While there are a variety of ways to choose a health care professional, and several resources on how to choose a chiropractor (ones I wish I had read myself at various points in my life), this post is about how NOT to choose a chiropractor. There are duds in every profession, and using these rules is one way to find them.
1.) Choose the Cheapest
The first and perhaps most important of these rules is to not just choose the cheapest chiropractor around. While I love finding a good deal, there’s several arenas that I’ll refuse to go budget; lawyers, dental care and medical providers are among them. Truly, you pay for what you get sometimes, and while a $20 adjustment might seem like a better choice over a $60 one, compare what you receive in exchange. Reduced or discounted adjustments often come at the price of time and expertise. If they don’t even value their own care, why would I want what they’re offering? I’d rather pay more, spend more time with the doctor, and know that the care I’m receiving is specific to my history, spine and specific needs, not the same adjustment they’ve given fifty other people that day. When several franchise chiropractic clinics opened in Charleston, a colleague and I joked about advertising “We FIX $20 adjustments.” Buyer beware!
2.) Choose the Closest
I am well aware that there are people in Charleston who will not cross a bridge to get anywhere, and in a city where there’s more water than land, that’s saying something. While choosing healthcare in close proximity to your home or work is certainly convenient, you seriously limit the quality of your care and are throwing the dice when it comes to your health. I would rather travel a little further to someone I know is catering their services to my needs than go next door to someone who doesn’t or can’t serve my needs.
3.) Choosing someone just because they’re “In-Network”
Health insurance can be a beautiful thing, especially in instances of unexpected health issues or traumatic events. What I expect to see, however, is less provider participation overall as a result of decreased reimbursements, payment return “requests” and post payment audits. What most people don’t consider in regards to health insurance companies is that they are publicly trained companies with a fiduciary commitment and a legal obligation to their shareholders to make money. How do they do that? By denying services that you need and by orchestrating how providers can and cannot practice. Many providers, particularly chiropractors, are authorized for a specified number of visits or for selected modalities only. Furthermore, insurance companies are increasingly “requesting” (read:demanding) refunds from providers on payments they made them months or even years ago. All of this is making insurance participation a liability for providers. Expect to find participating providers less and less common with the continuing health care reform. My recommendation is finding a chiropractor you like and you receive results from, regardless of whether they are in network or not.
4.) Trial and Error
If you’ve been following one (or all) of the above rules for selecting your provider, the good news is now you will have more of a game plan for finding your next one. While some patients will always be “shoppers” when it comes to healthcare, having a chiropractor or healthcare provider who knows you, your body and your medical history is crucial when you are in need of their expertise. Being in pain is difficult enough; having to recount your entire medical history and undergo any necessary exams with a stranger just adds salt to the wound.
So how should you go about finding said provider? My patients that been the best “fits” for my practice have nearly always come from referrals. Start asking your friends and loved ones who they recommend, and then look for common threads. Research these folks; do they hold similar beliefs to you or do they practice techniques that have worked for you in the past? Finally, call the office and ask to speak to the office manager or the physician. How fluid is the communication and can they answer your questions? While you may not have clear answers to these questions until you are a patient, I assure you these are far better tactics than any of the aforementioned methods.
If something you’ve read here rings true to you or if you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We are never too busy to help you or your loved ones. For more information please check out our website or call us at (843) 416-8218.
photo credit: <a href=”https://www.flickr.com/photos/chiropractic/3813001430/”>planetc1</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/”>cc</a>
