We apologize that the following insurance information is so complicated. It is not our fault. There are many plans and
each have different specific details of how they pay (or do not pay) for acupuncture.
We will bill those insurance
plans that pay for our services. While many health plans now offer some coverage for acupuncture, there are specific details
that must be verified for each individual patient. You may call or e-mail our office and give us your insurance information
and we will check with your insurance company to see if they cover our services. You may wish to contact your insurance company
first. If you do so, ask if you plan covers acupuncture, preformed by a licensed acupuncturist. If they say there is no coverage
for acupuncture that means we cannot bill your insurance. If they tell you there is coverage for acupuncture, our office will
have to verify this before we can accept you as an insurance patient. Even if you find Matthew Bauer’s name in a booklet
of your insurance company’s list of accepted providers, it does not always mean you are covered for our services.
Some insurance plans will pay for acupuncture but only for a limited number of treatments or only for certain specific
medical conditions. Some will only pay when a medical doctor performs acupuncture (even though medical doctors receive no
training in acupuncture). In other words, just because your insurance company says they cover acupuncture, it does not mean
they will pay for our services in treating you. Even when we verify the coverage information, there are some instances when
an insurance company ends up not paying us. For this reason, we need to have all our insurance patients sign an agreement
acknowledging they will pay for services their insurance does not pay for.
Some insurance plans say they cover
acupuncture when all they offer is a discount off the Acupuncturist’s fees. Most discount plans (also called Access
plans) require the Acupuncturist to give 20-25% off their usual fees. This is a direct payment service – payment is
made at the time of service at the discount rate. Discount plans also allow the Acupuncturist to charge for an initial consultation
and for acupressure/massage if performed.
DON’T CONFUSE A DISCOUNT PLAN WITH HAVING
INSURANCE FOR ACUPUNCTURE.In order for our office to verify your insurance coverage, we need the following
information:
- The name and phone number of the insurance company.
- The Patient’s name and date
of birth.
- The name of the insured (if different from the patient).
- The name of the employer of the insured.
- Any
policy numbers, patient I.D. numbers, etc.
- The condition the patient is seeking treatment for.
