Has the medical community responded to your efforts? Yes, and the response has been resoundingly positive. Some examples: LIQUID HOPE: “Functional Formularies product is exactly the sort of formula that I have long looked, and hoped for. It offers the kind of positive experience – of both good nutrition and active participation in promoting one’s own health—that all of us need, particularly when we’re at our most vulnerable.” ~ James S. Gordon, MD Founder and Director of The Center for Mind-Body Medicine and Food as Medicine conference. “Wow this product is AWESOME!!! As an exercise specialist with over 20 years of professional experience I have never encountered a nutritional product quite like Liquid Hope. Simply put—it’s perfect and I can not wait to introduce Liquid Hope to all my clients.” ~ Brad Thorpe RTSm, MATCS Creator of the Isometric Training System “Finally, a formula that delivers the healing power of nutrition from organic, whole foods. This is the “food as medicine” nutrition support product that patients have been hungry for!” ~ Kathie Madonna Swift, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND Swift Nutrition Recently named by Today’s Dietitian as one of the top Registered Dietitians in the country who are “making a difference”. “As consumers become more savvy about true, whole foods nutrition, they balk upon reading the ingredient list of common hospital-based meal replacement formulas. Yours fills the void nicely!” ~ Jeanne M. Wallace, PhD, CNC Nutritional Solutions Widely regarded as one of the nation’s most prominent experts in nutritional oncology. “I cannot overstate what I feel to be the need for such a whole foods based product and I predict that once it is available, many, many physicians and other healthcare providers will jump for joy at the prospect of being able to offer their patients HOPE and a truly healthy option.” ~ Kristine Noonan RN CHHC Board Certified Health Counselor Honor & Hope Wellness Center “I have been working with people who have cancer for the last 13 years and been a nurse for over 30 years. I have been searching for a “whole food” based, nutrient dense formula to recommend to my patients my entire career! Liquid Hope is truly an answer to this prayer. There is NOTHING out there that is suitable for human consumption. Those products are filled with chemicals and sugar, which PROMOTE disease. People need “food” to assist the body’s innate quest to heal, strengthen the immune system, and support that process. It truly does give HOPE!” ~ Laurie McCracken, RN, OCN, HHC “Thank you for thinking outside the box and developing products to help folks who are ill.” ~ Jean Schmidt United States Congress NOURISH: “We are very excited that Nourish is finally on the market. Blenderized foods are a benefit for patients who have intolerances or are allergic to certain ingredients in standard enteral formulas. It is also a quality-of-life issue as some of the patients prefer natural, organic, and real foods. In addition, in our experience, tube-fed children especially experienced better GI tolerance, health, and well-being when using blenderized foods. Nourish, Functional Formularies’ new commercially available blenderized tube feeding formula, will alleviate a risk of inadequate or unbalanced nutritional intake, microbial contamination, and tube clogging when compared to blends made at home.” ~ Yuliya Rekhtman, MD Associate Professor Chief Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Georgetown University Hospital “Whole, nutritious, real foods should be a part of everyone’s diet, including and especially for children with feeding tubes. Just because someone has a feeding tube does not mean they need to be succumbed to solely eating formula with added sugar and other unwanted additives day in and day out. You try drinking those conventional formulas for the rest of your life! I am elated that there is finally a ready-to-feed formula out there for children, made from all real foods, is nutritionally complete, and with no added sugar, juice, or unwanted additives. As a dietitian providing blenderized formulas for children, I have seen the benefits of real food in a child’s growth, bowel function, skin and hair health, and overall nutrition status. I cannot wait to recommend Nourish to my patients!” ~ Robyn Felten MS, RD, LDN, CNSC Medical Advisory Board – Functional Formularies
Why are most of your products free of fruits and added sugar? At Functional Formularies, we focus on the latest research and use it to guide our ingredient choices to ensure that every ingredient that our products contain provides the maximum health benefit for our consumers. Research supports that added sugar contributes to many disease processes. Since we work with patients who have a variety of health challenges, we make every effort to provide the very best nutritional support possible. In order to do this, we consciously avoid the use of sugar and use only the fruits that contribute the most potent levels of antioxidants and polyphenols while remaining low in fructose. We are committed to remaining research focused and continually improve our products based on the most current research available.
Is this safe? What the medical profession has forgotten, for the most part, is that feeding tube formulas used to be prepared from real food and used to be the standard of care in hospitals and long term care facilities. Functional Formularies products meet all food safety requirements and meet all GRAS, HACCP, and CGMP standards. Functional Formularies products are produced in an FDA/USDA registered facility with a USDA inspector on site. They undergo thorough testing before they are released from the manufacturer. They are both shelf-stable, require no refrigeration, and have a two year shelf life. We believe we have the ideal real foods formulas that are a true meal replacement and can be someone’s sole source of nutrition.
Are there any variations in consistency with a real food product? Liquid Hope and Nourish undergo regular nutritional assessment and lab testing. However, as with all real food products, the nutrient levels may vary a bit due to growing season, soil, and weather conditions. If you have specific dietary restrictions that require you to be exact with certain nutrient levels, please discuss the use of this product with a health care provider.
Does insurance cover Functional Formularies products? Yes! More than 96% of insurances cover our products (Medicare, Medicaid, and many private insurances). At Functional Formularies we have patient advocates available to help you gain insurance coverage for our products. Please email us at: insurance@functionalformularies.com or call us at 937.433.HOPE (4673) and we will set up an appointment for you with a patient advocate. Click here for Insurance information. We are the first organic enteral formula to be approved by Medicare. Liquid Hope: HCPCS Code: B4149 Insurance Data Bank & Billing Code: 57858-0004-11* Nourish: HCPCS Code: B4149 Insurance Data Bank & Billing Code: 57858-0004-12* Nourish Peptide : HCPCS Code: B4161 Insurance Data Bank & Billing Code: 57858-0004-27* Liquid Hope Peptide: HCPCS Code: B4153 Insurance Data Bank & Billing Code: 57858-0004-28* Keto Peptide: HCPCS Code: B4153, B4161 Insurance Data Bank & Billing Code: 57858-0004-24* ** Medicare, Medicaid and health insurers may ask you to provide a National Drug Code/NDC number for insurance claims, billing or reimbursement purposes. Because our products are whole foods and do not constitute “drugs”, we have an Insurance Data Bank and Billing Code that you should use when asked for an NDC number for our products.
How many ounces are in each pouch? Why are there variables in mL from pouch to pouch? By law, we are required to list the “ounces” and “grams,” which are measures of weight, not measures of volume, on the food label. Because the formula is made from real food, its density can vary and, as such, so can the volume of the formula in each pouch. Rest assured, each pouch contains 341 grams (Keto Peptide has 227 grams) as measured on a gram scale. All nutritional information stated on our website and packaging is correct. It is calculated and tested per pouch, and the most accurate measure is 341 grams (227 grams for Keto Peptide) which is what our manufacturers use as a gauge of measurement on calibrated scales. Anything pouch below 341 grams (227 grams for Keto Peptide) is rejected. The conversation of weight is a complex one due to the fact that our product, per food labeling laws, has to show 12 ounces (8 ounces for Keto Peptide) on the label. However, our products are not fluid ounces as most people expect, due to the viscosity. A glass measuring cup or syringe with ounce measurements is designed to measure only fluid ounces. Our product, due to it not being “fluid” or thin as water, will only show 10 ounces (6 ounces for Keto Peptide). We have done our best to offer accurate mL measures as a courtesy knowing that RDs are used to working with this measuring system. Why are there variables in mL from pouch to pouch? When it comes to measuring solids, weight (grams) is generally considered as more accurate than volume (mL). This is because the weight of a substance on Earth will remain constant even if its surrounding condition changes (e.g. if it gets hotter or colder). On the other hand, the amount of space (volume) occupied by a substance—especially if it is a liquid—can be affected by things like changes in temperature without the substance changing its form.