Medicare Fee Increase

Congress has approved a 2.2% fee increase for Medicare chiropractic services and other physicians services that will take effect in our office beginning September 1, 2010. This means that Medicare patients will pay between $.66-$1.31 more for chiropractic adjustments. The difference is due to the number of regions of the spine that must be treated on each visit. If just one or two regions are adjusted, then the lower fee applies. If five or more regions are adjusted, then the higher fee applies. You may think, an adjustment is an adjustment, is an adjustment.

Medicare and most other healthcare plans count each region of the spine as a distinct, reimbursable area of treatment including the cervical (neck& head), thoracic (mid back & ribs), lumbar (low back), pelvis (hips). Other segments of the body may be adjusted, but are not reimbursable by Medicare, such as the hand, elbow, wrist, knee, ankle and feet. It is not known if Congress will stick with the 2.2% increase, or enact at 20.2% decrease for chiropractic and other physician services after November 1st, 2010. Sources claim that a decrease of that proportion will cause many primary care providers to refuse to accept Medicare patients. The fallout from that could overwhelm hospital emergency rooms, as they would now become the only alternative for seniors needing primary medical care.