Naturopathic Insurance
Currently, no insurance providers allow Naturopathic Doctors into their network. This means, we cannot accept insurance as a form of payment for office visits. We can however accept Health Savings Accounts (HSA) & Flex Savings Accounts (FSA).
We can use insurance for running labs except AHCCCS plans or Medicare, both of which will not pay for labs ordered by a Naturopathic Doctor.
While it is true that many Naturopathic doctor offices do not take insurance, the truth is, seeing a Naturopathic doctor is more affordable than you think, and can save you money in the long run as well as significantly benefit your health and wellbeing.
More and more people are deciding to include preventative and alternative forms of healthcare into their lives, such as naturopathic medical care. In Arizona, Naturopathic Doctors serve as primary care physicians as well as provide adjunct health services such as preventive care, nutritional counseling, and medication-free pain relief, including acupuncture.
Many people are interested in receiving the benefits that come with Naturopathic care, including treating the underlying cause of symptoms, using natural therapies instead of medications, and working with a doctor that treats you as a whole person.
Insurance: Health Model vs. Sick Model
Health insurance is great for times when you need emergency care such as a broken arm or a life-threatening infection. Unfortunately, the way insurance is set up, it is not as useful for utilizing health care services which are patient-centered, and focused on resolving health concerns, not just palliating them. In other words, health insurance is helpful in times you are acutely sick and is less useful for managing chronic diseases including diabetes, depression, and digestive issues as well as receiving preventive care for concerns like heart disease. Furthermore, people who wish to achieve optimal wellness, which is so much more than being ‘not sick,’ often struggle to find this level of care in insurance-based models.
There are several reasons for this:
1. Time
Most doctors in the insurance model have a minimal amount to time to spend with each patient – typically 5-15 minutes. However, this is not enough time to conduct a thorough past and present health assessment, let alone discuss lifestyle factors like diet and exercise. Therefore, this creates a huge obstacle in understanding the underlying cause of health concerns, as well as ensuring the patient feels heard and understood.
2. Only One Concern at a Time
It is not uncommon for insurance companies to restrict the number of health concerns that can be addressed at each visit with the doctor. For instance, this means that if you are experiencing anxiety, high stress, irritable bowel syndrome, and painful periods, you may not have the opportunity to discuss all of your symptoms with your doctor at the same visit – even if the health concerns are related, such as in this case. As a result, this prevents a whole-person approach to health and encourages treating symptoms, not the underlying cause. Moreover, in this case, the anxiety and high levels of stress are likely one of the leading causes of the digestive and hormonal imbalances. Unfortunately, this patient would probably walk out with an anti-anxiety drug like Xanax, an anti-depressant like Lexapro, and birth control pills to manage her symptoms. In the end, this creates a perfect storm for short term suppression of symptoms with long-term health repercussions.
3. Dictating Care
In many cases, insurance dictates treatment options. For instance, this means that despite what the doctor may think is the best course of therapy for your health concern, insurance will only cover specific treatment approaches. An example of this is chronic back pain. Although there is an abundance of research supporting the efficacy of acupuncture in alleviating back pain, a person’s insurance may not cover this as an approved form of treatment for back pain. Therefore, insurance may cover medications like muscle relaxers, opioids, and perhaps a cortisone injection, none of which resolve the pain long term, and all have side effects, including dependency and joint degeneration. In short, options for treatment are limited based on what a particular insurance company decides they will pay for.
Naturopathic Care Can Save You Money
There is a saying that goes – if you don’t invest in your health, you will have to invest in your illness. Naturopathic care is geared at helping you improve your physical, mental, and emotional health and reduce your need for medications and increase your quality of life.
Productivity
The healthier you are, the fewer sick days you will take at work, which in turn can improve your work efficiency. The better you feel, the less time and money you will spend at various doctors visits.
Medications
Medications can be costly, even with insurance. Naturopathic Doctors are fully trained in pharmacology and can potentially help you eliminate the need for some drugs, as well as assist in reducing medications side effects.
Value
It is crucial to keep in mind that if you were to pay for your office visits at your conventional doctor’s out of pocket, you would be spending a similar mouth of money, but receiving 5-10 minutes of face to face time with the doctor. Therefore, the amount of individual time and attention you get from your Naturopathic Doctor is incomparable what you would receive at a conventional doctor’s office.
Laboratory Costs
Naturopathic doctors commonly order both standard and specialty labs, which include food allergy panels, advanced hormone testing, organic acid testing, and comprehensive stool analysis. In most cases, routine laboratory work is covered by insurance. Additionally, some insurance companies offer coverage for specialty labs or provide partial reimbursement. We recommend that you call your provider in advance to see what your options are.
Paying for Your Naturopathic Visits
At Onyx Integrative Medicine, our Naturopathic Doctors focus on open communication about all aspects of your care, including your budget. Furthermore, we understand that each person has a different financial situation and work with people within their individual means. Additionally, many people are choosing high deducible, emergency insurance options, leaving a budget for preventive care like Naturopathic Medicine. We accept cash and all major credit cards as well as Health Saving Account cards. In some cases, reimbursements from your insurance company are available.
Health Savings Accounts
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is available to taxpayers in the United States who have a high deductible health insurance plan. In addition, the funds in an HSA are tax-free and roll over and accumulate year to year if they are not used. Essentially, an HSA is tax-free money to spend on your health and wellness where and how you choose to do so. The good news is, you can pay for your Naturopathic doctor visits with your HSA.
Reimbursements
Some insurance companies do offer reimbursement for Naturopathic medical care. However, each plan is different, so we advise that you call your insurance company before your appointment with your Naturopathic Doctor to find out if they offer any level of reimbursement as well as any other pertinent details. Ask your Naturopathic Doctor for a copy of the ‘superbill’ which will have all the information the insurance compare requires for reimbursement.
Insurance companies including Cigna, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Lumenos, and United Health Care often have the option of naturopathic reimbursement.
Questions to ask your insurance include:
Does my current policy cover Naturopathic physical services?
If so, are Naturopathic physicians considered an out-of-network provider?
Do you require anything other than a superbill to process the reimbursement?
What is my deductible?
Are services such as acupuncture, preventative medicine, and nutritional counseling covered as an out-of-network provider?
If not, are there alternate policies that do offer Naturopathic services?
Tips
Discuss your budget up front with your doctor.
The Naturopathic Doctor’s job is to provide you with the best recommendations for your health. However, they do understand that every person has a different financial situation, and if needed, can help you prioritize lab tests, supplements, and other procedures. Also, being open and honest about what you can afford can help you, and your Naturopathic Doctor come up with effective solutions while respecting your budget.
The more you put in, the more you will get out.
Naturopathic doctors work with you to develop strategies to achieve your health and wellness goals. While your Naturopathic Doctor will develop your treatment plan and and guide you, the majority of the work and healing is done by you between visits. Nutrition and lifestyle changes are the foundation to Naturopathic care and in the majority of cases, changing the way you eat can make a huge impact on your health and wellness. The good news is, typically, making dietary changes and lifestyle changes such as beginning to exercise and meditate can be achieved with little to no cost to you. Ensuring you are a s compliant and devoted to making these changes as possible, will help you see results quicker and could reduce the need for supplements and other procedures.