication: You can actually talk to us! Whether in the community or during monthly education sessions with our doctors, we’re here for you.

Labs Available: Root offers a blend of conventional blood draw labs and functional testing for advanced diagnostics you can do from home.

Lab Support: We don’t just leave you hanging with your labs. We provide interpretation resources to help you understand your results.

Upgrade Flexibility: If needed, you have the option to upgrade and work one-on-one with our doctors and dietitians.

Community and Resources: We offer an entire community filled with helpful resources, including easy-to-digest videos on functional medicine topics, full online courses (like Limbic System Retraining & Metabolism), and meal plans.

Customized Lab Panels: Our lab panels aren’t one-size-fits-all. You can choose what makes the most sense for your situation. For example, instead of spending $500 on the same panel that everyone gets (and parts that are not relevant for you), you could simply do a $75 thyroid panel to start! Then, benefit from the opinions and resources of top doctors and dietitians.

Individuals age 18 and older who live in the United States. (See FAQ on where Root is available). Access Members are part of the Root Community and must treat each other and our Root team with kindness and respect. 

Root has partnered with Quest Labs. You can find a draw center location here. Choose "all other labs" when searching for a location near you.

Root test kits can be collected at home and sent to the corresponding lab with the pre-paid shipping label included. 

Typically, within 2 weeks of completing your kit of blood draw your results will be available and 2-3 days after this, your results will have comments from the Root team visible on your dashboard.

No advanced testing availability: Primary Care and Conventional Providers do not have access to this level of advanced testing. Some of the labs they may have, but Root's catalog of functional testing far exceeds what conventional doctors are able to order. For example, a conventional stool test does not adequately evaluate the microbiome. Nutrient levels are often not offered, or if they are cost hundreds of dollars for each biomarker.

Costs guessing game: There is no way to know what your lab bill will end up being after being submitted to insurance. Most of our members who have tried this end up with bills over $2000 for the Root wellness panel.

Functional Medicine insights: The way labs levels are evaluated through a functional medicine lens is different. We go far beyond "normal/abnormal" and explain what the results mean and how they can be optimized. Root doctors have years of experience interpreting these labs and evaluating root causes. 

All of our MD or DO physicians are board certified in family medicine or internal medicine and certified by the Institute of Functional Medicine (IFM). While there are other companies claiming to certify practitioners in functional medicine, IFM is the gold standard. IFM is the only organization providing functional medicine certification with educational programs directly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the governing body for official continuing education credits for physicians.

Our Dietitian Nutritionists have masters level nutrition training and additional advanced training and experience in functional nutrition.

These are the Root clinicians with years of experience who review and provide written comments on your lab results.