Health INSURANCE BILLING
PLEASE READ this entire page if you are expecting your insurance to cover your acupuncture sessions.
I AM IN-NETWORK WITH:
Aetna
Anthem BCBS
Choose Healthy
Devoted
MODA
Providence
Pacific Source
United
Wellcare HealthNet
OHP (through OHSU)
I can take some Medicaid plans, for low back pain only.
(Unfortunately I cannot take Kaiser, Cigna, Regence, BCBS, or CareOregon.)
Insurance rates are determined by a separate fee schedule and vary based on the rhythm of acupuncture and acupressure during your session. If your insurance does cover your sessions, please put your insurance information into your Client Portal, and call your insurance provider to verify your acupuncture benefits with me at least one week before you come in. Read on for more info on that.
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When you call your insurance provider and give them my information — take notes. Ask if you have out-of-network acupuncture coverage, give them my info, ask if you have to meet a deductible first, and if there are restrictions on the condition treated, the quantity of visits you get, or an annual limit.
Take notes, and send that to me in the client portal or in a secure email. I am a one-person business and I offer insurance billing as a courtesy. I do not have the time and energy to check on everyone’s benefits individually. I leave that to you. Thank you for understanding!
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You are responsible for your co-pay at time of service.
If your insurance unexpectedly does not pay (because of a lapse in service, or exceeding annual allowance, or some other unforeseen obstacle) you are responsible for any uncovered sessions out-of-pocket.
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If you like longer sessions with more time to talk or more time on the table to allow for somatics and visualizations, a $30-$60 fee is added to your co-pay (depending on your insurance coverage) to account for extra time in the office and those uncovered services.
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For FIRST VISITS, please note: a $60 payment in addition to your co-pay is required for your 90 minute initial visit, when charging your insurance. This covers extra time in the office and the somatic work we do together, modalities that are uncovered services.
Please get in touch in advance of your session to discuss that if it’s a problem. I take every measure to keep my rates fair and in accordance with the laws of a hybrid out-of-pocket and in-and out-of-network insurance billing office, with the complication that my somatic, visualization, and bodywork services are covered by some plans and not covered by others. It is a complex terrain to navigate, that cannot be predicted well in advance, so I thank you for your patience.
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If I am out-of-network, I will ask you to pay upfront and send you a superbill so that your insurance reimburses directly to you. I can bill some plans through OHP but not CareOregon. There’s always a risk that prior authorization will be turned down, and should that happen, you are required to pay in full. In that case, I reduce the cost to my discounted time-of-service fee as a courtesy.
I am sorry to say, I cannot bill Kaiser or CareOregon. I can bill Cigna, Regence, and BCBS out-of-network. You need to check your out-of-network benefits first to see if your sessions will be covered.
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
I can bill auto insurance for Motor Vehicle Accidents provided you have an open and active claim in the state of Oregon.
Anyone who is injured in a motor vehicle accident (passenger, driver, pedestrian, or on bicycle) in the state of Oregon is allowed medical care for rehabilitation. This includes acupuncture, and you do not need a referral. If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you are eligible for free acupuncture and shiatsu for the recovery of your injuries. Please contact me for more information or simply hop online to schedule a first appointment.
If you have maxed out your allotment, I will bill your health insurance. If they do not pay, you are responsible for the cost of the sessions.
Out-of-pocket payment
A session with me is $150 (50 minutes). For those on a limited income paying out of pocket at time of service I can offer a discount down to $135. The first session is $250 because we spend 90 minutes going over your health history and other first-time information. I offer a 75-minute session for $165. If you like more time to talk, or more time on the table, or you want deep somatic work during your session, schedule the 75 minute visit.
Short appointments do not allow for much time talking or somatics, but we can fit in a visualization or a little bodywork with your acupuncture.
For all session, the amount of minutes is the amount of time of the entire appointment, when you walk in to when you head out.
Payment must be made at time of service.
HSA and FSA cards:
Yes, I can charge these directly, for your full OOP payment, or your co-pay or somatic fees. Just make sure you put that card in your file on the portal and please let me know when you come in so I bill the right card.
OTHER SERVICES
CREATIVE EMBODIMENT WORK
I offer sessions in my method of Creative Embodiment, integrating somatics with guided visualization work based on surrealism, deep image poetics, Eastern Medicine, and other pre-modern medicine theories that enliven the creative process and resuscitate lost creative power. These sessions cannot be billed to insurance. They can be virtual or in-person, and they are offered in a 3-pack or one at a time. Schedule as you would for acupuncture.
INvesting in your health
A word about paying out of pocket. I know it can be hard to spend money on something like acupuncture, especially if your expectation is that it will or should be covered by insurance and it isn’t. The sad fact is that insurance coverage for acupuncture is grossly under available. This is likely something you will have to spring for yourself, much like having to shell out for the plumber to visit, or a new roof, or new tires or an overhaul to make a vehicle stay safe. Just like how insurance for a car or home cover some things and they do not cover a lot of other things, health insurance is the same way. It covers some things, and does not cover a lot of other necessary expenses to keep your investment in good shape.
Your body is your primal and original home. You live in it 24-7 above all else. You live in your body and in your psyche and in your spirit. Acupuncture supports your body, mind, heart, and soul. When your body and psyche do not feel aligned or safe or in a state of resonance, how much is it worth to you to feel better?
I invite you to consider shifting your perspective on the idea of investing. The sessions I provide are a full body, being, and soul experience. This work is reparative and restorative on all of those levels. When you come in, we clear tension and stuckness that have been trapped in your body for long spans of time. This work is a deep and powerful investment in yourself. It builds self-awareness. It’s cumulative and it helps you unload, clear, grow, learn, and thrive. You deserve it.