Acupuncture + Insurance

With all the positive benefits of acupuncture being touted lately, many people are now wanting to try this ancient medicine. Unfortunately, some may choose not to because acupuncture may not be covered under their health insurance plan. There are some things that you can do to get your insurance company to cover it.

Write to your insurance company and your employer. If you have an insurance plan that does not cover acupuncture, write to your insurance company to find out if you can receive insurance benefits through your employer. You can also contact your employer's Human Resources department as they are usually involved in choosing the benefits included in a corporate-sponsored insurance policy. Encourage them to consider adding acupuncture as a covered service on the company's plan. Ask other employees that use acupuncture to also contact HR in support of this service. Most insurance policies, however, are bought annually and can only be changed during open enrollment periods and annual renewal.

Change your insurance policy. If you buy your own insurance, it might be relatively simple for you to change your individual policy, add coverage for alternative medicine, or even switch your insurance company. If you receive insurance through your employer, find out if there are other plans for you to choose.

Talk to one of our medical acupuncturists. If your insurance company puts restrictions on the acupuncture coverage on your policy, talk to our medical acupuncturist. She can help you navigate the insurance system, and even may be able to help you get coverage for additional treatments by communicating directly with your insurance company. If you still find that your plan won't cover acupuncture and you will have to pay for treatments out-of-pocket, let your medical acupuncturist know so that she can work with you to develop a plan that meets your health care goals.

Source: Graduate School for Integrative Medicine