Savings accounts for health and chiropractic care
The health industry in the United States is dominated by the culture of conventional Western medicine. And health insurance caters to those who control the industry: doctors and hospitals. There is a long history of bias against chiropractic by physicians, which is one reason why chiropractic care is often not covered by health insurance.
Many research studies have shown that chiropractic care is beneficial and more cost-effective in treating low back pain and other common musculoskeletal conditions than traditional Western medicine. Chiropractic also lowers health care costs by focusing on prevention as well as treatment.
It is surprising that health insurers choose not to cover a treatment that is as beneficial and cost-effective as chiropractic care. Studies have continually shown that people who seek chiropractic care on a regular basis are healthier and generally spend less on medical care than those who don’t.
Chiropractic care and consumers
What is not surprising is that consumers are smart enough to see the advantages of chiropractic care. Many people prefer to see a chiropractor simply because they see tangible benefits from the care they receive. Many others are disillusioned with traditional Western medicine and the health system, and seek alternatives such as chiropractic care.
It is clear from both patient testimonials and clinical research that consumers benefit from chiropractic care. Unfortunately, they may find it difficult to pay for chiropractic care because it is often excluded from health insurance policies.
Health savings accounts can help consumers pay for chiropractic care, even when it’s excluded from their health insurance policy. They can pay for chiropractic care and other alternative medicine with pre-tax dollars using a health savings account.
Many chiropractors keep their costs as low as possible to make chiropractic care more available to consumers. However, they can only absorb part of the cost of providing that care. Another way chiropractors can help clients gain access to chiropractic care is to encourage the use of health savings accounts.
Health Savings Accounts and Consumer Choice
The combination of a health savings account and a high-deductible health insurance plan is supposed to encourage people to become prudent and sensible consumers of health care. The person is spending more of their own money on health care, so they will be more concerned with how that money is being spent.
Health Savings Accounts give consumers more choice about how their health care dollars are spent. HSA money must be spent on qualified medical expenses, but there are actually very few restrictions on the type of health care you choose. More and more chiropractic patients are finding that having an HSA allows them to save money on their medical expenses.
Traditional health insurance has gatekeepers and controls. Even when chiropractic care is covered (something that is not typical in individual plans), the person requesting chiropractic care may be required to see their family doctor (or guardian) and obtain a referral. Not all doctors will refer you to chiropractors. If chiropractic care is covered by your health insurance plan and if you can get a referral (which is equivalent to permission to see the chiropractor), there may be limits on the amount and types of treatments you can receive.
Using a health savings account to pay for chiropractic care gives you, the consumer, more options. You can choose what type of medical treatment to receive, where you will receive that treatment, and how many treatments you will receive. You can also spend HSA dollars on preventive care and actually get the government to give you a tax deduction for keeping your family healthy.