Does Health Insurance Cover Alternative Therapies?
Alternative therapies can often create wellness and reverse disease, but when it comes to health insurance many of these services aren’t covered.
Which therapies are most likely to be covered?
One thing that impacts health insurance coverage for these therapies is state laws. Many states have laws and regulations that state what insurance coverage may and may not cover. If you live in a state with very strict laws you may not get much help from your insurance while other states are friendlier to alternative therapies.
Your actual insurance policy is also a factor. There are thousands of different policies and if it’s legal in your state you may be able to find one that has coverage for alternative therapies. However, if you’re dependent on employer coverage you may not have many choices.
One possibility is to add an additional policy to your coverage. In some states you can get a supplementary policy that covers alternative medicine therapies. This adds an additional cost to your monthly payment but can save money if you frequently use these services.
The therapies that are most likely to be covered include chiropractic care, massage therapy, and acupuncture. Some coverage will also include herbal medicine and services that assist with mind-body stress management.
But outside of these therapies, you’re likely to have to pay out-of-pocket for many complementary and alternative medicine therapies. One way to do this and save some money is to use a health savings account or flexible spending account.
These accounts use pre-tax dollars to pay for healthcare services. In some states you can use money from these funds to pay for alternative medicine therapies. You’ll just have to provide documentation of the services and submit them to your account administrator.
While you do have to pay out-of-pocket for these services, you may find that these services are quite reasonable and often less expensive than more traditional Western medicine. You might also be able to find a discount program in your area that helps to bring down the cost of services.
Finally, many practitioners themselves offer discount packages. For example, you might be able to purchase a package of 6 acupuncture treatments at a discounted rate instead of the rate for individual sessions.
If you’re interested in alternative therapies, you’ll need to contact your insurance provider and find out what they cover before counting on their help. Then you can speak with the provider and discuss all financial options.
If you’d like to know more about the alternative therapies used in my coaching and consulting services, please visit my Thirty-Three Six Wellness page for all the details.