Health insurance plans that include chiropractic care usually require you to pay a deductible, the amount you must spend before your health insurance starts paying for care. Our office can help you understand your specific health insurance plan and coverage. Chiropractors work collaboratively as part of your circle of care team. They’re often found in private practice clinics, interprofessional health teams, and hospitals.
What’s Covered?
Chiropractic treatment uses hands-on manipulation of the spine, joints, and other body parts to ease pain, address injuries, improve alignment, and support the body’s natural ability to heal itself. It is commonly used to treat back pain but can effectively treat neck pain, joint pain, and headaches. Using insurance for chiropractic treatment can help you avoid the stress of costly medical bills that often come with other treatments. BCBS covers chiropractic care. It is working to ensure its providers are adequately trained to provide the best patient care. To do this, they teach chiropractors and physical therapists to follow a clinical pathway focusing on treating the patient at the right time. This helps them reduce unnecessary MRIs, surgeries, and opioids, resulting in better outcomes and lower costs.
What’s Not Covered?
Many patients may need to learn how their health insurance covers physiotherapy and chiropractic treatments. The best way to find out what specific treatment your health plan provides is to contact member support, which can be found on the back of your insurance card or through your health insurance company website. A chiropractor is a licensed healthcare professional who treats the body’s muscles, ligaments, and tendons, using manual manipulations to ease pain and discomfort. This type of care can help patients reduce their use of prescription medications and avoid surgeries that could be necessary for more severe conditions.
What’s the Limit?
Blue Cross Blue Shield companies offer various insurance options, including health and dental plans for individuals, small businesses, and large employers. They’re known for their excellent customer service and expansive networks. Most BCBS plans to limit chiropractic care in one way: They only cover the treatment if it’s “medically necessary.” That means your doctor must prescribe it, and it must be needed to correct a problem like a spinal misalignment (known as subluxation). However, some BCBS plans allow you to receive ongoing visits without needing authorization from your chiropractor. To find out more, check your plan’s coverage details online. It’s also a good idea to call your insurer directly and ask about their policies for continuing care.
What’s the Out-of-Pocket Cost?
About 20 million Americans visit chiropractors annually, spending an estimated $4 billion. Fortunately, most health insurance plans cover at least some of the cost of visits to the chiropractor, including those purchased outside of the healthcare marketplace established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as well as Medicare and Medicaid coverage. Generally speaking, most health insurance policies only cover chiropractic treatments if a doctor prescribes them as medically necessary, assuming they’re on their approved list of chiropractors. If your health insurance plan doesn’t fully cover chiropractic, it’s worth considering supplemental coverage that can help with the costs of your treatments. Some of these plans, which you buy on your own instead of through the healthcare marketplace, even provide chiropractic coverage that’s more comprehensive than what you get from your regular health insurance provider. If you find a supplemental health insurance policy covering chiropractic, discuss payment plans and discounts with your local chiropractor’s office team.
