“I wish my insurance company covered naturopathic medicine” is a statement we frequently hear. The truth is, there are many reasons why ALETRIS would not take insurance even if the option was available.
First, when a medical clinic decides to accept insurance, each physician signs a contract with that insurance agency. Elements of that contract dictate how often a physician can see a patient, how much time a physician can spend with a patient, what types of treatments are allowed and how much the insurance company will reimburse the physician.
In a facility accepting insurance, for example, a patient suffering from depression and fatigue would be immediately prescribed an anti-depressant medication. The insurance company will pay the physician for 15 minutes worth of work to diagnose the depression and then discuss the medication.
With naturopathic treatment, a patient with depression and fatigue may require a one and a half hour visit so that the underlying cause of the condition can be determined and treated. If a naturopathic physician were to ask an insurance compnay for reimbursement for that 90 minute visit, they would be paid by allopathic standards and would receive the same $60 that a MD would receive for a 15 minute (or less) visit. $60 per 90 minutes will never cover expenses.
So what would naturopaths have to do in order to have a successful practice while taking insurance? They would have to start practicing more and more like traditional doctors – spending less time with each patient and giving “pharmaceutical-industry” recommendations. They may have to go from seeing six patients a day to seeing twenty or thirty. Other naturopathic doctors may focus their practice on more expensive procedures like prolotherapy or IV therapy to try to make up for costs.
In addition to setting requirement for the physicians, the insurance agency has the right to look inside a patient’s chart at any time, for any reason. This may not seem like a problem until you suspect cancer or heart disease and wish to evaluate those issues before using insurance to cover treatments. One element our patients love about our practice is that can be truly is anonymous.
We prefer to have patients use insurance for labwork, imaging, or other procedures as necessary and pay cash for their visits. Some patients with insurance even choose to pay cash for certain tests so that their insurance company does not have record of their results.
In the end, naturopathic patients see the true value in the time, energy, and money it saves them to address the issue instead of chasing symptoms. Not taking insurance guarantees the personalized care that so many of our patients love.
In this day and age, insurance and drug companies are dictating the way medicine and treatment are carried out in the United States. Choosing to engage in a different system – one that empowers patients and puts doctors back at the top of the decision making tree – is the best vote you could make with your dollar.
ALETRIS Center of Integrative Medicine is a Scottsdale, AZ wellness center serving Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix, Glendale, Arrowhead, Peoria, Sun City, Chandler, Tempe, Ahwatukee, and Mesa, AZ with specialties in naturopathic medicine, natural hormone therapy, women's health, acupuncture, colon hydrotherapy, natural skincare and sugar hair removal.
The contents of this blog, including text, graphics, images and other material, are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please seek the counsel of an ALETRIS physician or other qualified health provider with any questions regarding a medical condition or treatment.
Labels: medical insurance, naturopathic medicine
