Chiropractic care and insurance coverage can be daunting to navigate, but understanding your benefits is crucial to receiving the care you need without unexpected costs. Whether you’re dealing with chronic pain, seeking prenatal care, or considering chiropractic treatment for your child, we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Ultimately, the type of insurance you carry will determine if chiropractic care is covered or not. You will have to speak with your insurance agency to see if this type of service is covered, and if so, what chiropractors in your area take that insurance. Once you have those two things figured out— which is normally nothing more than a set of phone calls— you can plan for you appointment. When speaking to the chiropractor office of your choice, they will be able to tell you when and how much your co-pay will be for the services. Often, chiropractic plans require several adjustments and treatments depending on the issues being handled.
After your first appointment, when you have the care plan from your chiropractor, you will be given, or can ask for, what the insurance pays for and what will be out of your pocket. Most insurances and government insurances cover chiropractic care at little cost to you. There is often an original co-pay of $30-$45 on your first visit, and then part of your x-ray will be handled by you as well. These are are things that are subject to change based on your insurance provider. If additional x-rays need to be taken, there could be a higher cost depending on what your chiropractor decides to do.
Keep an open communication with the office to understand their expectations. They deal with insurance all the time and understand the flow of information. Ask them questions and get print outs, receipts, and documentation of what they say you need and what insurance told them they would cover. In order to avoid any surprise fees in your chiropractic care, double check that the office has spoken with your insurance before you go through with your appointment, and double check that they will fallow up with your insurance based on your care plan.
What are you paying for?
Chiropractic care can range in services depending on your needs, but most people will be in for basic back pain. This is caused by poor posture in both a seated and standing position, poor vitamin intake, lack of adequate stretching before rigorous activities, and general slow changes due to your daily life and work. Women who have had children often suffer from back pain due to the widening in the hips, months of carrying extra weight, and fast paced body changes.
Chiropractic care is provided for pregnant women, and generally encouraged depending on pregnancy and mother health. If you think you’ll want care during pregnancy, ask your insurance if and how this is covered to understand your co-pay responsibilities and fee ranges. Always inform your chiropractor if you are pregnant and be prepared for a slight shift in any pre-existing plan. Chiropractors are not doctors, and they will be relying on you to tell them of any high risk issues within your pregnancy as they do not have access to your medical records or charts.
Chiropractic Care in Children
Ask your insurance provider about chiropractic care for your babies or children. While not normally a huge topic in mom blogs, chiropractic care for children and infants has been shown to have highly positive feedback. It is generally safe to take infants a few weeks old to a chiropractor as long as it has been cleared by your child’s pediatrician. A misaligned spine from a difficult birth or sleeping in awkward positions is linked to a retinue of common infant issues. A misaligned spine can lead to a higher risk of asthma, digestive problems, and issues with latching. Getting adjustments can help with tummy troubles, acid reflux, and ear infections.
Of course, talk with your chiropractor and make sure they are skilled with infants and children before making the appointment, and always check with your child’s main healthcare provider to ensure they are not at high risk for injury because of pre-existing conditions.
If you are located in the South Bend, Indiana area and are looking for chiropractic treatment, Active Health and Wellness Center would be happy to serve you. Our Insurance Specialist will look into your specific plan to determine what care is covered and exactly what your copay will be for each visit.
Contact us here to discover more about your chiropractic care and insurance options.
