Many major medical plans, including Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and Aetna, cover chiropractic care. Whether recovering from an injury or chronic back pain, a chiropractor can improve your posture, balance, strength, and vitality.
Leading health insurers like BCBS cover chiropractic treatments and other drug-free pain management methods. Tricare, for example, will include chiropractic coverage for active-duty military personnel and their family members starting next year.
Ask For A Referral From Your Primary Care Physician
Many health care plans require that a member sees their primary care physician before they can be referred to a specialist. This step is meant to help ensure the referral is medically necessary and will be covered by the health care plan.
Sadly, primary care doctors don’t always refer when it’s necessary. They may believe that the condition can be adequately addressed in their office, or they may need to be made aware of the advantages of chiropractic care.
Ask your doctor if you should see a chiropractor. The expert will get an insurance authorization number that must be supplied before making any appointments, ensuring that you can use your insurance benefits.
Schedule a Consultation
Some 20 million Americans visit chiropractors yearly, spending $4 billion on treatments. Despite this, many health insurance policies don’t cover chiropractic visits or place limits on them. This includes most policies bought on the marketplace set up by the Affordable Care Act and even Medicare and Medicaid coverage.
Fortunately, supplemental plans are available. These are designed to pay for medical expenses that your standard health insurance policy won’t and often include chiropractic treatment among them. However, they may have a few restrictions, such as requiring a referral from your primary physician and restrictions on how many chiropractic visits you can make per month or year. Nonetheless, they are worth checking out if you want to maximize your BCBS benefits for chiropractic care. Most chiropractors will list accepted insurance on their professional websites. Additionally, they’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have. This will help you decide whether or not a specific chiropractor is the right fit for your health needs and treatment goals.
Book Your First Appointment
For generations, people have relied on chiropractic therapy as a secure, all-natural, non-invasive type of treatment to help them manage their pain and get their bodies back in balance. Health insurance programs, including BCBS, frequently cover it. Finding a chiropractor in the network is crucial if your insurance company supports chiropractic care.
You can use the Blue Access for MembersSM search tool on your smartphone or computer to find a chiropractor in your network. You can also call the member service number on your ID card for a personalized search based on your plan and network.
Checking your individual and family coverage limits is also a good idea. Many health insurance providers require that you meet an individual or family deductible before they begin to pay benefits. Deductibles typically reset on January 1st, so now is a great time to start getting chiropractic care to maximize your health insurance benefits for the year ahead.
Follow Up Appointments
During follow-up appointments, your chiropractor will assess your progress and modify your treatment plan accordingly. The chiropractor will also take x-rays as needed (usually covered by Medicare Advantage Plans).
Chiropractic, a branch of medicine, is concerned with the neuromusculoskeletal system and how it connects to overall health. Chiropractic care includes patient assessment, diagnosis, and treatment—all without using drugs. Additionally, chiropractors are taught to suggest dietary, herbal, or lifestyle changes and therapeutic and rehabilitative activities.
