Innova Pain Clinic
Medicare pays for your chiropractor visit!
Some other chiropractic offices won’t even file your Medicare claim for you. But don’t worry. At Innova Pain Clinic, we love our Medicare patients and we are happy to submit all your Medicare claims for you.
Medicare pays for your chiropractor visit! (if you find the right chiropractor)
With all the national media being focused on the budget and cutting Medicare and Medicaid, there are a lot of misconceptions about Medicare and what types of doctor visits they will pay for.
Just to make things clear, Medicare does pay for chiropractic care. As a Medicare beneficiary, you can see an in-network chiropractor and Medicare will pay for that service. Granted Medicare does not pay for x-rays or an exam. But it does cover your manipulation treatments. Thank goodness for small favors.
Why some doctors are dropping Medicare
The problem seems to be in finding in-network (aka participating) chiropractors. With Medicare cutting their reimbursement rates each year, and our cost of doing business increasing each year, it is not surprising to find that many doctors simply can not afford to see Medicare patients. Some doctors actually lose money seeing a Medicare patient.
Some specialties have been hit extra hard with deep cuts. The chiropractic profession certainly has had to take steep cuts in recent years. I know many chiropractors who are no longer seeing Medicare patients or having chosen to be non-participating. If a Medicare patient sees a non-participating chiropractor, then the patient has to pay the doctor for the visit completely and Medicare will send the patient a small check to help cover the cost. A problem arises when the patient needs to see the chiropractor frequently and they must pay for each service. The costs can quickly add up, and the patient has to wait about 6 weeks for Medicare to send them a check. That poses a financial burden on some seniors.
Choosing the right Chiropractor
Of the chiropractors I know well, I am the only one who is Medicare participating and actively marketing to seniors. I’m happy to see seniors all day long. At Innova Pain Clinic, we will submit your Medicare claims for you. Medicare will pay its 80% and your supplement will pick up the difference. In most cases, my Medicare patients do not have any out of pocket expenses.
I have been a Medicare chiropractor for about 16 years and I have seen some changes in the program. Some of those changes were helpful to the chiropractic profession and of course some were not. Thankfully, Medicare still pays for chiropractic services and let’s hope they continue doing so.
If you are a senior in the St George area and you are looking for a chiropractor who is participating with Medicare, call the Innova Pain Clinic. I am certain you will be pleased with the quality of service.
Dr. Andrew White | St George Chiropractor
Featured image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net and Sira Anamwong & phasinphoto