When your back hurts, or anything goes wrong with your body in fact, you may want to see a chiropractor. However, you may want to see if your health insurance coverage covers it to help pay for the costs. Chiropractors are well-educated medical professionals who go through 4 years old schooling in addition to an undergraduate college degree in most cases. The goal of a chiropractor is to align the bones of the body in an optimal way. Some people swear by the treatments offered while others think it is a bit of a quack profession. Either way, you can’t knock it ‘till you try it, but you would want to find out if it is covered first.
Yes, It Covers Some Chiropractic Services
The good news is that Medicare does cover some chiropractic services. If you need to get an adjustment for certain health problems like subluxation, which is when a spinal bone is out of place, then it will cover it. This is the cause of a lot of back discomfort, so it’s possible it could help you. So, if you have that you can get chiropractic services through Medicare. But if you want it for something else, you’d be on your own. The treatment would be covered under Medicare Part B that covers outpatient services like this one.
If you want to get coverage for even more chiropractic services, then you should get a Medicare Part C plan AKA a Medicare Advantage plan. These types of plans are run by independent insurance plans through contracts with Medicare. They often cover things that are not covered as part of “original Medicare.” This includes more comprehensive chiropractic care and perhaps other less conventional treatments like acupuncture.
You can also get a Medigap plan covering extra services in addition to your Medicare. Some of the plans cover your deductibles and copayments. Others even cover your medical needs while you are traveling so you can have a carefree retirement.
What Conditions Can Chiropractic Help?
Chiropractic care is for much more than just back pain. It can also treat conditions like migraine headaches, sciatica, pinched nerves and even some digestive issues. Chiropractors are often also functional medicine practitioners so they tend to look at the body as a whole and try to figure out what is going on with your systems. They have a lot of training to make them be able to achieve these results. Some people are against chiropractors, saying that they can easily crack their own backs, but the intentional pressure places upon your bones by a trained chiropractor can be really good for you.
What Things Are Chiropractors Not Good For
Chiropractors as they are sometimes called in the medical world are not good for certain things. They cannot easily diagnose problems, and may need to use x-rays to help with that. They also should not deal with certain types of conditions that have to do with blood flow. If you have osteoporosis you should also not go to the chiropractor because your bones might be more brittle. If you fall into any of these categories you should not see one for your health. You will be healthier without one.
How Much Does Medicare Cover
When you get chiropractic services under Medicare Part B they will cover about 80% of it, like most other outpatient procedures. If you just have to pay 20%, that may make you more likely to get it! Medicare is a great program because it allows people to get procedures and coverage that they would not have otherwise have gotten. If you didn’t have health coverage, and it’s estimated that before Medicare about 40% of elderly folks did not have coverage, they just had to try to pay for any medical expenses that came up. That is a big hardship especially because as we age our bodies get into worse shape and have more health concerns to think about.
How to Pick a Chiropractor
Picking a chiropractor is a lot like picking any other medical professional. First of all you’d want to find one who does deal with Medicare. Once you establish that, you’d want to find one that has good reviews online. Reviews are a great way to find out if anyone, including your dentist, your baker and your corner restaurant are a good fit for you. Keep in mind that people tend to only write reviews when they have been wronged, so most ratings do skew a bit negative. If you’re not that literate with computers, make sure to have a savvy relative take care of that part. Yu should also consider factors that are important to you. Some people would like a male or female chiropractor based on their own gender. Other people prefer someone with a certain number of years of experience. So keep this all in mind when choosing your chiropractor.
Luckily, Medicare does cover some chiropractic care. You can get the coverage and care that you want and need in this case. There are some lacks in this department but if you get coverage through Medicare Part C or MediGap there is hope for you to see your favorite chiropractor or make a relationship with a new one. Get your back aligned and get on the road to health through Medicare coverage.
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