Direct Primary Care Agreements and the Relationship with Chiropractic Medicare Covered and Non-Covered Services

chiropractic medicareBy: Susan St. John
As many chiropractors are likely aware, they cannot “opt-out” of Medicare. Even if a chiropractor has not enrolled to be a Medicare provider, a Medicare beneficiary may require the chiropractor to submit a claim to or bill the Medicare program on his/her behalf for chiropractic services rendered. For chiropractic services to be covered by Medicare, the patient must have a condition necessitating treatment and manipulative services rendered must have a direct therapeutic relationship to the patient’s condition. The manipulative services must provide a reasonable expectation of recovery or improvement of function. Further, the Medicare patient’s condition must be acute and not a chronic subluxation without objective clinical improvement anticipated. Manipulative treatment beyond treating the acute phase, that is, a chronic condition, is considered maintenance therapy and is not covered. Thus, a chiropractor needs to carefully consider at what point a Medicare beneficiary’s treatment becomes palliative or maintenance therapy which would not be covered and thoroughly explain this to the patient. The chiropractor has a duty to let the patient know when treatment is no longer curative or therapeutic, but rather maintenance therapy.Continue reading

Eye on the Regulations: The Argument Against ACO Exclusivity

photo 3By: Jackie Bain

In an ACO, participating physicians, hospitals and other healthcare providers use a coordinated approach to provide improved care to beneficiaries. As an incentive to participate in ACOs, Medicare shares its savings when participating providers coordinate to provide quality care while spending Medicare dollars more wisely.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) have determined that a certain amount of exclusivity is necessary for an ACO beneficiary to be accurately assigned to an ACO.  Exactly how much exclusivity is necessary has been the topic of much debate.  Initially, lawmakers envisioned that only primary care physicians were required to be exclusive to their ACOs.  After the public had the opportunity comment on the proposed law, the rule was changed.  Now, it is generally accepted that if CMS assigns an ACO beneficiary to an ACO because of primary care services previously supplied by the physician, then the physician must be exclusive to the ACO.  This is true whether the physician is a primary care physician or a specialist who provides primary care services to a patient with no primary care physician.Continue reading