Chiropractic care can be an excellent alternative treatment option for aches and pain throughout the body. Every year, over 20 million Americans visit chiropractors across the nation for various ailments. If you have been injured recently or experience frequent pain in your lower back, you may be considering visiting a chiropractor and wondering about whether your health insurance covers chiropractic care.
Does my insurance cover chiropractic care?
Deductibles
Why doesn’t health insurance cover maintenance care?
What can I do if my health insurance doesn’t cover my care?
Does my insurance cover chiropractic care?
As stated above, seeking chiropractic care is fairly common. Fortunately, most insurance companies cover chiropractic care but do require a co-payment.
Chiropractic care is included in most health insurance plans, including major medical plans such as workers’ compensation, Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna, Humana, Aetna, and UnitedHealthcare. (Sagicor, Pan American, Nagico, beacon, guardian, etc in St. Lucia) It is often also made available to all active-duty members of the armed forces, eligible veterans, and federal employees.
It is important to note that though these companies cover chiropractic care, their coverage may be limited and come with certain restrictions including:
A referral from your primary care physician stating that care is medically necessary
A cap on how many times you can receive treatment within a month or year
They may make you use in-network or approved chiropractors
They may require your doctor to create an active care plan and follow it
Most insurance plans will only cover your short-term care during recovery and will not pay for maintenance visits or long-term care plans.
Due to the unique nature of health insurance and state mandates, we always recommend patients check with their insurance company and specific health plans as each will have different requirements, limits to care, and levels of coverage.
Deductibles
Some policies require that you meet your deductible, or a minimum dollar amount before your benefits will kick in. If your insurance does cover chiropractic treatment and you’ve met their specific requirements, you can expect to pay a portion of the cost of treatment, assuming you’ve met your deductible. If you haven’t met your deductible, you will have to pay the full price until you’ve met the minimum dollar amount for your policy.
Deductibles often reset on January 1st, so if you have met your deductible and are still needing treatment, now is the time to receive care to avoid having to begin paying toward your deductible again after the new year.
Why doesn’t health insurance cover maintenance care?
Coverage is often provided when care is part of an active treatment plan, meaning you are receiving care to treat a specific injury and that the treatment is currently improving your condition and symptoms. When significant treatment can no longer be expected from the care, treatment then becomes supportive rather than corrective, becoming maintenance care. Since most insurance companies only cover care for medically necessary treatments, maintenance care is not considered covered and therefore not payable.
What can I do if my health insurance doesn’t cover my care?
If your insurance doesn’t cover your health plan involving chiropractic care, talk to your doctor to see if they can help. They may be able to reach out to your insurance company on your behalf and explain their referral. You can also reach out to the company yourself and explain your story to them. If they do not cover your care, you may have to pay out of pocket for chiropractic care. Remember to discuss payment plans or other discounts you may be eligible for at our office during your consultation. Another option for those whose insurance doesn’t fully cover chiropractic care is supplemental coverage which can be used in addition to the healthcare you currently have.
Our team is always looking for new ways to help our patients receive quality and affordable chiropractic care. Whether you need an exam for an injury, rehabilitation services, or treatment for a chronic condition, we are here for you and happy to schedule an appointment to get the care you need. For more information on our services and how we can help you, please contact Dynamic Spine Center.
What are some common auto accident injuries that you treat?
How does chiropractic care address auto accident injuries?
What if I’m just experiencing minor pain?
Should I go to the emergency room?
What are some common auto accident injuries that you treat?
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries we see at our clinic. This type of injury occurs when the soft tissues that surround the spine get damaged. The two most common symptoms of whiplash are neck pain and stiffness. These often don’t occur until a day or two after the accident. Herniated and slipped discs also often occur as a result of auto accidents. With this type of injury, one or more of the fluid-filled discs located between the vertebrae become forced out of place due to the impact of the accident. The most common types of car accident injuries are12:
Soft tissue injuries, which include muscle contusions, sprains, bruises, and other damage to the soft tissues in the body.
Chest injuries, which frequently occur during car accidents.
Arm and leg injuries, such as fractures, sprains, and dislocations.
Head injuries, which can range from mild concussions to traumatic brain injuries.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which can occur after a traumatic event.
How does chiropractic care address auto accident injuries?
Chiropractic care is an ideal way to address auto accident injuries such as whiplash and herniated/bulging discs. That’s because these chiropractic techniques are drug-free, non-invasive, and gentle.
Recovering from a car accident involves a lot more than just having to deal with immediate injuries, car repairs, and insurance claims. For your best care and to ensure there are no long-term complications it is important to prioritize treating any lingering pain and discomfort that arises after the accident.
Whiplash is one of the most common injuries people face in car accidents. Any car accident doctor will tell you that typically neck pain, muscle spasms, stiffness, and other symptoms develop within 24 hours, if not immediately. However, for some people, the ailments may not appear until a couple of days or even weeks after the incident.
Hence, you should see a chiropractor if you have been in a car accident, especially if you experience any pain in your neck, shoulders, or back after the accident. Often, chiropractic care provides the best solution for a lot of people as it doesn’t involve surgery or drugs. This is the major reason why in recent years more and more people are choosing chiropractic care to fully recover from an accident.
Anatomy of human body, showing neck injuries like whiplash effect. With skeleton and skin. Side view. Isolated on white background. Great to be used in medicine works and health.
Here are some more reasons why consulting a chiropractor after you have been in a car accident is a great idea for your mental and physical health and well-being.
AChiropractor Will Help Reduce Inflammation
If you get an X-ray done, it won’t be able to catch the micro-tears that may occur in someone’s ligaments and muscles after they have been in a car accident. These microscopic tears in your muscles are the primary reason why people who get in an auto accident often wake up the next day with severe pain. In most cases, they are the result of whiplash, your muscles cannot be jerked so hard without experiencing some adverse side effects.
That said, when you consult a chiropractor, they help you by manipulating your spine and guide your body to release IL-6. It is a significant anti-inflammatory substance that your body produces to aid for acute injuries.
A Chiropractor Will Help Restore Motion
If your neck and back get injured during an auto accident, the inflammation that takes place afterwards can cause even more problems. It will slow you down and compromise your body’s healing process. This happens because all the blood and nutrients aren’t able to make it to the body parts that need immediate attention.
Chiropractic treatment will help mobilize your spine, allow the body to start the healing process faster, and help you restore motion. You feel amazing during the chiropractic adjustments and even better the next day. This is why people often prefer the option to heal their body with a gentle realignment of the spine instead of masking the pain with medication.
A Chiropractor Will Help Reduce the Scar Tissue
When most people hear the words ‘scar tissues’ they end up thinking about scars on their skin from old wounds. However, this type of tissue can also get formed inside the body. As the body’s natural response, your muscles can also develop scar tissues after going through an injury. These scar tissues may cause patients to feel stiffness and uncomfortable for a period until it naturally heals itself or you go through any other treatment.
When you go for chiropractic care, the professionals can target your damaged areas that need attention immediately and break up the scar tissues faster than your body can on its own. This helps you and your body heal faster and it overall makes you feel better and get through the incident quicker.
A Chiropractor Will Help Reduce Pain Throughout the Entire Body
Many people complain about feeling pain in different body parts like shoulders, neck, or back after they have been in an auto accident. This mostly happens because of muscle spasm. For some people, the pain can be very severe and it gets very hard to continue with their routine.
However, when you receive chiropractic care after a car accident injury you experience less pain. The chiropractor physically manipulates your body to release pain-reducing hormones. These hormones particularly help with the areas that were affected the most by the accident. This even helps with areas where you were experience pain before the injury. Any experienced car accident doctor will tell you, drugs for pain are not a good and the long-term solution as they are addictive and often end up causing more problems than they actually solve.
A Chiropractor Will Help Prevent Long-term Complications
People who get in car accidents often struggle with pain, soreness, and the inability to get through day-to-day tasks. If they don’t get the necessary treatment and care soon enough, they may face long-term complications. People who were already facing chronic pain may have a worse experience. Car accident victims with moderate whiplash may get recovered in a few weeks but if someone has severe injuries, they may face more long-term effects.
However, your chiropractor equipped with an initial assessment of your injury, medical history, and lifestyle can help plan a personalized treatment for you. It may include different combinations of spinal adjustments, acupuncture, massage therapy, and physical therapy based on what your body needs to fully heal. There is no need for any car accident victim to suffer and struggle for months or even years. Besides, it is best to consult a chiropractor after a car accident because you never know when an acute injury turns into chronic pain.
Consult A Chiropractor After A Car Accident
Regardless of how severe the accident maybe it is always the better option to visit a chiropractor and ensure your body is healing properly and at the optimum rate. Your chiropractor can help you understand your body’s condition and develop a customized treatment plan with the goal to restore you to your condition before the accident. The professional care to decrease your pain, heal your body, increase mobility, eliminate muscle spasms, and treat all other symptoms at the source is a great way to leave the incident behind you and start fresh.
What if I’m just experiencing minor pain?
Even if you feel that your pain isn’t severe, it’s a good idea to get a thorough chiropractic evaluation. Many musculoskeletal injuries such as whiplash do not cause extreme pain right away. It may be several weeks before chronic pain arises. By coming in for a diagnostic exam as soon as possible after your accident we can ensure your injuries are fully diagnosed and managed.
Is It Worth Going to a Chiropractor if There is No Pain?
Thinking of visiting a walk-in chiropractor may lead you to imagine hobbling into the waiting room in visible pain and having your spine adjusted to treat your pain directly. It may seem a strange thought to consider visiting a chiropractor when you feel fine and in no pain at all. However, many suggest that chiropractic care for adjustment even when you are experiencing no pain is hugely beneficial, and here’s why.
The Benefits of Visiting a Chiropractor
There are countless reasons why visiting a chiropractor can help you, regardless of whether you have any pain or not. It’s important to be aware of the many benefits of regular chiropractic treatment, which actually has nothing to do with being in physical pain.
Healthy Spine
Regular chiropractic manipulations are all about keeping your spine in its healthiest condition. To do this, it’s not necessary to wait until pain and discomfort affect the spine. In the same way that regular exercise means your body is always cared for, regular chiropractic treatment means your spine is always looked after.
Preventative Measures
At SnapCrack, our chiropractors do more than just pain. Treatment can actually work to decrease the risk of pain in the future. By having regular treatment, you’re reducing the risk of problems occurring or pain building up and emerging, by keeping your joints and body balanced.
Reduce Blood Pressure
A healthy spine means better circulation in the body, with more freedom and comfort for your blood to move around your body as it should. This means reducing the risk of high blood pressure.
Loosens Tight Muscles and Joints
You may not necessarily be in pain, but perhaps you have been suffering from tight muscles, a lack of flexibility, or aching joints. Chiropractic techniques can help with all of that. Spinal adjustment means getting your joints back into shape and feeling more at ease when you move.
Strengthens the Immune System
As the spine is fundamental to the rest of the body, such as with the central nervous system and the immune system, the adjustment means you’re ensuring your entire system is free to work as it should without restriction, thus improving your health care in the long term. The spinal manipulation therapy we carry out at our Miami Beach chiropractor clinic could be just what you need.
It Helps the Mind, Too
After spinal realignment, a client’s body will feel great! Any neck pain or chronic low back pain from an injury you had will be a thing of the past. This means you’ll feel better and more comfortable in yourself, too, feeling more balanced, ache-free, and indulging in a little self-care.
Treatment Ready: Pain or No Pain
The many benefits of spinal adjustment mean that it’s always worth visiting a chiropractor whether you have pain or not. Our professional team is always ready, and our walk-in service means you can make chiropractic treatment an easy and regular thing, even if it’s simply to pop in and feel more balanced, or even if you’re not experiencing any pain.
While specific pain may help chiropractors to identify the source, there doesn’t have to be any pain present for a specialist to know exactly what you and your spine needs to feel in top form. Visit SnapCrack at our chiropractor in Miami Beach if you want long term impacts, not short term impacts!
Should I go to the emergency room?
By all means, if you feel you need to, are bleeding, or in severe pain, please go to the emergency room. We recommend visiting us after being checked out in the ER as it’s very common to miss misaligned spinal bones, which they likely won’t look for.
