You’ve got questions. We’ve got….
FAQ
What are your fees?
We maintain a simple, understandable fee structure in this practice. No surprises.
Here is the breakdown of what you can expect in our office:
- Initial visit is $370. This includes the consult / exam of $95, the Digital Spinal Xrays at $200 and your first adjustment at $75.
- Follow up visit – $75
- Stand alone extremity such as a shoulder, elbow, etc. – $35.
- That’s it.
Do you take Xrays on new patients?
We take full spine digital Xrays on virtually all of our new patients. It is a critical part of our analysis and decision making process. If you have recent imaging including MRIs or CT scans, please bring a CD of them with you to your appointment.
Pregnancy is the one absolute exclusion to our Xray policy. If you are or suspect you are pregnant, notify Dr. White at once so that we can make appropriate changes to your care.
How long will it take for me to get better?
We work hard to get our patients better. It is our goal to see less of you than more, and to make each appointment as effective as we can. That having been said, each patient is a unique case, and healing times vary widely.
A patient with an old chronic injury with a brutal day to day occupation is not going to respond the same way as a recent injury in a patient who has good self-care practice.
What if I am pregnant?
First, Congratulations.
We take care of many expectant mothers at Spine By Design.
The human body goes through powerful changes during the course of a pregnancy, and many of them are structural…. consider Chiropractic care to assist in maintaining your physical and neurological well-being during this critical stage in your life.
Do you use or recommend supplements?
We address our patients holistically in this practice. The triad of health, as it is referred to, is the concept that health and healing requires balance between the structure (think spinal adjustment), the chemical (think what goes into your body), and the emotional (think your attitude, day to day emotional state, stress, etc.)
Imbalance in any of the 3 elements of the triad of health will result in a patient leading a less than healthy life or existence.
How do supplements enter this practice?
Simple.
If a patient is lacking in certain vitamins, nutrients, or is otherwise deficient in their diet, they will not heal correctly. If, through the course of your care in this office, we identify an area where you can improve your health via reasonable nutritional supplementation, we will make that recommendation to you. It is important to us that all of our patients receive the big picture here and that they are able to make appropriate decisions for themselves at that point.
Can I pay with my HSA Card?
Absolutely. Chiropractic care in this office is fully compliant with HSA expense rules. We have a card terminal and no referral is required for you to begin care in this office.
Do you take insurance?
We do not bill or participate in private insurance programs. This is a fee for service practice. If you have coverage through a company like Anthem, we are happy to provide you with a superbill that you can submit directly to them for out of network services and reimbursement. We have no control over how much or if they will pay you according to your plan.
Do you take Medicare?
This practice is currently contracted to take care of Medicare B beneficiaries. Medicare has VERY specific rules pertaining to what they will pay for in a Chiropractic office such as this one.
They only pay for one service – the spinal adjustment, and only in the acute or active phase of your care. They do not pay for ‘maintenance’ care plans, i.e., the once a month visit that so many of our patients elect to receive.
What out of pocket expenses can you expect in our office if you have Medicare B insurance?
NON-Covered services for MEDICARE B insureds:
- Exam / Consult – $95
- Spinal Xrays – $200
- Extremity charges, if applicable, such as a knee, shoulder, ankle – $35
- Maintenance care visits, i.e., the once-a-month visit – $75
- Annual deductible for Medicare B is approximately $240/year, and if you have not incurred this in a different provider’s office, you will see a bill from us for the applicable portion.
- 20% of the ‘covered’ services. Some of the supplemental plans (such as Harvard Pilgrim supplement) do not pay for the ‘covered’ 20% of the Medicare fees, so you may see a small bill from us on that. It is typically around $7 or so / visit.
Do you take Medicare Advantage Plans?
We do not bill or participate in any of the Medicare Advantage or Part C type plans such as Martins’ Point, Humana, or any of the other Advantage plans. You can attempt to submit on your own to them, but we have not seen our patients succeed in receiving any reimbursement. Your care in this office will be on a fee for service basis like all of our other patients.
What about a car accident / PI Claim?
If you were injured in an auto accident or other PI claim injury, your care in this office will still be on a fee for service basis. Maine law has recently changed so that the automobile insurer will reimburse you, the injured party, directly after seeking care in our practice.
We will provide you with a detailed superbill to submit to them for reimbursement. The particular details of your plan, coverage, etc., are up to you and your insurance carrier, and we cannot assist beyond this point.
Do I need a referral to come see you?
No referral is needed to begin care in our office. We receive many patient referrals that are coming from primary and specialty care practices. If we do receive a referral from your care team, we will follow up with them via a report and exam findings after your initial appointment.
It is important to us that all of your healthcare providers are working together towards your benefit. If you would ever like us to discuss our findings / care plan with anyone on your team, just let us know.
Can I see a copy of your HIPPA privacy policy?
Of course. We take the privacy of your health information seriously. Here is a copy of our policy:
At Spine By Design our mission is simple: Get our patients back to doing the things they love most as quickly as we can. The way that we do this is by providing a detailed, comprehensive analysis of the problem, and developing a structural solution that is based on the unique needs of each patient who comes to us for help.
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