What to ask insurance companies...To verify your coverage, call the 800 number on the back of your insurance card and ask the following questions:1. Does your insurance policy cover acupuncture
care?
Yes / No 2. Do you need a referral from a primary care doctor? Yes / No If yes, is your referral for a specific Does your referral need to be 3. Is there a dollar limit per year? Yes / No If yes, what is the dollar limit? $_____________ 4. Is there a limit to the number of visits allowed per year? Yes / No If yes, how many are allowed per year? ___________________________ 5. Does your insurance company cover your
conditions?
Yes / No ................................................................................................................................................................................... * Some insurance plans come with deductibles. A deductible is
an
up-front amount that the patient must pay out of their pocket before
their insurance company will cover treatments. Deductibles can range
from $200-$2000. * Some plans come with co-insurance which may require patients to pay a percentage of the treatment cost. * Most health insurance only covers certain conditions. Different plans have different policies. Some cover for pain management, some only cover chronic pain, some only cover morning sickness. Be sure to check with your insurance company to find out the conditions of your own insurance coverage.* If you
have recently switched to a new insurance company, please make sure
that your new insurance does not have a three to six month
waiting period. Some plans will not cover treatments for pre-existing
conditions during the waiting period. * Some insurance companies may refuse to cover acupuncture
treatments even if the plan has acupuncture benefits. Here is an
example of a patient's appeal
letter that successfully convinced her insurance company to pay
for her acupuncture treatments.
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