Michael & Karen's Health Options
Functional & metabolic care

Three practices worth interviewing.

This page gives us one place to compare the care, costs, and tradeoffs. We can schedule the free calls, record what we learn, and decide together.

The shortlist

What each practice does best

Each option solves a different problem. The consultation should tell us whether the practice can own enough of our medical care to justify the cost.

Option 02

Med Matrix

Comprehensive Maine functional medicine in South Portland

Best local testing
  • Local care: Maine medical team with MD, PA, NP, and ND clinicians in one South Portland practice.
  • Testing: 80+ biomarker panel, body composition scan, full thyroid and metabolic markers, and a 60-minute review.
  • Scope: Functional medicine, hormones, autoimmune issues, gut health, metabolic health, heart-risk markers, and chronic symptoms.
  • Access: Direct messaging and ongoing follow-up after the initial workup.
  • Diet fit: Their site does not promise carnivore support. We need to ask whether the assigned clinician is comfortable supervising it.
Published cost $1,200 to $1,500 onboarding Includes labs, scan, prep, and initial consultation. Follow-ups are $275. Cash-pay, HSA/FSA accepted.

Ask about: The real first-year budget, which tests are medically necessary, carnivore support, and whether supplements, peptides, hormones, or GLP-1s are optional.

Option 03

Revero

Nationwide low-carb medical program co-founded by Dr. Shawn Baker

Best carnivore fit
  • Diet fit: The strongest low-carb and carnivore culture of the three.
  • Medical care: A licensed medical provider, baseline labs, follow-up labs, biomarker review, and medication adjustments for conditions they treat.
  • Support: Daily health coaching, app messaging, and weekly meetings led by Dr. Shawn Baker.
  • Conditions: Metabolic, digestive, autoimmune, skin, and joint conditions, including hypertension and GERD.
  • Maine: Revero says clinicians are available in all 50 states. Confirm the name and Maine license of our assigned provider.
Published cost $199/month Billed $796 every four months, or $229 month-to-month. Regular labs are included. HSA/FSA eligible.

Ask about: Revero does not manage cardiovascular or lipid treatment, complex thyroid care, HRT, or every routine primary care need. Find out exactly what remains with a separate PCP.

Side by side

The decision in one table

Question Toward Health Med Matrix Revero
Carnivore support Explicitly supported Must confirm Core strength
Prescriptions and deprescribing Yes Yes, by prescribing clinicians For conditions Revero treats
Blood pressure care Clear medical scope Confirm provider and plan Within program scope
Lipids, ApoB, CAC/CCTA Clear medical scope Advanced markers available Lipid treatment excluded
Local in-person option Virtual South Portland Virtual
Broad functional testing Problem-based testing Deepest testing menu Defined routine panel
Cost predictability Membership plus outside costs Depends on testing and treatment Most predictable
Separate PCP likely needed Needs a direct answer Yes, for routine and acute care Yes
Use the same questions

What to ask on every call

Using the same questions will make the answers easier to compare.

  1. Who would be our assigned clinician, and are they authorized to treat us while we are in Maine?
  2. Can you handle routine labs, blood pressure medication, refills, prevention, and acute questions?
  3. Will you support long-term carnivore if our symptoms and labs are monitored?
  4. How do you evaluate rising LDL-C or ApoB in someone eating low-carb? Do you use CAC or CCTA in the decision?
  5. Which labs are included, which are optional, and what does a typical first year cost after outside expenses?
  6. Would you expect us to maintain a separate PCP? If yes, what stays with that PCP?
  7. Are supplements, GLP-1s, hormone therapy, peptides, or specialty test packages optional?
  8. We decline COVID-19 mRNA vaccination. Will that affect acceptance or how we are treated?
After each call

Decision tracker

Save notes on this device after each consultation. Use “Copy decision summary” to send the notes to each other or keep them somewhere permanent.

Toward Health

Med Matrix

Revero