Medicare
and Medicaid both have coverage for chiropractic care, but only for the actual
subluxation. For other services—such as physical therapy, evaluation, and the
use of orthopedic devices—the cost will have to be shouldered by the patient.
Both Medicare and Medicaid require at least three factors to be fulfilled to
cover chiropractic care: patients need to have a health problem, a
recommendation from a general physician, and a vertebral
subluxation.
First,
the patient must have an existing health problem, particularly a
musculoskeletal one (e.g. body pain, swelling, numbing, etc). Second, before seeing
a chiropractor, a general physician needs to assess the gravity of the
patient's health problem. Both Medicare and Medicaid demand a complete
assessment as to whether or not the problem really requires the intervention of
a chiropractor. Third, subluxation, or dislocation of at least a part of the
spine, must be evident in the assessment.
Although
both are government-sponsored medical plans, Medicare and Medicaid differ by
demographics. Medicare is designed for people over 65 years of age, people with
disabilities regardless of age, and those with end-stage renal disease. On the
other hand, Medicaid is primarily for the poor; by definition, families whose
yearly income is below the poverty threshold for their state. Don't forget to
ask your chiropractor if he accepts Medicare and Medicaid.
