How is Healthy You Endocrinology and Weight Loss different from a traditional endocrinology practice?

Healthy You operates on a Direct Care model without the constraints of insurance billing. This allows Dr. Borensztein to take on a smaller patient panel, offering same-week appointments, longer visits (60–90 minutes for new patients), transparent pricing, and direct access to the doctor between visits. There are no surprise bills — all costs are listed upfront and HSA/FSA payments are accepted.

Does Healthy You accept Medicare or Medicaid?

Healthy You accepts select Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans on a limited basis. Medicaid is not accepted. Medicare and Medicaid patients cannot enroll in the membership program. Please call the office at 856-559-7616 for current availability.

How quickly can a new patient get an appointment?

New patients can typically be seen within the same week, often the same day or the next day. Patients are encouraged to gather their health records before their appointment to make the most of their visit.

Can I be reimbursed by my insurance for visits at Healthy You?

If your insurance plan includes out-of-network coverage, you may be able to submit a superbill (which the practice will provide) for reimbursement. Reimbursement is not guaranteed. HSA and FSA funds can also be used to pay for visits. Contact your insurance company to confirm your out-of-network benefits.

Can I still use my insurance for labs, imaging, and prescriptions?

Yes, in most cases you can use your insurance for labs, imaging, and prescriptions ordered by Dr. Borensztein. In rare instances, insurance may deny payment for testing ordered by an out-of-network provider. If you are concerned, it is best to check with your insurance company directly.

What is included in the Healthy You membership?

The Weight Loss and Endocrine Memberships include unlimited in-person and telemedicine visits, direct text access to Dr. Borensztein, prior authorization support, letters and forms, and communication with other medical offices. Weight Loss members also receive monthly body composition analysis and access to a members-only site with recipes, workouts, and blog posts. Memberships start at $125/month for Endocrine and $200/month for Weight Loss.

What ages does Healthy You treat?

Healthy You typically sees patients age 16 and older. For patients under 18, it is recommended to call the office first at 856-559-7616 to confirm that the appropriate care can be provided.

What conditions does Dr. Borensztein treat?

Dr. Borensztein treats the full spectrum of endocrine conditions including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, Graves' disease, thyroid nodules, Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, insulin resistance, PCOS, menopause and perimenopause, hormone replacement therapy (HRT), adrenal disorders (Cushing's syndrome, adrenal insufficiency), pituitary disorders, osteoporosis, hyperparathyroidism, and medical weight loss with GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy, Zepbound, and Ozempic.

Does Healthy You offer telemedicine appointments?

Yes. Telemedicine visits are available for established patients located in New Jersey or Pennsylvania. New patient first visits are required to be in person at the Collingswood, NJ office.

Where is Healthy You Endocrinology located?

Healthy You Endocrinology and Weight Loss is located at 900 Haddon Avenue, Suite 409, Collingswood, NJ 08108 — just outside of Philadelphia. There is onsite parking and the PATCO station is nearby. Call 856-559-7616 or email info@healthyyouendo.com.

What Does a Menopause Specialist Do — and What to Look For

Aug 6

Written By Alejandra Borensztein

If you've spent the last few years feeling like your own body stopped answering to you — sleep that won't come, a brain that won't focus, weight that won't budge, moods that swing without warning — and you've been told it's "just part of getting older," you are not imagining things, and you are not out of options.

You may also have been offered an antidepressant, a sleep aid, or a shrug, when what you actually needed was someone to look at the whole picture. That's the gap a menopause specialist is meant to fill. Here's what one actually does, and how to tell a good one from someone selling you hormones out of a brochure.

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What a menopause specialist actually does

Menopause isn't a single event — it's a transition that can stretch across a decade, from the hormonal turbulence of perimenopause through the years well past your final period. A specialist's job is to treat that whole arc, not just the hot flashes.

In practice, that means:

Sorting out what's actually happening. Perimenopause is a clinical diagnosis based on your age, your cycle changes, and your symptoms — not a single blood test on a single day. A good specialist knows that hormone levels fluctuate wildly during this stage, and interprets your story first rather than chasing a number.

Talking through hormone therapy honestly. Menopausal hormone therapy (often called MHT or HRT) is the most effective treatment we have for hot flashes, night sweats, sleep disruption, and vaginal and urinary symptoms — and for many women it also protects bone. For two decades, fear from the early Women's Health Initiative headlines kept women from a treatment that was often appropriate for them. We now understand far more, including the timing hypothesis: for most healthy women who start therapy near the onset of menopause and before age 60, the benefits typically outweigh the risks. A specialist can walk you through where you actually fall on that risk-benefit line — not a one-size-fits-all yes or no.

‍ Individualizing the details. There's a real difference between an estradiol patch and an oral estrogen, between micronized progesterone and older synthetic progestins, and between systemic therapy and a low-dose vaginal product for local symptoms. Matching the formulation, dose, and route to your health history and preferences is most of the work.

Offering real non-hormonal options too. Not everyone can or wants to take hormones. A specialist should be fluent in the evidence-based non-hormonal treatments for hot flashes and sleep, and know when to use them.

Looking past the symptoms to the long game. Menopause is a cardiometabolic and skeletal turning point. Bone loss accelerates, body composition shifts, cholesterol and blood sugar can drift. Good menopause care includes bone health, heart health, and metabolic health — and connects the dots between your thyroid, your hormones, and your metabolism rather than treating each in a separate silo.

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What to look for

Credentials that mean something. The gold standard is a clinician certified by The Menopause Society (you'll see the letters MSCP — Menopause Society Certified Practitioner). It signals that someone has done the dedicated training and stays current with the evidence, rather than picking up menopause on the side. Board certification in a relevant specialty — endocrinology, OB-GYN, or internal medicine — is another strong signal.

An evidence-based, individualized approach. You want someone who asks about your symptoms, your history, and your goals, and then tailors a plan — not someone who puts every patient on the same protocol.

Time and access. Menopause care is nuanced and rarely solved in a seven-minute visit. Look for a practice that gives you enough time to actually be heard, and a way to reach your clinician when something changes.

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Straight answers about risk. A trustworthy specialist neither dismisses hormone therapy out of outdated fear nor oversells it as an anti-aging miracle. They'll give you the honest, personalized version.

Red flags worth walking away from

The menopause space has attracted a lot of marketing that dresses itself up as medicine. A few things that should make you pause:

Expensive "advanced" hormone testing — saliva panels, urine-metabolite tests, or a pricey blood panel sold as the key to your perimenopause. These rarely change appropriate treatment and are often a sales funnel, not a diagnostic tool.
Aggressively marketed hormone pellets. Pellet therapy is frequently promoted with big promises and can deliver supraphysiologic, hard-to-adjust hormone doses. Be cautious of any practice that pushes one delivery method for everyone.
"Bioidentical" as a marketing term. Many well-studied, FDA-approved hormones are already bioidentical. The word is often used to imply that custom-compounded products are safer or more natural — a claim the evidence doesn't support.
Supplement upsells. If the visit ends with a cart full of proprietary supplements you can only buy there, the incentives aren't pointed at your health.
Pseudo-diagnoses like "adrenal fatigue," offered as an explanation for menopausal symptoms. That's a signal the framework isn't evidence-based.

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When to see one

You don't have to wait until things are unbearable. It's worth seeing a menopause specialist if you're noticing changes in your cycle, sleep, mood, memory, or body composition in your 40s or 50s; if hot flashes or night sweats are disrupting your life; if vaginal dryness or urinary symptoms are affecting comfort or intimacy; if you're weighing hormone therapy and want a clear-eyed read on the risks and benefits for you; or if you simply feel dismissed and want someone who takes this seriously.

Menopause is a normal transition — but "normal" doesn't mean you have to white-knuckle your way through it. With the right specialist, most women can feel meaningfully better.

Dr. Alejandra Borensztein is a triple board-certified endocrinologist, obesity medicine specialist, and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner (MSCP), and the founder of Healthy You Endocrinology & Weight Loss in Collingswood, NJ. She offers in-person care in South Jersey and telemedicine across New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

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Healthy You Endocrinology & Weight Loss | Dr. Alejandra Borensztein, MD, DABOM, MSCP
900 Haddon Ave, Suite 409, Collingswood, NJ 08108 | 856-559-7616 | healthyyouendo.com

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Alejandra Borensztein