The Fees Charged by Chiropractors
Like all licensed professionals, the fees charged by chiropractors vary from place to place. Chiropractor fees in an area of the country with a higher cost of living will generally be higher. Its not uncommon for fees to vary as much as 200% between the least expensive and the most expensive.
Some chiropractors choose to receive additional post-graduate education in various specialties, such as pediatrics, neurology or sports injuries. Understandably, the fees charged by these chiropractors are often more than other chiropractors.
How Chiropractors Set Their Fees
There are several different strategies used by chiropractors to set their fees. Here are the more common fee systems:
Fees By Procedure Overwhelmingly, chiropractors tend to charge by the procedure they perform, with separate fees for examinations, X-rays, adjustments and any additional procedures that might be recommended.
Case Fees Less common is a case fee arrangement in which an all inclusive fee is set for the first visit or even the first four weeks of care. The fee for each specific service isnt individually itemized.
Annual Care Plan Fees Chiropractors who see chiropractic care as a lifestyle, rather than a short term diet of pain relief, will often use this fee arrangement to encourage patients to adopt a longer-term vision of their care.
Wellness Care Fees When patients emerge from the initial stage of symptomatic relief, many chiropractors will offer the opportunity for patients to buy 12 visits and get the 13th free or other fee arrangements to encourage periodic checkups and make them affordable.
Read on for some of the more common ways to reduce chiropractic fees »