Though your health insurance may have benefits for chiropractic care, patients are frequently hesitant to use these benefits due to the limitations that health insurance plans put on your care. It has always been perplexing to understand how insurance companies determine the number of visits they will allow for chiropractic care. Perhaps it’s a general consensus determined by statistics or an algorithm or a determination by the insurance industry as to how much they can afford to pay for each patient and still stay profitable, but it rarely takes an individual approach to patient care. In addition to that, fee schedules, deductibles, coinsurance and copays vary for every insurance plan available. Understanding your benefits is often difficult and a cumbersome task. Medicare policies, as well as many other insurance plans do not cover the cost of chiropractic exams and x-rays, and only cover the cost of spinal adjustments. Extraspinal adjustments for the necessary healing of shoulders, hips, extremities, jaws, etc. are typically not covered by many insurance plans.
Today, many patients are opting out of utilizing their insurance for certain healthcare professions like naturopathic providers, chiropractors, acupuncturists, therapists and other types of care that negate prescription drugs. They understand the healing benefits of these modalities that address the root cause of disease in the body, and do not allow insurance to dictate their importance. In addition, patients are finding that many practitioners are opting out of participating with health insurance companies due to slow or inadequate payments, red tape for authorizations and claims payments, and the long process of credentialing their providers. Affordable payment options are available as more and more patients seek this type of care. Chiropractic care is especially growing in popularity as patients discover what an essential role it takes in their health. They would rather have the care for low cost Self Pay prices, than be at the mercy of their insurance limitations.
