Changing Musculoskeletal Healthcare - My Why As A Cash-Based Chiropractor
Something that I’ve wanted to talk about for a while is why I practice how I do; it may help some of you better understand me and what I’m about. This is something I’m extremely passionate about and may be controversial, but it’s something that I feel I need to discuss.
If you don’t know, I’m a performance and cash-based chiropractor. That means that I do not take health insurance and I am focused on not only helping get out of pain but helping you achieve higher goals and performing at your best.
One of my ‘why’s’ is I want to bring a change to how we as chiropractors and physical therapists provide care to our patients. I want to set a higher standard and provide patients with the level of service that they deserve. I want to help bring a shift to a higher level of musculoskeletal healthcare. To deliver this level of service, I had to leave the insurance world.
You might be thinking, “But why?”. Due to poor reimbursement from insurance companies, a provider that accepts insurance has to spend as little time with you as possible, usually under 15 minutes, to be successful. They need to see several patients in an hour and if they want to do more with you, then they’ll hand you off to an assistant. However, as a patient and someone in pain, you need more than that. And more importantly, you deserve more than that!
By taking insurance, I believe I’m doing a disservice to you. You aren’t getting the attention and individualization you need and deserve. By not taking insurance, I have the ability to spend an hour with each of my clients. No quick ‘pop’ and out the door and no handing you off to an assistant. As my patient, you have my full attention for that entire hour. There’s no thinking about hundreds of other patients or rushing to get to the next one.
Another reason why I don’t take insurance is that I don’t want anyone else to dictate the care that you receive. Why let a 3rd party, who isn’t a healthcare provider, tell me what you need and what I should do? They don’t know you or what you’re dealing with and they certainly don’t know what’s best for you. Not only do they dictate the care received but they also put limits on the amount of visits you can get. This is insane to me! Some people may only need 8 visits while others might require 15. How do they know how many you need? The answer is they don’t.
People will say I’m greedy for what I charge or for only accepting cash, but do you know who the true criminal is? The insurance companies. They are trillion-dollar companies that don’t care about you. Every day they deny hundreds of thousands of treatments, surgeries, and medications that people need! They will always continue to raise premiums and decrease reimbursement all to ensure that they get theirs. By not accepting insurance, I believe I am making the most ethical possible decision for you and me.
Now I get that my type of care isn’t right for everyone, but I can guarantee that the level and quality of care that you receive from me or several other cash-based providers is going to be exponentially greater than that of someone who accepts insurance. I’m not saying they aren’t good at what they do, I’m only saying they are limited in what they can provide.
So if you’re dealing with pain, and want a better option, send me an email. I would be more than happy to talk with you about how I can help you get back to doing the things you love. You can email me at resiliencechiro@gmail.com
Talk soon,
Andrew
