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Article By: FrankAbbott
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Insurance And Alternative Medicine
More and more Americans are looking for other ways to treat their health problems other than what is offered through traditional Western Medicine. To meet this increasing demand, insurance companies are offering coverage for a variety of "alternative" therapies.
Some of these HMOs and insurance providers include Aetna, Medicare, Prudential and Kaiser Permanente. There are some therapies that are gaining increasing acceptance in the allopathic and insurance circles. The therapies most often covered are chiropractic, massage therapy and acupuncture and naturopathic medicine. Herbal remedies, homeopathy, meditation and mind-body stress management are also finding increasingly more coverage.
In spite of the increased acceptance, however, payment for the services is quite limited. Insurees typically pay for the services on a discounted basis or they are allowed a very limited number of visits.
As a result of the limitations on treatment visits, alternative therapies are assumed to be ineffective. Practitioners would argue that they aren't given sufficient time to complete the recommended treatment plan thus shortchanging the patient on outcomes.
As far as payment for most alternative therapies, patients usually have to pay for services themselves. There are some plans that offer limited coverage. These plans vary and differ from state to state. You can search yourself if you want to know if there are laws in your particular state that cover a certain therapy. For instance, if you're interested in acupuncture, contact their national professional association because they usually watch for changes in coverage with insurance companies.
If you already have insurance but you're unsure about coverage, go over your policy thoroughly. Look to see if they offer any kind of coverage for complementary or alternative medical treatments. If you find that you have coverage, then check to see what limitations you might have. For instance, does the treatment have to be administered by a medical doctor or a practitioner "in-network"? If you're still unsure, then contact your insurance first before getting any treatment.
Before calling your insurer, consider asking some these questions.
* Do I need to get pre-authorization before receiving treatment?
* Do I need to go to my primary care physician to get a referral before seeking treatment?
* What services are covered?
* How much is my co-payment?
* How many visits are covered per year?
* Are there limitations on the service (i.e. only covered for certain conditions)?
* Am I limited to only "in-network" providers?
* If so, what is covered if I go "out-of-network"?
* Is there a maximum for coverage?
Be sure to keep all of your records in a safe place and organized. Make sure you notate who and when you speak to a representative for your insurance company should there be any complications with coverage.
Article Source: ArticleZones.com
About the Author
Coverage for complementary and alternative treatments is gaining momentum. The more consumers ask for a change, the more change will occur. For information regarding all of your insurance questions, go to
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