You are most likely here because you have been injured. Due to these injuries, you’re now trying to find a treatment that helps you get better without the use of unnecessary narcotics, or surgeries with long recovery periods. Now you’re probably wondering – Does insurance cover chiropractic treatments? Stay tuned for some information that will allow you to receive the treatment you deserve at an affordable price!
Status of coverage: It is important to mention that these treatments are based on the idea of rehabilitative and habilitative services. Therefore, this type of care is seen by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as an essential health benefit. Chiropractic care is also defined as a style of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). This is a really good thing as treatment categorized as an essential benefit will allow you to get the care you need.
Types of Coverage: Your coverage will be dependent on the type of plan you have. For example, if you possess Medicare Part B, you shall be entitled for the basic types of treatments that are available, such as manipulation of the spine or the nervous system.
- Aside from Medicare Part B, other plans within Blue Cross generally allow a patient 20 to 30 visits a year to the chiropractor’s office on the premise that it is an essential health benefit.
- Medicare Supplemental Insurance or MedSup generally covers basic treatments as well Within MedSup, you’d find the Medicare F plan, which generally covers the financial gaps of Medicare A or B. In today’s Marketplace, this plan is the most desired by Americans as on average, the holder will rarely have to pay out of pocket costs for x rays, rehabilitation, or practices like acupuncture.
Treatment: Now that we have gotten costs out of the way, and you’re more informed about what types of insurance plans may work for you – Let’s get to the good stuff: Chiropractic treatment!
We had mentioned the importance of chiropractic treatment, the main one being spine manipulation, also called Osteopathic manipulation. The fact that you will be able to get this treatment is already great news. According to the National Center for Complementary and Integrated Health, (NIH) 67 percent of adults used spine manipulation treatment for any specific health condition that was affecting their day to day activity.
With this type of treatment we will be able to tackle issues such as sciatica, a severe pain deriving from the sciatic nerve which affects the muscles of the back of the knee and the lower leg. With osteopathic manipulation, there have been proven studies that after 12 weeks patients used less medication, and began to feel alot better. Our goal is to use less pain killers, and more physical movement. This treatment also lessens lower back pain, headaches, memory loss, and neck pain.
Myofascial release: This is a massage based treatment that targets the myofascial tissue. This type of tissue covers, protects, and holds together an individual’s muscle. The chiropractor will use this therapy to locate areas of tension so that with massage and technique, pressure may be released and lessen tension.
Indirect Positional Technique: This therapy involves giving hypertonic muscles (overly toned muscles) more range of motion which is sometimes lost by the amount of tension within them. Patients may feel a numbing sensation, or lack of mobility. The chiropractor will thus exert force onto the area to “lengthen” the muscle and replenish its normal form of mobility.
Functional Technique: Lastly, this therapy is meant to target the patient’s joints so that they may free them from restriction and also improve mobility. The technique is to firmly press upon the point of tension in the joint, until tension is released.
All of this specialized care, alongside the different types of insurance plans provided above, will allow you to be more prepared when you venture out looking for a solution to your pain. These are options that will save you the hassle of putting unnecessary pain relievers into your system. Many intensive surgical procedures will leave you bedridden for months on end, with even more pain than before. Make the right choice, and get the chiropractic care you deserve!