Slowly, but surely, the insurance industry is embracing acupuncture as a viable coverage option for its plan participants, giving more people the ability to take advantage of the valuable services you provide. However, current coverage generally stipulates calendar-year visit limitations depending on the plan.
But that's not the case with Tufts Health Plan, which ensures more than 1 million members in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Connecticut. Tufts has announced that effective Jan. 1, 2020, members of its fully insured commercial health plans, including employer-sponsored plans, can enjoy unlimited access to acupuncture. Members will be required to pay only the standard co-pay they pay for a primary care provider or specialist visit as stipulated by their plan type.
Even more encouraging, members can visit an acupuncturist without prior authorization or referral via Tufts' network of acupuncture providers.
"Acupuncture has a wide range of uses and can particularly be helpful in the area of pain management," said Claire Levesque, MD, chief medical officer for commercial products at Tufts Health Plan. "Expanding our acupuncture coverage is just another way we are working to help our members receive the holistic care they need and deserve. This new acupuncture benefit, in conjunction with our discount program ensures alternative health care remains accessible and affordable to our members."
Will Tufts' unlimited-visit design eventually be replicated by insurers in other states or nationwide? One thing is clear: Although the AOM profession has become accustomed to all-cash transactions because patients lack insurance coverage for acupuncture, times are changing. The end result: More people having access to your valuable care.
Think of your most difficult patient – the one you try to motivate and work so hard with to develop a realistic treatment plan with achievable and measurable goals. Week after week, you see this patient struggle, sinking deeper into hopelessness as their health and quality of life continue to worsen. What if there was something else you could do that could change their outlook and their life? The solution is as simple as an automated program.
A herniated disc in the lumbar (lower) spine is the most common cause of chronic sciatica, a condition in which back pain extends down the leg. The affected nerve is the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back down the back of the legs and is the largest nerve in the human body. New research suggests acupuncture may be a great option for these patients.
As a practitioner, if you're wondering why your social media efforts aren't working the way you had hoped, or if you're not using social media at all, use this article to get your social media marketing strategies (back) on track.
