What You Need To Know About Medicare Coverage For Chiropractic Services

Medicare beneficiaries are entitled to chiropractic care, but how you access it depends on which part of Medicare you choose. Today’s program has several parts, each with different coverage options. Part A covers hospitalization and inpatient care, Part B covers outpatient fee-for-service care, Part C includes Medicare Advantage plans such as HMOs, PPOs, special needs plans, and private-fee-for-service plans, and Part D is the stand-alone prescription drug plan.

Decisions about your prescription drug benefit can end up affecting your chiropractic coverage. Since Congress passed the prescription drug benefit in 2003, beneficiaries have been able to get it two ways: through a stand-alone Part D plan, or through a Part C Medicare Advantage plan that often bundles drug coverage with medical services. The second route is convenient, but it changes how Medicare-guaranteed services are delivered, and that includes chiropractic care.

Each year, beneficiaries can switch their coverage during the enrollment period, which makes that window the best time to look closely at what a plan offers. For Medicare beneficiaries in Bartlett and the greater Memphis area, a few questions asked before you enroll can save you from unwelcome surprises once you need care. The answers below walk through exactly what to ask.