The HARSH reality of Health Insurance and Chiropractic Care

As you know, we here at Health-Fit try to keep you informed and up to date on all things health related through our emails, mailed newsletter, social media and blog posts. Today is no different, just a different type of topic. 

The continued decision whether to be in or out of network is increasingly becoming more difficult due to the ever changing environment of health insurance. 

We continue to stick with the insurances that still are somewhat fair to us, but that has left us with only a couple that we can afford to be in-network with and provide our level of care our patients deserve and expect. 

Health insurance companies are forcing Chiropractors between a rock and a hard place. Many Chiropractors have had to choose only provide care that the insurance company pays for. And many times, the chiropractic adjustment is the only thing they will perform. 

 As our patients know, we do a lot more than just adjust our patients. The adjustment is important, but not the end all be all too really fixing your pain and injuries. Don’t get me wrong, for some of our patients, the adjustment is all they need and gets wonderful results. But many need more to really get quick and effective results. And the bottom line is, results are what matters most.  

To give you a brief history of Health insurance and Chiropractic (and many other medical fields), the reimbursement has been slashed by considerable amounts. For instance, let’s take the year 2000. A total office visit reimbursement used to be about twice as much as it is today, with the patient having a very small copay and the insurance paying the rest. Fast forward to now, Insurance companies are reimbursing Chiropractors (and many other doctors) half of what they used to and now putting the majority of the burden on the patient. 

So not only has the total reimbursement been basically cut in half, the insurance company is putting the vast majority of the bill on you. What the end result has come in most Chiropractic offices is a lower level of treatment and more out of pocket cost to you, and for lesser care! It is a frustrating and vicious cycle that has occurred. 

In light of the ever changing (not for the better) insurance environment, we continue to attempt to provide you the most VALUE for your care. Our Doctors have spent a lot of time and money being certified in Active Release Techniques, Graston Technique, sports rehab modalities and more.

We have made the EASY decision not to bend under the immense pressure of insurance companies and lower our standard of treatment given to our patients. We have made the decision that we will continue to offer the best conservative care available to our patients. 

We completely understand that cost of healthcare is always an important decision for you and your family. We all have to make those same decisions in our personal healthcare too. That is why we are striving to always offer the most VALUE for your care. We can’t control the COST, because unfortunately, the insurance companies control that. But we can control the Value of care you receive out our office. 

So, when making decisions on your care, whether it is Chiropractic or Medical, always seek out VALUE and not necessarily the COST. Sometimes Value isn’t related to cost. Sometimes the price tag may be a bit more, but the value is extremely high. Many times the cost is low, but the value is non-existent. It is an interesting dynamic. 

Sometimes, if you choose a Chiropractor solely based on being In-Network, and the insurance doesn’t reimburse Chiropractors fairly, you may find that you only get a quick adjustment and you are in and out of the door without the true care needed to address your pain and symptoms.

It unfortunately becomes a numbers game. They will need to see 50 patients in a day instead of 20. Seeing 20 allows the Chiropractor to offer the value and care needed to address your pain and conditions. 

So, to wrap up this little “rant”, we want to assure you we are continuing to find the best and latest methods of musculoskeletal care to get you feeling better the fastest possible way. Therefore, the value of your care will be high and ultimately allow you to save money in the short, medium and long term. 

That is the key in the new healthcare environment.