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Iowa Medicare Chiropractic Regulations

Medicare coverage, because it is a national program does not vary as much as Medicaid coverage. Medicare offers you limited chiropractic care in all states, including Iowa. Although it is limited, some care to correct some conditions is approved. Because Medicare benefits change over time you should verify benefit availability before beginning a course of treatment.

  1. Active Corrective Treatment

    • According to Stephen Barrett, M.D., the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services lists active/corrective treatments as being covered by Medicare. Medicare will pay for your active/corrective therapy treatment if that treatment offers a reasonable chance of recovery or an increase in life function.

    Correcting a Subluxation

    • Even in active/corrective therapy, Medicare places limits on the types of care you can receive. To be covered under Medicare, your spinal subluxation must be correctable. A subluxation is a slight misalignment or mechanical problem with the vertebrae. The subluxation must be medically documented via an x-ray. In addition, according to on-line industry magazine Dynamic Chiropractic, your subluxation must be one of asymmetry or misalignment or a range of motion problem. The problem must also be causing you pain that can have its location, type and intensity documented.

      Medicare specifically excludes treatments of spinal subluxation that will not result in a measurable and permanent improvement. If your subluxation is acute, it is not covered.

    Maintenance Therapy

    • Chiropractic maintenance therapy is defined as a treatment where improvement cannot be expected from the continuation of care. This type of therapy is not covered by Medicare. Medicare will only cover your care if it is for a re-treatment of a returning or recurring problem, according to Dynamic Chiropractic.

    Limitations on Visits

    • Medicare does not limit your total number of visits as long as the active/corrective treatment test is met, according to a 2006 article in Dynamic Chiropractic. Medicare will allow you as many visits as necessary as long as the treatment is expected to result in improvement over time.

    Limitations on Care

    • Medicare will only cover chiropractic manipulation and care of your spine. Other forms of treatment, like kinesiology or care and adjustment of other joints and musculo-skeletal systems are not covered. In some cases however, a chiropractor may perform a manipulation as part of a treatment and not bill Medicare for that manipulation.

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