Insurance & Payment

Health insurance, auto insurance and worker’s compensation insurance are accepted. (We do electronic billing with the insurance company, so we eliminate all insurance company paper claim fees.)

Health Insurance Patient

Acupuncture is one of the CAM (Complementary and Alternative Medicine) therapies that are more commonly covered by insurance. So far, we take the most health insurance with Acupuncture benefits. We are pleased to check your benefits online or make a phone call to your insurance company when you visit our office. You can also finish this process yourself before you visit us.

What are some important things to that you can find out about your insurance plan's coverage?

First, it is important to read your plan to find out whether it discusses coverage of the therapy you are interested in. If anything about the coverage is not clear or you have questions, contact the insurance company. Examples of questions that people often ask company representatives are:

• Does my plan have an Acupuncture benefit?
• How much deductible do I have to pay?
• Is this treatment covered for my health condition?
• Are there any limits and requirements--for example, on the number of visits or the amount you will pay?
• What do I have to pay out-of-pocket?

It is a good idea to keep detailed records about all contacts you have with the insurance company, including call notes, copies of bills, claims, and letters. This will help you if a dispute arises about a claim. Also, if you are not satisfied with a representative's explanations, you can ask to speak to someone else.

If your insurance company denied your claim for the treatment. Is there anything you can do?

Yes, there are some things you can do:

• Know your plan, including what it does, and does not cover.
• Check whether the practitioner's office has made a coding error.
• If you think your insurer may have made a mistake processing your claim, you can request a review.
• The insurance company should also have a process for appealing coverage decisions.
• You can ask the practitioner if there is anything she can do, such as writing a letter on your behalf.

Auto Insurance Patient

If you are unfortunate to have a car accident, do not panic. We Just need you to bring:

1. Insurance information
2. Claim number,
3. Adjuster’s name and phone number
4. Police report.
5. Car damage evaluation

If you happen to be responsible for the car accident, you still can use your medical payment from your car insurance coverage, if available. We can then take care of your health and the rest of the work.

Worker’s Compensation Insurance Patient

For worker’s compensation patients, there is no limit for Acupuncture treatment base on the medical necessity. You just need to have the information list below with you when you visit our office:

1. Your primary doctor’s prescription (Acupuncturist can be a primary doctor as well if you do not see any doctor before you come to us)
2. The claim address and phone number of your worker’s compensation insurance company
3. Your case claim number
4. Your adjuster’s name and phone number
5. Authorization for Acupuncture treatment from your insurance company (We do this for patients most of time)
   

Cash Patient

If you do not carry health insurance with Acupuncture benefits, you can pay out-of-pocket, or you can consider using your health saving plan as well. Full payment is due at time of service. We always have a discount for cash patients.Please check our quarterly promotions often for your health needs. The expense of Acupuncture treatment usually goes toward to your medical expense deductions. For more information about Acupuncture tax deductibles, please read the explanation below:

Is Acupuncture Tax Deductible?

Yes! So keep track of your treatments.  The costs of acupuncture and prescribed herbal medicine are indeed deductible as a medical expense. 


What is a medical expense?

Acupuncture falls under the definition of a medical expense which is: “the costs of diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of diseases, and the costs for treatments affecting any part or function of the body.  They include the costs of equipment, supplies, and diagnostic devices needed for these purposes.”

What expenses can you include?

ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENTS:
You can include the amount you pay for acupuncture for you, your spouse, children and dependents.

PRESCRIBED HERBS AND SUPPLEMENTS:
Nutritional supplements, vitamins, Chinese herbal supplements and other natural medicines that are prescribed by an acupuncturist or physician as treatment for a specific medical condition that is diagnosed by an acupuncturist or medical practitioner are tax deductible.

TRANSPORTATION TO ACUPUNCTURE APPOINTMENT:
The standard mileage rate allowed for out-of-pocket expenses for a car when you use it for medical reasons is 14 cents a mile for 2004.
Bus, taxi, train and plane fares primarily for and essential to medical care are also included.

How much of the expenses are included?

You can deduct only the amount of your total medical and dental expenses for the year that is more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.

*Information from www.acufinder.com