How to Get Health Insurance to Cover Chiropractic Care
In the past, insurance carriers were reluctant to cover chiropractic care because they were viewed as unorthodox. Today that misconception has changed greatly, and most insurance carriers see the importance of chiropractic care. However, it is up to you to find out if your health insurance will cover your chiropractic care in advance.
Materials
- Copy of your health insurance policy
- Medical necessity
- Internet access
- Phone
- Read your insurance policy so you can know if you have chiropractic care in place. You can find this information under the approved provider section. Look to see the exclusions in the policy. Some insurance policy has a set limit of annual visits per diagnosis while others may have an annual limit. Contact your health insurance company if you are unclear about your benefits.
- Know your insurance type. A HMO (Healthcare Management Organization) or PPO (Preferred Provider Organization) plan generally stipulates that you can only see chiropractic providers in your network in order to receive in-network benefits. If you see a provider out-of-the network, your service could be denied or pay at lower fee subject to your deductible. This is why it is so important to understand your benefits.
- Appeal your chiropractic care denial if you know the service should be covered on your plan. Most insurance carriers have an appeal process where a medical reviewer would review your claim and determine medical necessity. However, your chiropractor will have to submit his office notes to the insurance carrier for them to review.
- Ask your chiropractor to arrange a payment plan if your insurance carrier does not deem all the services rendered medically necessary.
- Visit your state department of insurance website to find out your insurance coverage rights, and don't be afraid to file a complaint if you think your insurance carrier is not abiding by their contract.