Chiropractic Prices Influenced by Insurance Carrier
The prices charged by chiropractors have been significantly influenced by the insurance industry. Usually the symptom-treating mentality of an insurance carrier is at odds with the motives of chiropractors interested in helping their patients stay well after they get well.
This has spawned ways in which chiropractors have attempted to lower their prices to make their care affordable to those without insurance, or whose policies have high deductibles designed for expensive, catastrophic health issues:
Dual Fee Systems Charging insurance carriers one price (usually higher) and cash-paying individuals another price (usually lower) is patently illegal.
Time-of-Service Discounts One way chiropractors have been able to offer a price break to cash-paying patients is to offer a time-of-service discount that may vary from 10% to 20% on the price charged to insurance carriers. This is justified due to the administrative costs that are avoided because the chiropractor doesnt have to bill the carrier and wait months to get paid.
Hardship Arrangements If the patient can prove, through reliable means testing, that paying the published fees would serve as a financial hardship, price concessions can be offered.
Discount Medical Plans Perfectly legal price reductions are possible if the practitioner and patient join a recognized discount medical plan such as ChiroHealthUSA. This has the effect of a dual fee system, however it passes legal muster.
Read on for frequently asked questions about finances and chiropractic care »