When it comes to alternative medicine services, private health insurance plans may provide coverage, but it depends on the specific plan. Generally, insurance companies will only cover treatments that have been proven to be safe, effective, and necessary for a certain condition. In some cases, the professional providing the treatment must have a license.
Acupuncture
, chiropractic care, and therapeutic massage are often the only treatments that are covered.Before selecting an integrative medicine doctor or starting a specific treatment, it's wise to check with your insurance company to see if the insurance covers integrative medicine. As with any other health care option, before using a complementary health product or office, you should inform yourself about its risks, benefits and associated scientific evidence. Before treatment, consider talking to your health insurance company to make sure that you are covered and that you understand the details of that coverage. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) funds research that helps generate evidence on whether complementary and integrative health approaches are safe and effective.
If you want to use a complementary or integrative approach and don't know if your health insurance will cover it, contact your health insurance provider to find out. There are two types of tax-exempt accounts that help people save money for health expenses and can help you cover the costs of some complementary health approaches. The Federal Government helps cover some health expenses for people who qualify for federal health benefit programs, such as programs for veterans, people age 65 and older (Medicare) and people who cannot afford medical care (Medicaid). The NCCIH and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide tools to help you understand the basic concepts and terminology of scientific research so that you can make well-informed decisions about your health.
Along with the benefits of the most standard policy, such as inpatient health insurance and outpatient health insurance, a comprehensive health insurance plan that includes coverage for alternative therapies and complementary medicine can provide you with a variety of additional options for your health care. To provide resources to help answer questions about health, MedlinePlus (a service of the National Library of Medicine) gathers reliable information from the National Institutes of Health, as well as other government agencies and health-related organizations. While the rates of use of all three methods increased, the increase was much more pronounced among people who didn't have health insurance. With a growing body of science increasingly advocating for alternative forms of health care, CCW Global Insurance is pleased to be able to offer a range of global health insurance plans that include coverage for alternative therapies and complementary medical treatments.
