Our Insurance Policy
All of our services can be paid for with Flexible Spending
Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs, see
below). If your primary care physician prescribes it, many
insurance companies will cover massage therapyand some private
insurance policies will also cover our
other services. Typically
this requires payment up front and submission of an invoice to your insurance provider for
reimbursement. If you carry this type of insurance, we
can print out an invoice for you with the
necessary
billing codes. Coverage varies quite a bit from one company
to
the
next, so please check with your provider to see if your policy includes
our services. The easiest way to do this is to call the toll free
number on your insurance card.
We sincerely hope that health insurance policies will change
in the
future, covering more of our services, and we see a general
trend over time in that direction. More
policy
holders are asking for the inclusion of a wider range of services and
the insurance companies are listening. We encourage our
patients
to speak with their insurance companies about the types of services
they would like to see covered.
As
an alternative to standard medical insurance we advocate for Health
Savings Accounts (HSAs). HSAs are tax-advantage medical
savings
accounts available to taxpayers who are enrolled in a High Deductible
Health Plan (HDHPs, a.k.a. catastrophic
insurance). Funds
may be used to pay for
qualified
medical expenses at any time without federal tax liability, and can be
applied towards all of the services that we offer. For a
partial list of qualified medical expenses please go to www.irs.gov
and review publication #502. The following text is
from the US Department of the Treasury website http://www.treas.gov/offices/public-affairs/hsa/
Please see their website for more information.
What is a Health Savings Account (HSA)?
HSAs were created by the Medicare bill signed by President Bush on
December 8, 2003. They are an alternative to traditional
health
insurance and enable you to pay for current health expenses and save
for future qualified medical and retiree health expenses on a tax-free
basis. You must have a HDHP if you wish to open a
HSA. You
own and you control the money in your HSA and decisions on how to spend
the money are made by you without relying on a third party or a health
insurer.
How can I get a Health Savings Account?
You can sign up
for HSAs directly with banks, credit unions, insurance companies and
other approved companies. Your employer may also set up a
plan
for you as well.
How much does an Health Savings Account cost?
An HSA is
not something you purchase and costs nothing. An HSA is a
savings
account into which you can deposit money on a tax-preferred basis. The
only thing you need to purchase is a HDHP, an inexpensive
plan that will cover you should your medical expenses exceed the funds
you have in your HSA.
Who is eligible for a Health Savings Account?
To be
eligible for a Health Savings Account, an individual must be covered by
a HSA-qualified HDHP and must not be covered by other health insurance
that is not catastrophic. Certain types of insurance are not
considered “health insurance” (see below) and will not jeopardize your
eligibility for an HSA.
Can I get an HSA even if I have other insurance
that pays
medical bills?
You are only allowed to have automobile, dental, vision, disability and
long-term care insurance at the same time as a HDHP. Wellness
programs offered by your employer are also permitted if they do not pay
significant medical benefits.
Does an HSA pay for the same things that regular
insurance
pays for?
HSA funds can pay for any “qualified medical expense,” even if the
expense is not covered by your HDHP. For example, most health
insurance does not cover the cost of over-the-counter medicines, but
HSAs can. If the money from the HSA is used for qualified
medical
expenses, then the money spent is tax-free.
