Patients constantly ask me, “Why
doesn’t insurance, and especially Medicare, pay for maintenance care? Prevention is always cheaper than cure.” That
statement is correct, and now there is proof.
An interesting study was
performed recently by Muse and Associates, an actuarial consulting firm based
in Washington, DC. They reviewed Medicare claims of patients who regularly
received chiropractic treatments compared to those who did not. It was discovered that among those who were
treated regularly by the chiropractor, the medical costs other than
chiropractic charges averaged 48% less than those who did not seek chiropractic
care.
While the final calculations
and conclusions are not yet available, it is obvious that some overall
reduction in Medicare costs could be realized by reimbursing for monthly
chiropractic maintenance treatments. For more detailed information regarding
this study read here
and here.
I realize that almost every treatment
regimen in the world, mainstream and alternative, claims to have the answer to
lowering healthcare, particularly Medicare, costs, and insists that they should be the exception to the maintenance
care rule. In this case the difference is that there is hard evidence to back
up the claim. If you feel that regular chiropractic care should be included in
Medicare, contact your senators and representative and refer them to this study.
Getting rid of your pain,
Dr. Steven Ray, Chiropractor
Val Vista Chiropractic
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