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Frequently Asked Questions
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Below are some questions and answers about Insurance Company reimbursement for services provided at Spicer Wellness Center. and other questions you may have (but was afraid to ask!).
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What insurance companies does Spicer Wellness Center accept?
What does my deductible mean?
What is an EOB and what happens if I think I owe a different amount for services?
Why does Chiropractic cost so much?
Why can't I just take a little pill and get some rest and won't I be OK?
Why would I come to see Dr. Tom when there are so many Chiropractors in town?
What insurance companies does Spicer Wellness Center accept?
This seemingly simple question can be a bit tricky. While I have contracts with the following providers, things change daily and you are responsible for payment of your bills here at Spicer Wellness Center. I will help you with questions, however, if you are unsure of your insurance coverage, I encourage you to call the 800 number on the back of your card and check out your policy. You might be pleasantly surprised of the coverage you might have. (I hope!)
Below are most of the Insurance companies I accept.
Aetna,
Align Networks, Inc.,
Blue Cross Blue Shield,
Cypress Care,
Great-West Healthcare,
Health Allies,
HSM,
Medica Health Plan,
Medical Resource, LLC,
Medicare,
Premera Blue Cross,
Principal Life Insurance Co.,
United Healthcare,
Universal SmartComp,
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What does my deductible mean?
Your employer has negotiated a package of insurance benefits for the employees in your company. Your employer may have offered you multiple plans with different options like the amount of deductible dollars that you must pay out of your pocket before "insurance" kicks in. It used to be a few hundred dollars was the standard deductible. Now, I have seen deductibles that are in the thousands of dollars before insurance "kicks in" to pay benefits. You probably have a deductible on your policy. Again, call your insurance companies 800 number on the back of your card to see what your deductible is. The good news is, Chiropractic benefits apply in full to your deductible, just like any medical visits.
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What is an EOB and what happens if I think I owe a different amount for services?
An EOB is an Explanation of Benefits. After you come to Spicer Wellness Center, we submit your claim to your insurance company. After processing, your insurance company sends you an EOB stating what they will pay and what your portion of the payment is and what Spicer Wellness Center will accept from the insurance company. I also get a copy of the EOB and if you get billed something different, please call and we will find out what happened. I use an outside billing company that sends you your bill. I sometimes make mistakes in what I send to them to bill you and occasionally they make mistakes too (they are human like you and me!). If you have a question in your bill, please call and let's get it straightened out.
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Why does Chiropractic cost so much?
Ah... Great question. I can answer this in many different ways, but I'll be brief. The typical bill for a problem such as low back pain often comes up to a few hundred dollars. Many things influence this number. The general health, or lack thereof of the patient can change this number. The age of the patient (kids heal much faster than adults). How stressful is the life you live outside of the Chiropractic office? If you have a lot of stress in your life (who doesn't?) it will take longer to heal the body. In my opinion, if you factor in the benefits of drug free, no surgery, and no nasty little side effects (like liver damage from the drugs prescribed and scar tissue from surgery) Chiropractic is a bargain.
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Why can't I just take a little pill and get some rest and won't I be OK?
Another loaded question. Yes, you can do the above. It has been my experience that most drugs prescribed by medical doctors do nothing to help the body heal the problem. Drugs simply cover up symptoms until the body figures out a way to heal itself. Remember when you were little and you cut your finger? The body healed itself. The same things happen with most illnesses and injuries... IF.. you give the body what it needs to heal itself. Good nutrition, sometimes rest, sometimes better exercises, and a nervous system that is working at 100% and joints that are in alignment take care of most problems the body faces. We get into trouble when we can't reduce the stress we put on ourselves and don't allow the body the time it needs to heal itself. Do drugs work. Yes, in many cases. Does every single drug (including aspirin, acetominophen, Advil, Aleve, etc.) have side effects. Absolutely Yes!
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Why would I come to see Dr. Tom when there are so many Chiropractors in town?
My practice is different than most Chiropractic offices. I actually spend time with my patients to get at the root causes of the reason you are having health issues.
First, let me share my story.
I opened my office on Marschall road after being an associate Doctor at a well-known clinic in Shakopee. I quickly decided that I wanted to be my own boss and moved across the street to my 327 Marschall Road location and started to do things my way.
At the Marschall Road location, I found that with rent and an office manager to pay, that there was always an underlying theme of "get finished with this patient and on to the next one because the clock is ticking and I have overhead to pay for before I get paid”. Now I’m not saying that every Chiropractor or for that matter MD or care-giver in town thinks this way, but I believe that for very real financial considerations patient care can and is driven by the bottom line with many Doctors. Me included. To serve the patient quickly and on to the next one certainly helped pay the rent and office staff and electric and phone bills etc.
When I moved my office to my residence and did my own office management duties, what I found is when I eliminated the pressure of “I need to get on to see the next patient so I can pay my bills,” That I could be so much more present with my patients to serve their needs… instead of mine.
I now get to ask more questions and dig deeper into what the underlying history of the issue is and think longer on possible drug and surgery free alternative therapies that benefit the patient. What a concept! A Doctor who actually has time to think about what’s best for his patients and can spend more than 5.8 minutes with his patients!!!
That’s why I’m different. If you just want a quick adjustment and in and out in 5 minutes (which happens at some offices!) I can do that, but I prefer to spend the time necessary to get at the underlying health issues as well as your back and neck pain. If you believe that Chiropractic is just about "cracking your neck and back" then my practice is probably not for you.
I work with most insurance companies plans, but be prepared if you choose SWC that some of the things that might truly affect your health and allow you to live the life you have dreamed about might NOT be covered by insurance. You are never pressured to spend your money on these additions to your life that could have far reaching health benefits, but I wouldn’t be doing my job as your Doctor if I didn’t let you know that there might be additional help for you to live a more comfortable and productive life.
So…. I moved my office to my residence to eliminate the overhead of rent and I now do the office manager tasks to further reduce my overhead.
The benefits to you are: now, if there is a challenge with insurance or billing or your benefits, I know the answer or will get the answer for you personally. Yes, this is the way medicine used to be practiced. Call me old fashioned I guess, but you and I are both winners in this journey of your health. You get a doctor who is fully present to your needs. I get to not worry about if the rent or electric or phone bills are getting paid on time or not. A win for everyone in my opinion.
One last HUGE benefit of my working from home. Extended hours of operation. Last night, I saw a patient at 9:00 PM! I have seen patients at 6:30 AM too! Everyone has busy lives. Now you have a place to be treated that can fit YOUR schedule. Cool!
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